Denver looks on as Outdoor Retailer's winter show opens in Utah

The much-watched Outdoor Retailer trade show opened this week in Salt Lake City after departing Denver, its home for the last five years.

Why it matters: The show's departure dealt an economic blow to the city and hurt the state's reputation as an outdoor mecca.

By the numbers: 425 exhibitors were slated for this year's expo floor — up from 330 exhibitors at 2022's show in Denver, which coincided with an explosion of COVID cases from the Omicron variant.

• But it's less than half the 1,000-plus exhibitors that set up booths in Denver prior to the pandemic.

What they're saying: Multiple vendors told Axios that Salt Lake is cheaper to attend and its proximity to large ski resorts is an advantage over Denver.

• "Logistically, it's easier here," said Kanyon Mann, spokesperson for Colorado-based Zeal Optics, noting it sometimes took the goggle manufacturer up to three hours to reach events outside Denver.

The other side: Colorado officials still believe they can do better than the two Outdoor Retailer shows each year with a series of new events to highlight the industry.

• "We're building something that's going to be bigger and more dynamic than the OR show," Conor Hall, the director of Colorado's outdoor recreation office, told Axios.