The first-ever Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show in Denver kicks off with the not-to-be-missed OIA Industry Breakfast on Day One, Thursday, January 25, 2018. This year, Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) is partnering with Snowsports Industries America (SIA) and Protect our Winters (POW) to present Paul Hawken, the executive director of Project Drawdown. Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper and Denver Mayor Michael Hancock will provide welcoming remarks to attendees of the Denver show.

Hawken will present 100 solutions to reverse global warming and demonstrate how the outdoor and snowsports industries can make an impact now. The challenge of global warming too often leads us to conclude it is overwhelming and unsolvable. Yet there is hope, backed by real science and human ingenuity.

“Global warming is a civilizational crisis that requires all humanity to come together. Civilization depends on land, water, creatures and climatic stability in order to flourish,” said Hawken. “The outdoor industry is powerful in two ways. One, as an exemplary industry that changes its practices and materials so as to reverse global warming, and two, it has a major voice that can influence and awaken people who cherish and celebrate rivers, oceans, mountains, lands and lakes so that they can take meaningful action.”

“The outdoor industry and our customers have been among the first to experience the impacts of climate change on outdoor recreation and our public lands,” said Amy Roberts, OIA’s executive director. “Our businesses with roots in environmental and social responsibility are well poised to offer leadership and action on global warming solutions.”

The breakfast is one of a series of OIA events focused on climate change during the show. OIA will also introduce a campaign focused on taking action on climate change during the breakfast, including a specific list of actions that brands and retailers can take to improve their own carbon footprints, as well as engage their employees, customers and policymakers to take action. Leaders in the industry will have the opportunity to engage with policymakers at the federal, state and local levels through OIA’s advocacy program throughout the year and to make our industry voice heard during the 2018 election cycle. OIA and POW will also present a climate change-focused educational event during the Mountainfilm Festival in Telluride, Colorado, over Memorial Day weekend.

Breakfast starts early at the Bellco Theater in the Colorado Convention Center at 7 a.m. Don’t miss this opportunity to come together as a force for climate solutions on Day 1, Thursday, January 25. If you can’t attend the Industry Breakfast, tune in via the Brandlive webcast through the OIA website.

For a complete schedule of OIA events at Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show, please click here.