“Salt Lake City is our hometown, and we’re going back with a commitment to effecting meaningful change,” said Emerald X, the company that owns Outdoor Retailer, the Godzilla of outdoor industry trade shows, in a statement released today. The event has been held in Denver for the past five years, moving out of Utah, where the trade show first began, after state politicians supported the federal government’s stripping of protections from national monuments in the state.
The decision comes after some of the biggest outdoor brands in the world—Patagonia, The North Face, and REI, among many others—vocally promised to boycott the event if it returned to Utah.
As we reported last month when it was clear Emerald was strongly considering the re-relocation:
“Represented by the Conservation Alliance, at least two dozen brands have indicated that if OR returns to Salt Lake, they won’t be part of it. Big brands. The heavy hitters are REI, Patagonia, and the North Face, but the list is a who’s who in the outdoor industry. Brands such as NEMO, Keen, Oboz, Smartwool, Therm-A-Rest, and many others have signed on to express they’ll boycott a Utah-based OR as long as the state’s lawsuit against the feds is in play.”
This is great news for Utah’s expanding outdoor industry and all those who love getting outside and experiencing the state’s natural beauty.
We look forward to welcoming Outdoor Retailer back to Salt Lake City.https://t.co/kRH8BOC1vb
— Utah Gov. Spencer J. Cox (@GovCox) March 23, 2022
For their part, Emerald is trying to assure wary brands that this isn’t simply a business decision, but one that will make meaningful changes to address the concerns of brands who don’t want to support what they consider a hostile state government. Emerald has pledged to do the following:
• Commit revenue over the next three years from Outdoor Retailer events in Utah to fund programs to support outdoor recreation and protect public lands;
• Form the Business with Purpose initiative in partnership with Visit Salt Lake to bring city, county, state and federal officials, public lands and outdoor recreation leaders, and industry stakeholders together for biannual meetings focused on addressing challenges, influencing policy, assisting advocacy efforts, and directing resources into protecting natural and cultural spaces and improving access;
• Provide increased opportunities for the industry, local communities, and media to participate in panel discussions, educational activities, and volunteer projects.
Interestingly all of this comes at a time when many brands, employees, and industry insiders have begun seriously questioning the point of in-person trade shows. At AJ, we haven’t attended since the pandemic began and we can’t say we really miss going. The people, sure, that was always a blast. But flying to another state, renting a vehicle, spending on hotels, etc., makes a lot less sense than it did even five years ago. Brands now put together excellent video presentations of new products and host virtual get-togethers to learn just as much as you do in person.
“Should Utah’s politicians abandon their legal threats seeking once again to roll back protections for Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monuments, Patagonia is glad to return to Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City,” said Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert. “We are disappointed the owners of Outdoor Retailer are blatantly ignoring the Indigenous Peoples, local activists and outdoor athletes who spent years working to conserve and protect wild lands in Utah by moving the show back to Salt Lake City. Until we hear a firm commitment to protect our national monuments, we remain steadfast in our position and won’t return to the trade show in Utah.”
There’s no justification for this move. Congratulations to Patagonia, the North Face et al. for continuing their boycott. It’s very much appreciated.
When companies put their money where their mouth is, I am more likely to put my money in their pocket!
We vote with every dollar we spend.
So thank you Patagonia! You can bet I will remember, too.
I just discovered their extensive collection of videos on their site, when I was looking for “Tree Line”, a gorgeous science piece about forests’ intercommunication and so much more.
It’s a 40 minute lush immersion in three forests that is so sublime: a shredding monk and ageless treesprite in Japan, survivalist bristlecones & my own hero in BC rainforest finding neural chemistry like our own! It’s the first drone work I have ever really enjoyed.
‘Tree Line’ is a beautiful antidote to temporary distress. There’s nothing like the timeline of a magnificent tree to put our sh*t into perspective.
Here I’ll make it easy for you!
https://www.patagonia.com/stories/treeline/video-79268.html
The generosity of trees to their next generations puts humans to shame.
Free market at work. If Patagonia doesn’t want to attend that’s absolutely their prerogative. No harm, no foul. Perhaps the boycott by the “heavy hitters”’will give smaller shops an opportunity to have their presence felt and their brand exposed.
