Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), the nonprofit trade association for the outdoor industry, released the Outdoor University education schedule for Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. Outdoor University session topics include a recap of the 2018 midterm elections; how social movements, change and innovation take hold and succeed; just what the state offices of outdoor recreation provide and sustainable business innovation.
“In 2017, the outdoor recreation economy and our industry demonstrated our $887 billion economic force that creates healthy economies and healthy communities. As we remain in the national spotlight for our values and our economic power, it is vital that our community stays plugged in to the issues and trends affecting us all,” said Amy Roberts, OIA’s executive director. “I hope all Outdoor Retailer Winter Market attendees will come to our free Outdoor University education sessions to engage, discuss and connect with fellow outdoorists.”
Key Outdoor University sessions include the following:
OIA Industry Breakfast
Retail Isn’t Dead: Optimism in the Age of E-Commerce
Day 1, November 8, 7:00 – 8:45 a.m., Mile High Ballroom, Colorado Convention Center
Kick off Outdoor Retailer Winter Market with free breakfast and a bird’s-eye view of consumer sentiment. Enjoy the current retail landscape keynote presentation from Leslie Ghize of the TOBE Report. A brain trust of original thinkers studying new avenues of interest to the consumer, the TOBE Report is developing and evolving topics to inspire strategies and infuse creativity in the retail world. Ghize will give insight into the future of the outdoor retail industry with an exploration of applicable inventive concepts and clever customer engagement.
OIA Industry Lunches
Day 1-3, 12:00 – 1:30 p.m., Colorado Convention Center – Room 301
Day 1, Thursday, November 8
Election 2018: The Aftermath
We know that elections matter, and the outcomes can completely change the trajectory of our industry and our nation. Join OIA Political Director Alex Boian and experts from across the political spectrum for lunch as they break down the results of the 2018 midterm elections and what they mean for the outdoor industry. Did America vote the outdoors? And are we in for more of the same, or did change come at the ballot box?
Day 2, Friday, November 9
How Change Happens: Why Some Social Movements Succeed While Others Don’t
Movements matter, today as much as ever. Why do certain movements succeed while others don’t? Social change expert and “How Change Happens” author Leslie Crutchfield explores some of the most dramatic social and environmental changes of the 21st century. From LGBT marriage equality and tobacco control to gun rights expansion and more, she shows why some campaigns soar while others fizzle. Leslie will reveal why pressing environmental problems like acid rain could be solved in North America, but climate action is getting stuck. And she looks in-depth at the role of business in movements, highlighting how companies can have real impact on–and also be impacted by–the major movements of our time.
Day 3, Saturday, November 10
Just What Are the State Offices of Outdoor Recreation?
There are now 11 state offices or commissions of outdoor recreation around the country, and more are in the works. But what are these offices? How do they differ from other state agencies? And what do they seek to accomplish? Join OIA’s State and Local Policy Director David Weinstein, current directors of these offices and the industry experts who helped create them, in a discussion about this emerging trend at the state level, why these offices help their states and where the next office might be created.
Click here to see the full lineup of OIA Outdoor University education.
