The Paddle Advisory Council that now receives about $30,000 annual stipend from the Outdoor Retailer trade show to promote paddlesports, will invest a portion of that money in Outdoor Nation, a campaign launched last year that will culminate this summer with a youth festival in Central Park.
More details will be revealed at the council’s next town hall meeting at Canoecopia, said Darren Bush, owner of Rutabaga’s, which hosts the annual consumer paddlesports show in Madison, WI each spring.
The informal Paddle Advisory Council was formed last year with help from Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) to address the paddlesport’s industry concerns about the timing, layout and other aspects of the Outdoor Retailer Summer Market show in Salt Lake City.
Members of the council felt that it would be timely to report back to the industry at Canoecopia because of the large number of manufacturers who attend the event.
Council members Darren Bush and Sutton Bacon, CEO for Nantahala Outdoor Center, will report back to the industry on the progress ac hieved so far in cooperation with Nielsen Business Media, which owns the OR show, and OIA, which endorses it.
Bacon will discuss progress made in discussions with Nielsen on OR arrangements, while Bush will report on the industry’s decision to support Outdoor Nation. That support includes matching funding the council gets from Outdoor Retailer with grants from industry leaders. Chris Fanning, executive director of The Outdoor Foundation, will also be on hand to explain the role the foundation is playing in promoting Outdoor Nation.
Paddlesport industry manufacturers, retailers and other leaders and stakeholders are welcome to participate in this meeting whether or not they are participating in Canoecopia.
