Recently, Emerald Expositions, the Outdoor Retailer show’s organizer, announced it will be hosting its Outdoor Retailer shows in Colorado for the next five years. This is great news for the state of Colorado, the city of Denver and all Colorado’s outdoor enthusiasts who cherish the great outdoors.

Colorado is the perfect state to host these massive conventions because of our state’s commitment to public lands. Protecting our public lands for future generations is not a partisan issue in Colorado – outdoor recreation is a way of life in the Centennial state, and Republicans, Democrats, and independents are committed to conserving and promoting Colorado’s pristine environment.

When I first heard that the Outdoor Retailer shows were looking for a new home, I joined with Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Denver, and Gov. John Hickenlooper to send a letter to the show’s organizers inviting them to Colorado. I also publicly and privately pushed for the show to move to Colorado. In the end, my efforts paid off, and I’m excited to welcome outdoor retailer companies from around the world to Colorado for their first show in January.

While I often say protecting our environment and growing our economy are not mutually exclusive goals, the Outdoor Retailer trade shows coming to Denver is a perfect example of why that is true. According to reports, the shows will bring 85,000 people a year to Colorado and have an economic impact of $110 million for the city of Denver. Furthermore, Colorado companies such as Osprey, Smartwool, Spyder, Big Agnes andso many more will have the opportunity to show off their products in their own backyard.

While these shows will have an enormous economic impact on the state in themselves, they will also highlight the entire outdoor industry’s economic impact on the Centennial State. Last Congress, I worked with members of both parties to see my Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act signed into law. As a result, the federal government is now required to measure outdoor recreation’s impact on the economy. While the first government report won’t be published until 2018, the Outdoor Industry Association estimates Colorado’s outdoor recreation creates 229,000 jobs, $9.7 billion in wages, $2 billion in state and local tax revenue, and $28 billion in consumer spending each year.

This data shows what Coloradans already know: the outdoor recreation economy is a major driver in local communities across Colorado and the country. Now, the entire outdoor industry will look at Colorado as home and experience all our state has to offer as they travel to Denver three times a year to show off their newest products and technology.