At a yellow kiosk on Gallivan Plaza, visitors scrawled their favorite Utah memories on postcards and stuck them to a large map of Utah.
"It's kind of sad," one visitor said as he completed his card and added it to the "Letter to Utah" on Tuesday night at the final annual Outsiders Ball in Salt Lake City before the Outdoor Retail convention relocates to Denver after more than 20 years in Utah.
The twice-yearly trade show has brought thousands of patrons, peddlers and pedallers to Salt Lake City's downtown, where gear vendors and other industry players have networked, made deals, developed new ideas and formed friendships over two decades — as well as touring Utah's wildlands.
James Rein, of Boulder, Colo., recalled an Outdoor Retailer trip in which he helped rebuild trail at Fisher Towers near Moab.
"It was great to work nine hours a day, seeing the stars and the river, being able to camp every night," he reminisced.
The mood at Tuesday night's party shifted between nostalgia and satisfaction that industry leaders had held their ground in trying to persuade Utah politicians to support protections for public lands, especially the imperiled Bears Ears National Monument. When state leaders and congressional representatives pushed for the new monument in San Juan County to be rescinded, industry heavyweights such as Black Diamond and Patagonia urged retailers to boycott the Utah conventions. The show's organizers decided to move Outdoor Retailer and its estimated $45 million local business impact to Denver.
"It's the end of an era," said Jill Dumain, CEO of the Swiss company Bluesign Technologies, which develops chemicals to reduce the environmental impact of textile production for sportswear. Dumain has been coming to the Salt Lake City trade show since it moved from Reno in 1996.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune "It was just like I was on another planet, " said George Curleigh of Vancouver attaching his farewell postcard to Utah thanking the state for its slickrock that he encountered while mountain biking with a friend in May 2012 before that years Outdoor Retailers show. Curleigh and others attending the 2017 Outsiders Ball party bid a fond farewell with a love letter to UtahÕs beautiful public lands, national parks, inspiring people, and unforgettable experiences. Outdoor FoundationÕs 5th Annual Outsiders Ball's mission is to encouraging young people to get outside and embark on their own adventures has never been more important. For the past 4 years, the Outdoor Foundation together with the outdoor community have helped raise $1.1 million to equip and empower the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts.
"I just remember coming here, and people were happy we were here," she said. "The welcome and accommodation has been incredible."
Kevin Myette, also of Bluesign, recalled brainstorming with other clothing merchants over dinner at a downtown vegan cafe several years ago.
"We met in the basement, and we were sitting around on couches, talking," he said. "So many things were initiated here in Salt Lake City. The birth of this world of sustainability in the apparel industry happened in this city."
Myette and Dumain chatted with Borg Norum and Nicole Argyropoulos, who are part of Columbia Sportswear's delegation from Portland, Ore. They, too, have fond memories of Salt Lake City.
But, Argyropoulos says, "I am proud of our industry for standing behind what we believe in."
Bluesign's Kurt Schlaepfer agrees.
"The shared philosophy of the industry is why we're going to Denver."
The trade show begins Wednesday morning at the Salt Palace and continues through Saturday.
Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune Kyle MacDonald with Outdoors Empowered Network checks the size of a Outdoors Foundation t-shirt held by Jennifer Pringle during Tuesday's party at the Gallivan Center. Hundreds attending the 2017 Outsiders Ball party bid a fond farewell with a love letter to UtahÕs beautiful public lands, national parks, inspiring people, and unforgettable experiences. Outdoor FoundationÕs 5th Annual Outsiders Ball's mission is to encouraging young people to get outside and embark on their own adventures has never been more important. For the past 4 years, the Outdoor Foundation together with the outdoor community have helped raise $1.1 million to equip and empower the next generation of outdoor enthusiasts.