World's largest outdoor retail show stays in Salt Lake City
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The world's largest outdoor retail show considered moving to other cities with more lodging and convention space but chose to stay in Utah after attendees revealed an overwhelming desire to keep the expo at the foot of the mountains in Salt Lake City, officials said Monday.
Show officials contemplated relocating to Las Vegas, Chicago and other cities but decided to stay in Salt Lake City after exhibitors and attendees said they prefer Utah, Outdoor Retailer spokeswoman Kate Lowery said in a phone interview.
[...] a shortfall of hotel and convention space has forced some attendees to stay in suburbs and nearby cities, and some companies to put up their exhibits in temporary tents across the street from the convention center.
Salt Lake County Mayor Ben McAdams vowed to take advantage of a nearly $100 million tax incentive package to find a private company to build a new convention center hotel that would remedy the shortage that led the show to look elsewhere.
County officials said the hotel company was asking for too much money up front and wouldn't agree to desired room rate protections.