The Outdoor Retailer Winter Market ended up one week ago with a increase of attendance of about 10 percent to 26,000 visitors, in spite of the recent mild weather in the U.S., which cover only 23 percent of the 48 states in December, compared with 48 percent of them in December 2010. The organizers of the Outdoor Retailer shows, the Outdoor Industry Association and Nielsen Expositions, are considering moving the them from Salt Lake City, and will be polling exhibitors in the coming months to see what they think. The issue is that the two shows, held in January and August, have outgrown their usual venue, the Salt Palace. At last summer's show, for example, organizers had to put up a tent across the street from the venue to accommodate 150 new or newer exhibitors. The shows have a $50 million impact on the city; the organizers will explore their options, including the possibility of having the state of Utah expand the Salt Palace. Among the subjects that the organizers will be asking about include possible changes and additions to exhibit categories and how much space associated demos and seminars might require (more in The Outdoor Industry Compass).

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