The Latest: Patagonia to boycott Outdoor Retailer in Utah
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The Latest on the future of the Outdoor Retailer show in Utah (all times local):
5:45 p.m.
Outdoor clothing company Patagonia says it won't come to any more Outdoor Retailer shows held in Utah after Gov. Gary Herbert signed a resolution Friday calling on President Donald Trump to repeal the newly named Bears Ears National Monument.
Company spokeswoman Corley Kenna said Monday the resolution was the final straw for a company that was already at odds with Utah's push to control more public lands and its harsh criticism of the new monument.
She says Patagonia would be happy to come back to Utah shows if Herbert changes his posture and urges leaders and the congressional delegation to drop their opposition to of the monument.
Patagonia founder Yvon Chouinard said in a statement last month that the show should move from Utah because of a "hostile environment that puts our industry at risk."
Black Diamond Equipment founder Peter Metcalf also called for the show to move, saying keeping it in Utah makes the industry complicit in supporting what he calls "an assault on public lands" that doesn't align with its values.
Gov. Gary Herbert has refuted that notion and said officials have demonstrated a commitment to protect and promoting Utah's scenic beauty.
Outdoor Retailer officials said Monday they will request proposals from other cities to host shows starting as early as November 2018 after its current contract runs out that summer in Utah.
____
4:04 p.m.
The lucrative Outdoor Retailer show is again considering moving from Salt Lake City.
Show organizers announced Monday they will request proposals from other cities to host three shows a year starting in November 2018. They are committed to do more three more shows in Utah.
The organization has hosted two shows a year in Utah every year since 1996, except for 2002 during the Winter Olympics. The shows bring Utah an estimated $45 million in annual direct spending.
In 2015, show organizers considered Las Vegas, Chicago and other cities before signing a new two-year contract to stay in Utah.
Darrell Denny, executive vice president of Emerald Expositions, says concerns from show attendees about the push by Utah's political leaders to control federal lands was only one factor in a complicated decision.
