Oregon Governor Kate Brown and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler have issued an open letter to Outdoor Retailer Show Director Marisa Nicholson to make a case for Oregon as the trade show’s new home.
The letter stated that Portland is a “recognized global hub” for the outdoor gear and apparel business and also pointed to Oregon “history of caring for our natural resources,” despite the state’s recent decision to sell the Elliott State Forest. The controversy over handling of public lands was what landed the show’s current host state Utah in hot water, prompting the show’s search for a new location.
Nike Inc., the North American headquarters of Adidas and Columbia Sportswear are part of the Oregon outdoor industry, as well as numerous smaller outdoor companies.
Denver – likely Portland’s biggest competitor in the unfolding bidding process – has a larger convention center and significantly more hotel rooms. Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, Senator Michael Bennet and Senator Cory Gardner on Monday sent a joint letter to Emerald Expositions to encourage its consideration as the trade show’s new home.
Outdoor Retailer consists of two annual shows, the largest of which attracted 29,000 attendees last year, about triple the size of any convention hosted in Portland in 2016.
Photo courtesy Mt. Hood Meadows
