Patagonia CEO Rose Marcario announced on Twitter Wednesdsay that the brand was withdrawing from the Outdoor Retailer (OR) show held in Salt Lake City.
Here’s her statement, as posted later on company’s website, patagoniaworks.com:
- “Utah Gov. Gary Herbert signed a resolution on Friday urging the Trump administration to rescind the Bears Ears National Monument, making it clear that he and other Utah elected officials do not support public lands conservation nor do they value the economic benefits – $12 billion in consumer spending and 122,000 jobs – that the outdoor recreation industry brings to their state. Because of the hostile environment they have created and their blatant disregard for Bears Ears National Monument and other public lands, the backbone of our business, Patagonia will no longer attend the Outdoor Retailer show in Utah and we are confident other outdoor manufacturers and retailers will join us in moving our investment to a state that values our industry and promotes public lands conservation.“ – Rose Marcario, President and CEO, Patagonia, Inc.
- Last month, our founder and CEO, Yvon Chouinard penned an op-ed, The Outdoor Industry Loves Utah; Does Utah Love the Outdoor Industry? In which he stated, “If Gov. Herbert doesn’t need us, we can find a more welcoming home. Gov. Herbert should direct his Attorney General to halt their plans to sue and support the historic Bears Ears National Monument. He should stop his efforts to transfer public lands to the state, which would spell disaster for Utah’s economy. He should show the outdoor industry he wants our business – and that he supports thousands of his constituents of all political persuasions who work in jobs supported by recreation on public lands. We love Utah, but Patagonia’s choice to return for future shows will depend on the Governor’s actions. I’m sure other states will happily compete for the show by promoting public lands conservation.” Read the full piece here: https://www.patagonia.com/blog/2017/01/the-outdoor-industry-loves-utah-does-utah-love-the-outdoor-industry/
In a related action, Outdoor Retailer, in cooperation with Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) and Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, announced on Monday that it will solicit proposals for venue locations for shows and events scheduled for 2019 and beyond.
OR’s statement:
“Outdoor Retailer has always been about ‘Right time, right place, right stuff,’” says Marisa Nicholson, show director for Outdoor Retailer. “We’ve been listening to the concerns from the industry and agree that it’s time to explore our options. Salt Lake City has been an incredible home to Outdoor Retailer and the outdoor community for the past 20 years, and we aren’t opposed to staying, but we need to do what’s best for the industry and for the business of outdoor retail.”
Outdoor Retailer will maintain its current contract in Salt Lake City through Summer 2018. The RFP will include dates and locations for Grassroots Connect and retailer specialty education days.
“Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, in partnership with OIA and Outdoor Retailer, is committed to ensuring the best possible tradeshow cycle and experience for our retailers and vendor partners. We feel the announcement today will ensure that we’ll choose the best location to host a co-located Grassroots Connect and Outdoor Retailer. Our 62 independent specialty retailers look forward to being in a location that from a business, cultural, and values standpoint, best serves our industry,” said Rich Hill, President of Grassroots Outdoor Alliance.
The Outdoor Industry Association, agrees with the decision: “OIA encouraged and supports Outdoor Retailer’s decision to explore a range of host cities for the gathering of our community,” said Amy Roberts, executive director of the OIA. “The appropriate location of Outdoor Retailer should be determined by factors ranging from business economics for vendors and attendees to a location that upholds our industry’s core values around the importance of America’s public lands system. We will continue to educate policymakers on the economic contribution of our industry as well as our support of preserving places to recreate.”
Choosing a new host city requires careful consideration of factors that affect the tradeshow business, as Darrell Denny, Executive Vice President for Emerald Exposition’s Sports Group, explains: “Our responsibilities as producers of the Outdoor Retailer shows require us to consider all aspects of any city and state that may serve as host to the thousands of brands, retailers, media and others who make up the entire outdoor community. Those criteria include facilities, hotels, transportation, labor costs, environmental policies and the degree to which host states are in sync with outdoor industry values. This decision allows us to explore new venues while taking all of these factors into account. That said, Salt Lake City has been a welcoming and beneficial host to Outdoor Retailer for many years and will be among candidates to continue to be the host city.”
About Outdoor Retailer
Outdoor Retailer brings together retailers, manufacturers, industry advocates and media to conduct the business of outdoor recreation through tradeshows, Outdoor Retailer Magazine, product demo events, media events and web-based business solutions. The Outdoor Retailer tradeshows are the premier outdoor industry events for North America, providing platforms for critical face-to-face business initiatives, line previews, innovations launches, networking and retailer education. Visit outdoorretailer.com for more information.
Outdoor Retailer is owned and operated by Emerald Expositions, a leading operator of large business-to-business tradeshows in the United States, producing more than 50 tradeshows and over 100 face-to-face events in total, including conferences, summits and other events. Emerald Expositions connects more than 335,000 sellers and buyers each year and operates within the U.S. in 10 end markets (Gift, Home, General Merchandise and Manufacturing; Sports & Apparel; Design; Jewelry, Luxury & Antiques; E-Commerce; Creative Services; Licensing; Healthcare; Military; and Food).
About Outdoor Industry Association
Based in Boulder, Colo., with offices in Washington, D.C., Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) is the leading trade association for the outdoor industry and the title sponsor of Outdoor Retailer. OIA unites and serves over 1,200 manufacturer, supplier, sales representative and retailer members through its focus on trade and recreation policy, sustainable business innovation and outdoor participation. For more information, visit outdoorindustry.org.
About Grassroots Outdoor Alliance
Now in its twenty-third year, Grassroots Outdoor Alliance unites 62 independent specialty outdoor retailers with over 127 doors in 36 states with more than 70 specialty-focused brands. Grassroots acts as an advocate for these businesses and as a strong voice to protect and promote the experience of outdoor enthusiasts across the United States. To learn more about Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, visit grassrootsoutdoors.com.
