Outdoor Retailer Winter Market
-- Tradeshow Week, 1/21/2008
Where: Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City (fixed)
When: Jan. 23-26 (annual)
Show manager: Nielsen Business Media
Service contractor: GES Exposition Services
Who exhibits: Suppliers of products and services for the outdoor lifestyle
Who attends: Owners and managers of outdoor, backpacking and sporting goods retail stores
2007 show statistics: 331,796 net. sq. ft.; 820 exhibiting firms; 6,513 professional attendees
First year of show: 1990
Good reason to attend: How about the discount ski lift tickets? Before and after the show, attendees get 50 percent off at Utah ski resorts.
The bottom line: Salt Lake City officials continue to hold their breath. A year and a half ago, the state, county and city spent $58 million to quickly expand the Salt Palace to accommodate the growing semiannual Outdoor Retailer (the summer version is considerably bigger than the winter). Organizers are already huddling with local officials about where and how to find even more space. Luckily for them, Outdoor Retailer attendees love visiting Utah.
