Minnesota wants Outdoor Retailer, governor writes to show director

Minnesota has joined the ever-growing list of states who want a piece of the trade show pie.

Minnesota wants to join the growing list of states interested in hosting Outdoor Retailer.

In a letter last week to Outdoor Retailer’s show director, Marisa Nicholson, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton asked for Minnesota to be invited to join the RFP process for hosting the show. He wrote of how his state’s 10,000 lakes, 800,000 boats, 1 million annual state park visitors, and 1.5 million anglers are just the beginning of their commitment to outdoor recreation.

Dayton’s long list of Minnesota’s qualifications also included 6 million acres of state land for outdoor recreation and 1,500 public access points to lakes and rivers.

“Minnesotans have a strong and passionate commitment to the outdoors,” Dayton wrote. “We would warmly welcome you to visit our fine state and see all that we have to offer.”

Indeed, Minnesotans are committed to outdoor recreation: residents are accustomed to long winters with many days well below zero, but that doesn’t always bring recreation to a grinding halt. Roughly 22,000 miles of groomed snowmobile trails “keep our citizens outdoors all winter,” Dayton wrote.

Minneapolis and St. Paul make up a large metro area with ample infrastructure for a show as big as Outdoor Retailer, Dayton said, adding that the Twin Cities will host the 2017 and 2018 X Games, next year’s Superbowl, and the 2019 NCAA Final Four.

“Minnesota is a great state for outdoor recreation,” he wrote in closing. “We cherish the public lands that foster that experience, and we would be a great destination for your event.”