The Winter Edition of the Outdoor Retailer trade show just got a little more convenient. Organizers of the twice-annual industry event have shifted next year’s date to Jan. 7-10, 2016, with a Thursday-to-Sunday schedule, while the All Mountain Demo has moved to Wednesday, Jan. 6. The location remains the same: the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City.
Future shows will follow a similar pattern and are slated for Jan. 7-10, 2017, and Jan. 6-9, 2018.
Marisa Nicholson, VP and director of the OR show, noted that there were several reasons for the change. “First, the move earlier in the sales cycle benefits specialty retailers looking to finalize or tweak orders before ordering deadlines and see new products and suppliers earlier,” she said in a release. “Second, we avoid being close to other industry events and away from the important Martin Luther King Jr. holiday. Finally, the new dates allow us to avoid the Sundance Film Festival entirely, which will have a housing benefit.”
As OR has grown rapidly in the past few years, show attendees have struggled to find affordable lodging options in greater Salt Lake, especially for the winter market, which has been held in close proximity to the independent film festival.
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With the shift, organizers said they have been able to “secure better housing options within the show’s block of rate-controlled rooms” and are working with the local community to address additional accommodation issues and organize transportation options.
The decision to move the winter show came as a result of a survey sent to more than 6,000 specialty retailers and exhibitors earlier this year.
“We have been listening to customer feedback from both retailers and manufacturers,” said Nicholson. “As a team, we are always looking for ways to improve the value of the show to not only our attendees and exhibitors but to the industry at large.”
The next edition of OR will take place Aug. 3-6, 2015, in Salt Lake City.