@Swenson I work for one of those smaller(mid-size) brands, and am friendly with MANY others. We can’t afford a booth at OR. It is designed for heavy hitters and makin’ $$$. Apparently they make enough money that they can do without the few brands that are going to stand their ground. I stand with them, and wouldn’t pay for a booth in UT even if I could afford it. (HAH! Easy to say since I can’t) 🙂
I started my own personal boycott of Utah when the Trade Show ruckus started. Since doing so I have not visited or spent one penny in Utah. I live in Arizona and have relatives in Utah and until the likes of MIke Lee (Vote The Assholes Out!!) are replaced with folks friendly to Public Lands I am not visiting them. I buy Patagonia because of their commitment to saving the planet while selling quality clothing and gear, Stand fast Patagonia! Shame on Emerald X for returning too Utah and any retailers that participate in their event. “The only thing more dangerous than getting between a mother grizzly bear and her cub is getting between a developer and a dollar bill” – Ed Abbey. Emerald X, the shoe fits, Cactus Ed means you and your followers and Utah’s anti public lands politicians.
And that’s the extent of how much you care Mike you virtue signal by not spending your money and you figure you’ve done your part now you can move on and consume all that carbon and increase your footprint guilt-free
You have zero idea of Mike’s thought processes regarding carbon or his actual consumption levels. He stated a personal boycott for environmental/political reasons (which certainly include carbon issues related to Utah industry).
Do you just want to throw around a silly phrase like “virtue signaling“ to feel cool?
You’re taking a leap here, Jimmy, and it seems very misdirected at a stranger that neither of us know anything else about!
The way I read it, his boycott of Utah, from AZ, is a win for carbon use reduction because he is not traveling back and forth.
Could you explain your animosity please? It’s seems wildly misdirected.
Reminds me of something Tucker Carlson might say.
No more Patagonia, Nike or REI for me. They’re all just too damn woke. I do support bears ears and grand staircase though.
@Miles – you support bears ears and grand staircase, but are okay with spending money in a State whose leaders actively fight to dismantle bears ears and grand staircase?
You won’t be missed but they will be by OR.
The cognitive dissonance is strong with this one.
“Too woke”?
You’d prefer asleep at the wheel?
SMH…
Every individual and every business has a ripple effect on the society and environment around them. That is only ignored by the stupid, the selfish and the sinister. Nobody gets a pass.
Not one individual exists in a vacuum. We are all interdependent, like all the different species connected by mycelium in a forest.
Our economy is enhanced or destroyed by the decisions made by consumers and executives.
As an example, I choose to not spend my funds at Amazon, because they chose to shove 70 thousand people into a city with a housing crisis, rip off workers and third party sellers and not pay fair taxes. That might be too woke for you, but I’d call it playing defense.
I like (in the snarky sense) their bullet points for how they are *working for meaningful change”.
Returning proceeds to fund outdoor programs? Um, shouldn’t you have been doing that already?
As for the rest, sounds like a bunch of suits, in meetings, agreeing to meet again in six months, to set up a date to meet in another six months. All froth, no flavor.
I too, thank Patagonia, and firm stances like this are a big part of why I’ll support that brand as long as their clothes fit me and I need something they have.
This will be pretty easy for me. Once the show happens, then every brand with a display/booth at OR in Utah will no longer be considered when I shop for outdoor gear.
There are so many brands that won’t be there. Both the big players like Patagonia and TNF, but also all the small brands that can’t afford to go. So even by me boycotting the brands that are at OR, I’ll still have a mountain of choice.
In fact, I was meaning to order a new tent soon, so will go online to REI and order The North Face Wawona 6 tonight. Simple.
Why are they going to a state where Utah legislators continue to attack transgender children? The Utah House and Senate overrode Gov. Spencer Cox’s veto of House Bill 11 – a bill that bans transgender students from participating in school sports consistent with their gender identity. What happened to the notion of inclusivity that is touted often by all of the outdoor pundits. I guess the OR is looking the other way here.
Money doesn’t talk: it screams.
(The original lyric)