Trade shows across the nation have seen their exhibitor numbers shrink, but Salt Lake's Outdoor Retailer show continues to buck the trend.
The Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, which opens Friday at the Salt Palace in downtown Salt Lake City, will draw roughly 14,000 people this week, up from 13,600 last year, according to Lori Crabtree, a spokeswoman for Outdoor Retailer.
A summer market show, also held in Salt Lake City, attracts 17,000 people. Together, the two trade shows generate about $24 million in direct visitor spending, according to the Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau.
In fact, in November the shows were named by Tradeshow Week, a Los Angeles-based publication, as among the 50 fastest-growing trade shows in North America. The rankings were based on growth of net square footage and number of exhibiting companies by the service contractor.
Roughly 700 companies will be exhibiting their products, from Nike ACG and Northface to Kelty and Camelbak. In addition to the regulars, about 100 companies will make their debut at this week's opening. On Thursday, a winter sports goods demo will take place at Brighton Ski Resort.
"Heading into this show we are always growing in size each year," Crabtree said. "Summer Market we usually have a waiting list of exhibitors to get in and to exhibit at the show. It's a very healthy trade show."
That assessment skirts nationwide trends, which revealed the average number of shows attended by exhibitors fell to 60 in 2003 from 114 in 2002, according to the Trade Show Exhibitors Association, a Chicago-based marketing group.
Courtland Nelson, director of Utah's Division of Parks and Recreation, said he has been involved in two recent national conferences where competition was stiff.
"We had to fight like the dickens to get attendance," Nelson said. "There is just more scrambling for those dollars."
That leaves Outdoor Retailer as one of the more important trade shows to frequent the state.
"More and more of the rural economy is based on some component of outdoor recreation," Nelson said. "Whether it's the service providers in the community, whether it is the hosted experiences or the car rentals, the fact of the matter is it's a big driving force right now."
Yet, the show's exhibitors, many of whom belong to the Outdoor Industry Association, last year threatened to take the show elsewhere because of the state's wilderness policies.
Crabtree said the show is committed to Salt Lake through 2005's Winter Market, but she would not offer any insight into whether a move was imminent.
"They are always looking for the best location for their show," Crabtree said. "Where they're at in those plans I have no idea."
E-mail: danderton@desnews.com