It was a maze of organized chaos, but by the time doors open at 9 a.m. this morning (Wednesday), it will be a bustling and polished trade show assembling nearly 1,300 retailers from across the country.
Debate arose last year about whether Salt Lake City's accommodations and infrastructure could continue to handle the crowds associated with outdoor industry's premier trade show, but an announcement in January settled the question:
"We kind of figured it would stay here," said Justin Kline, pausing with his colleagues Monday after
hanging a series of suspended lights at their booth, Princeton Tec. "It seems like the city benefits a lot for it, and puts a lot of resources into keeping it here … A lot of the alternative cities where they were thinking about having it didn't seem realistic."
The trade show has come to Utah every winter and summer for 16 years, bringing with it an estimated $40 million annually for the state.
Last year, 26,700 people attended the show, a 9 percent increase from 2011, and this summer's attendance is expected to match, according to a release from the Outdoor Industry Association.
The show is open only to qualified retailers, manufacturers, advocates and media within the industry, and registration fills up fast. As the show has grown, registration requirements for both vendors and participants have become stricter. Deseret News
