SALT LAKE CITY — A new report claims several prominent outdoor recreation companies will boycott a trade show if it returns to Salt Lake City.
Patagonia, REI and The North Face announced the possible boycott Monday in regards to the Outdoor Retailer trade show, the Associated Press reports.
More than 270 companies make up the Conservation Alliance, and are angered over what they perceive to be the lack of protection given by Utah lawmakers to national monuments and public lands. They say the company that owns the trade show, Emerald X, is looking to return the show to Utah after originally leaving for Denver in 2017.
“For decades, Patagonia has worked in solidarity with Indigenous communities, local activists, outdoor athletes and businesses in Utah,” said Patagonia CEO Ryan Gellert. “We love the state and its spectacular cultural and natural landscapes. We were thrilled when President Biden restored the boundaries of Bears Ears and Grand Staircase Escalante National Monuments this past October, and we will oppose any effort to undermine their protection. Our position on the location of the Outdoor Retailer trade show remains clear and unchanged: The show belongs in a state whose top officials value and seek to protect public lands.”
Denver's contract with the show expires after this year.
According to the report, neither Emerald X management or Gov. Spencer Cox's office responded to requests for comment.
