Emerald Expositions LLC–the company that owns Outdoor Retailer–announced May 24 that it has acquired the SnowSports Industries America (SIA) Snow Show and that the winter OR trade show will now be held in conjunction with the SIA show in Denver in January.
A press release reads:
Under the new ownership of Emerald Expositions, the January SIA Snow Show will merge with Outdoor Retailer to become the Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show endorsed and sponsored by SnowSports Industries America and Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), and will be the largest outdoor and winter sports industry gathering in North America. SIA will remain an active partner in support of the event. OIA will be the co-title sponsor of all Outdoor Retailer winter shows and the title sponsor of Outdoor Retailer summer shows.
The Outdoor Retailer trade shows have been held in Salt Lake City, Utah, since 1996, but organizers announced in February that the show–which is estimated to bring in more than 25,000 people and $45 million a year–will be leaving Utah in response to the state lawmakers’ efforts to have the Trump Administration rescind or reduce Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments, a move that many outdoor enthusiasts have regarded as an attack on public lands.
![The Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, will host the Outdoor Retailer at least one more time this July. [Photo] hakkun, Wikimedia](https://i0.wp.com/dev.alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/patagonia-or-1.jpg?w=1200&ssl=1 "patagonia-or-1")
The OR trade shows have yet to finalize a new host venue, but the latest move to combine the winter OR and SIA shows in Denver is an indication that OR is likely to leave SLC after July.
“All Outdoor Retailer shows are part of our ongoing [request for proposal] process,” said Marisa Nicholson, vice president of the Sports Group for Emerald Expositions and Outdoor Retailer Show director. “We will announce plans when that process is concluded. We have not yet made or announced any final decisions.”
A “This is Our Land” march is planned for July 27, the second day of the summer trade show at Utah’s capital.
“The This Land is Our Land march at summer Outdoor Retailer spotlights that public lands across America are truly the foundation of the outdoor industry, providing incredible landscapes and waterways for people to come together and experience the awe of the outdoors,” Amy Roberts, OIA executive director, said in the press release. “We aim to communicate that America’s national treasures require investment and effective management today and for generations to come–and they must remain accessible for all Americans.”
A more in-depth story about the OR-SIA Snow Show merger can be found here.
For more on the issues surrounding Bears Ears and national monuments, including statements from conservationists, members of Native American tribes, as well as other nearby residents, see this link.