Does Montana want to bid for the Outdoor Retailer Show convention?

Organizers of the Outdoor Retailer Show are soliciting proposals for a possible new location for the massive, twice-yearly conventions held for two decades in Salt Lake City.

The call for bids follows outcry from some industry leaders that the show should leave Utah in protest of state public lands policies, particularly its vocal opposition to the newly-annointed Bears Ears National Monument.

The shows, which organizers say bring at least 45,000 visitors and $40 million annually to the state's economy, may still remain in Utah's capital city, they said Monday. But multiple groups associated with the convention stressed the need for choosing a venue whose policies support the outdoor industry's "culture" and "values."

"We've heard member discontent as well as comments from Utah's [political] delegations and efforts on public land policy that are out of alignment with what our industry stands for," said Amy Roberts, executive director of the Outdoor Industry Association, which has close ties to the show and encouraged the show's owner, Emerald Expositions, to seek a range of potential host cities.

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Southern Elk said:

Does MT have a convention center large enough to host it? I heard last week that the Governor of Colorado expressed interest in hosting it. I would expect a big city like Denver to land it.

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