There will be a “major announcement” tomorrow morning from Colorado’s Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, according to a news release the office sent early Wednesday morning.
Though the initial news release was vague, it’s now clear that the press conference will be an official announcement that Outdoor Retailer is moving to Denver.
The Denver Post confirmed it Wednesday afternoon, but said its sources did not want to be named.
Colorado governor John Hickenlooper, Denver mayor Michael Hancock, Luis Benitez, director of Colorado’s Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, and Amy Roberts, executive director of OIA, are all expected to speak at the press conference.
Hickenlooper and Benitez have been particularly vocal about courting Outdoor Retailer.
Emerald Expositions, parent company of Outdoor Retailer, bought its way out of a non-compete clause with the SIA Snow Show earlier this year by acquiring the Denver-based trade show and merging it with its own Winter Market. Many outdoor industry stakeholders have long pushed for the show to come to Denver.
We’ll be at the press conference tomorrow at 10:30 A.M. Mountain Time and we’ll be tweeting updates.