GOED’s board of directors on Thursday approved the grant, which Visit Salt Lake will use as part of a package it will present to the owner of the ever-growing trade show, said Scott Beck, CEO of Visit Salt Lake.
Shows are held twice a year, usually in January and August. During last year’s shows, the events provided more than $16 million in wages for 611 temporary jobs. GOED’s grant would help the retailers group, which stages the show for the 4,000-member Outdoor Industry Association, continue to provide roughly 550 jobs a year that would pay close to $75 million in new wages through 2016. The group would also pay more than $14 million in taxes to the state over the next four years.
Nearly 26,000 buyers and sellers attended the 2012 summer show, bringing $25 million in visitor spending to the state, according to GOED. Another 18,000 people attended the winter show. Together, the summer and winter shows bring about $40 million in spending to the state.
Sullivan cited research that found show participants have demonstrated a fondness for Utah that goes beyond the semi-annual show. Twenty-eight percent return with family members to Utah to vacation within a year of the show. A survey released by the Outdoor Retailers and the Outdoor Industry Association in October showed that Salt Lake City is the top choice for both retailers and exhibitors. Salt Lake Tribune
