Been hoping for this: OR show will have event open to public

Brice Wallace 

A return of the Outdoor Retailer tradeshows? Check.

The addition of an open-to-the-public version of those shows? Check.

The latest move strengthening Utah’s connection to the outdoor recreation industry will be called Outdoor Adventure X, a three-day festival starting next June at Snowbasin Resort in Huntsville. The event, unlike the OR shows, will be open to the public and feature hands-on product demos, education, advocacy programs, food, films, live music and family fun.

The idea of such a show for the public has been a dream for many Utah outdoor enthusiasts unable to attend the business-to-business OR shows.

“We’re looking forward to the debut of Outdoor Adventure X next year and to offering outdoor brands new ways to engage one-on-one with consumers through enhanced experiential, educational and advocacy opportunities,” said Jeff Davis, group vice president at Emerald, the company that owns and manages the twice-a-year OR shows and will collaborate with Lodestone Events for Outdoor Adventure X.

Adventure X will take debut June 16-18, 2023.

“Building upon the incredible surge in outdoor participation and growth of the $689 billion U.S. outdoor industry, this public event will provide creative avenues for brands to launch and test products, and for the local and Salt Lake communities and out-of-state visitors alike to experience the joys of outdoor adventure. We’re excited to work with Lodestone to bring this festival to life.”

Emerald announced earlier this year that the OR shows would leave Denver and move back to Utah, its two-decade home before the shows bolted for Denver in 2018. Denver’s last show was earlier this month. The next wintertime event, the “Snow Show,” takes place Jan. 10-12 at the Calvin L. Rampton Salt Palace Convention Center, owned by Salt Lake County, in downtown Salt Lake City. The summer show returns to the Salt Palace on June 19-21, 2023, and OR attendees will have free access to Outdoor Adventure X on June 18 for an industry day.

Outdoor Adventure X is a collaboration between the new Xcelerator division of Emerald and Lodestone Events, producers of the Overland Expo event series that takes place this year in Arizona, Oregon, Colorado and Virginia.

“There are so many reasons to welcome back Outdoor Retailer and Outdoor Adventure X adds to that list of excitement,” said Kaitlin Eskelson president and CEO of Visit Salt Lake, a private, nonprofit corporation that promotes Salt Lake as a convention and travel destination.

“Salt Lake is the perfect basecamp for these types of mountain adventures and our residents have been longing for this type of opportunity. This three-day consumer festival will allow locals and visitors the opportunity to have meaningful interactions with the show and hands-on outdoor product experiences.”

Snowbasin will serve as the base for education, clinics, nonprofit programs, food trucks, a beer garden, film screenings and live music, and attendees will have gondola access to hiking, mountain biking and trails to explore. Nearby Pineview Reservoir will host on-water demos and the Anderson Cove Campground will offer overnight camping and glamping.

“Outdoor Adventure X will be an experiential lifestyle event for the outdoor enthusiast,” said Lindsay Hubley, Lodestone Events managing partner. “Like Overland Expo, the event will connect outdoor industry brands directly with the consumers they serve in a festival setting with camping, demos, clinics, food and fun. Addressing the influx of new adventurers to the outdoor space, the event will be anchored in education featuring workshops teaching fundamental skills and roundtable discussions on responsible recreation and public lands advocacy.”

“We’re excited to host this inaugural event at our world-class, 3,000-acre, mountain resort,” said Davy Ratchford, Snowbasin’s general manager. “Snowbasin is an activity hub year-round offering hiking, mountain biking, yoga, on-mountain dining and festivals all summer long. … We can’t wait to showcase our mountain adventure hub to Outdoor Adventure X attendees.”

“We look forward to seeing everyone back in Salt Lake next year and are thrilled to have Outdoor Adventure X launching alongside Outdoor Retailer,” said Marisa Nicholson, senior vice president and show director for Outdoor Retailer. “This is a great new channel for brands to interact with the consumers that have played an important role in growing this community. It’s an opportunity for all of us in our industry to think beyond the walls of a convention center to find new ways to support each other and to interact directly with the growing number of outdoor enthusiasts.”

Details about Outdoor Adventure X will be available later this year, including information for outdoor manufacturers, nonprofit organizations and educational speakers to get involved, as well as consumer ticketing and camping packages.

The OR shows in Salt Lake City had an estimated combined economic impact of $47 million. Over two decades, the shows generated more than $565 million in local revenue, which included $52 million in city, county and state taxes, Salt Lake County Mayor Jenny Wilson has said.

The idea of a public version of OR was discussed in mid-2018 during a a fireside chat and panel discussion organized by Access Salt Lake. Several industry executives said Salt Lake City should seek to have events like OR but shape it to connect product manufacturers with consumers rather than manufacturers with authorized buyers.