GU Energy Labs Withdraws from Outdoor Retailer in Solidarity

February 15, 2017

The company will not participate in tradeshows held in the State of Utah until policy is changed

Berkeley, Calif. (February 15, 2017) – GU Energy Labs stands with other leading outdoor businesses in withdrawing from the Outdoor Retailer tradeshow in Salt Lake City, UT. GU will return to Outdoor Retailer when Utah officials demonstrate a more progressive and protective approach towards public lands, including Bears Ears National Monument, or Outdoor Retailer relocates to a conservation-minded state. Furthermore, GU will not attend any tradeshow, Interbike included, that moves to Utah while its public policy remains inimical to GU core values.

This decision was not made lightly as the GU Energy brand has been a mainstay at both Outdoor Retailer and Interbike, the largest annual industry bike show for the last 20 years.  While GU plans to stay engaged with its peers in the outdoor industry community, today, GU sends a strong message to Utah’s political leadership that they should halt their efforts to undermine our public lands system, and the Bears Ears National Monument.

“GU Energy Labs was created by me, my father, and my sister to help athletes push through boundaries into new levels of athletic performance. We pioneered endurance nutrition in races like the iconic Wasatch 100 endurance run, held in Utah each year on public lands,” said Brian Vaughan, CEO & founder of GU Energy Labs.

“The majestic sandstone landscape of southeastern Utah is unique and awe inspiring. Visiting this country is a rite of passage for adventurers in the American West. There is something shape-shifting, spirit free-ing and ultimately so life-affirming about letting the mind and body wander through the mesas, buttes and sagebrush valleys of Bears Ears. If we can’t stand up for the incomparable beauty and precious wilderness of Indian Creek, we are letting down our customers, our peers and ourselves,” he said.

In lieu of investment in Outdoor Retailer, GU donated $25,000 to a new program of the Conservation Alliance – the Public Lands Defense Fund. Additionally, GU will direct new focus to building awareness around Bears Ears National Monument and other threatened public lands.

Learn more about the efforts of the Conservation Alliance to protect wild lands and make a donation at: www.conservationalliance.com

Please share your feedback! LoveOurPublicLands@guenergy.com

About GU Energy Labs
GU Energy Labs strives to help athletes to reach their highest potential with products that deliver the right nutrients, in the right amounts, at the right time. Developed in collaboration with Olympians and age groupers alike, the GU nutrition matrix of Hydration, Energy and Recovery products has helped countless athletes achieve their dreams since its inception in 1993. Headquartered in Berkeley, GU Energy Labs produces all of its Energy Gels onsite with just the right blend of heart and science. Recommit to becoming your best athletic self, learn more about GU products, and discover how nutrition planning can help you get there at www.GUEnergy.com.

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