Marc Dorfman of Biomimicry 3.8 will kick-off the third Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) Sustainability Insights Conference scheduled to take place on Tuesday, Jan. 20, just prior to the start of Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2015.
The one-day conference will be held at the Salt Lake City Marriott Downtown at City Creek.

Biomimicry chemist, Mark Dorfman, has spent the last several decades as a research scientist for public-interest, not-for-profit environmental organizations (primarily INFORM, Inc. and the Natural Resources Defense Council) with a focus on green chemistry and clean water issues. Now a senior principal for Biomimicry 3.8, a consultancy that seeks sustainable solutions by emulating nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies, he will discuss how the study and imitation of nature's design can help develop models for more sustainable products.

The closing keynote will be presented by Kit DesLauriers, The North Face athlete and the first person to ski the Seven Summits. She was recently recognized as a 2015 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year for both her part in a scientific study in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and her life accomplishments as a ski mountaineer. Kit’s presentation will focus on her adventures in the Refuge, particularly as they relate to glaciology and climate change.
Sessions will focus on government regulations, the latest down standards, innovation, product design, a marketing & communications track introducing OIA’s new consumer segmentation study, and much more.

The full agenda and registration information for the OIA Sustainability Insights Conference is available online. r to learn more about registering for the conference visit the conference site online:

“We are thrilled to be able to present a program with such an outstanding array of speakers and topics for the Sustainability Insights Conference at OR Winter Market 2015,” said Jamie Bainbridge, Director of Materials Research, for Nau. “Continuing to become knowledgeable on the integration of sustainable and socially responsible practices in our companies’ production systems is simply good business.”

Launched a year ago, at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2014, the Sustainability Insights Conference offers opportunities for industry professionals to stay apprised of best practices and industry trends around risk mitigation and supply chain management, providing a forum to collaboratively discuss and address shared challenges.

Convened in 2007, the Sustainability Working Group is a collaborative industry group dedicated to developing industry tools, standards, and best practices around responsible supply chain management. In addition to in-person meetings at Outdoor Retailer, the group has regularly scheduled calls throughout the year to address topics around materials traceability, social responsibility, chemicals management, and product indexing.
To learn more about the Sustainability Working Group, download the OIA Corporate Responsibility Topline Report or contact sustainability@outdoorindusty.org.