This year's Summer Market pre-registration numbers signal an optimistic outlook for the convention center's largest annual user. With more people registered than last year to date, enthusiasm about the industry and the relevance of this trade show are strong.
"It is exciting the outdoor industry and Nielsen Business Media continue to embrace our destination and the business opportunity this trade show represents for their industry," said Scott Beck, President and CEO of the Visit Salt Lake. "Trade shows continue to be an important business tool for this industry, due to the importance of face-to-face contact with their clients and their peers. When you combine the incredible natural surroundings of Salt Lake and the Wasatch mountains, our destination is the perfect place for this unique gathering of outdoor-related businesses and retailers."
What began primarily as an event whose impact was felt in the hotels, restaurants, local attractions, exhibit companies, sound, light and staging services, local transportation firms and shopping centers in Salt Lake, has transitioned into what the Governor's Office of Economic Development now considers an opportunity to grow Utah's economy with outdoor industry-related companies relocating to Utah.
Active Utah outdoor recreation fuels tremendous economic growth in Utah, contributing $5.8 billion annually to Utah's economy, supporting 65,000 jobs, generating nearly $300 million in annual state tax revenues, and producing nearly $4 billion annually in retail sales and services across Utah, accounting for almost five percent of the Gross State Product. The outdoor recreation industry has grown from a few small businesses that started in garages and out of the back of vans in the 1960s and 1970s into a multibillion dollar industrial powerhouse.
In Salt Lake and the surrounding area, there are numerous outdoor industry companies, in addition to adventure travel, recreation and other retail shops that contribute to the recreation economy.
Some noteworthy companies in and around the Salt Lake area include: Black Diamond Equipment, Petzl, USA, Backcountry.com, Easton Technical Products, Rossignol Skis, Ogio, Chums, Voile, Chisco, Fezzari, Liberty Mountain, Specialized, Scott, Quality Bicycle Products, Descente USA, Ozone Kites, Icon Health & Fitness, Peregrine Outfitters, Clik Elite, and Amer Sports (whose brands include Atomic, Salomon, Suunto, Arc'teryx, etc.). Utah-based Outdoor Retailer exhibitor list and contact information for companies is available upon request.
* Total visitor spending figures are based on surveys of convention delegates conducted by the University of Utah’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research (BEBR). Surveys conducted by BEBR over the last five years indicate the average delegate spends $923 while attending a convention in Salt Lake.
Visit Salt Lake is a private, non-profit corporation responsible for the promotion of Salt Lake as a convention and travel destination. Visit Salt Lake's mission is to improve the area economy by attracting and providing support to conventions, leisure travelers and visitors while being a leader in environmental responsibility. Salt Lake is a unique fusion of metropolitan city and quaint mountain town; the towering Wasatch Mountains that embrace Salt Lake offer a dramatic backdrop to the vibrancy and activities of downtown.
About Outdoor Retailer
Outdoor Retailer (OR) brings together retailers, manufacturers, industry advocates and media to conduct the business of outdoor recreation through tradeshows, product demo events and web-based business solutions. Produced by Nielsen Expositions and based in San Juan Capistrano, California, Outdoor Retailer also provides and promotes retailer education, advocacy, responsibility and critical face-to-face business initiatives within the outdoor industry.
Now celebrating 30 years, Outdoor Retailer connects approximately 40,000 attendees on a semi-annual basis for its Summer and Winter Market shows, and thousands more through its year-round online resources and platforms.