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The world's top outdoor brands anchored their tent stakes in Denver for the last time this week, as the industry holds its final trade show there before decamping for Salt Lake City.

Why it matters: The twice-yearly gathering boasts a $45 million local annual impact and the show's arrival in Denver coincides with a broader economic development effort to establish the state as an outdoor recreation hub for companies.

Driving the news: The owner of Outdoor Retailer announced in March that the show would return to its former home in Utah in January 2023, after a five-year run at the Colorado Convention Center.

What's new: One outstanding question is whether the outdoor brands that attend the Denver event will follow the show back to Salt Lake City.

What they're saying: San-Francisco-based Peak Designs, which pushed for the exit in 2017, is "pretty conflicted … because to be honest nothing has changed," Supriya Limaye, a wholesale account manager, told Axios Denver.

Yes, but: Barry Robertson, tech resources manager at Sea to Summit, whose North American operations are based in Boulder, expects his company to make the trip.

Kaysville, Utah-based Klymit is excited for the show's return. "Salt Lake City does really feel like an outdoor capital, so we're excited to have it back," said Sierra Krebsbach, the company's spokesperson

What to watch: OR's snub caught Colorado leaders by surprise, but the state's outdoor officials told Axios Denver they are devising a new event to showcase the industry with a broader reach.

The intrigue: OR's owner is doing the same.

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