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Denver new home of snow sports exhibition

The Denver Business Journal

The association that puts on the largest snowsports exhibition in the U.S. every year has signed a 10-year contract with the Denver Metro Convention and Visitors Bureau to hold its annual conventions in Denver starting in 2011, the association's spokeswoman confirmed late Monday.

The Snowsports Industries of America SIA, will bring an estimated $30 million in spending to Denver every year it's in town. Each year, the SIA has about 450 exhibitors from the ski industry at its annual conventions and roughly 17,000 people attend.

Gov. Bill Ritter, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and DMCVB president & CEO Richard Scharf are expected to formally announce the new agreement at a Oct. 30 news conference. SIA president David Ingemie also will be in Denver for the announcement, SIA spokeswoman Lori Crabtree said.

The SIA is a national not-for-profit winter sports trade association based in McLean, Virginia.

From Jan. 29 to Feb. 1, 2008, SIA's convention will be held in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Convention Center where it's been held for several years.

Retailers, resorts and snowsports apparel and equipment manufacturers representing more than a thousand brand names are among those represented at the annual conventions.