SALT LAKE CITY -- The Salt Palace says more than 21,000 industry people will flock to the Salt Lake City convention hall next week for a trade show for recreational gear.
The Outdoor Retailer show runs Tuesday through Friday. The industry has held winter and summer shows in Salt Lake City for many years. Only retailers are allowed inside to inspect all the latest gear -- from sunglasses to kayaks.
The Salt Lake Convention & Visitors Bureau says the trade show will generate nearly $20 million in local spending.
Officials say the trade in outdoor gear and services is a $4 billion industry in Utah that supports 65,000 jobs. Some of Utah's leading companies are Black Diamond Equipment Ltd. and Petzl America. Both companies specialize in climbing gear. Black Diamond is based in Salt Lake City, while Petzl America operates a facility at the Freeport Center in Clearfield.
This year, the show's Open Air Demo, which provides an opportunity for hands-on product testing, will be held Monday at Jordanelle Reservoir in Summit County. The demo was held at Pineview Reservoir east of Ogden in recent years.
The indoor portion of the show will host close to 1,040 total exhibitors, a 12 percent increase over last year. The exhibitor total also includes close to 170 new exhibitors, 48 percent more than the 2009 event.
Attendee pre-registration also indicates a strong show, with store registration up 13 percent and individual buyer registration up 18 percent compared with the same time last year.
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