Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), Timberland and the outdoor industry as a whole are celebrating 15 years of community service during the first day of Rendezvous, the outdoor industry’s annual leadership forum. The 15th annual Rendezvous Service Project Sponsored by Timberland takes place Sept. 30, on the first afternoon of the conference rather than the last – a change designed to turbocharge bonding and networking at the start of the event.
Rendezvous will bring together hundreds of outdoor industry professionals for three days of learning, networking and service Sept. 30 Oct. 2 at Loews Coronado Bay in San Diego.
“It’s the perfect time for the industry to celebrate our impact and Timberland’s dedication to these annual service projects,” said Julia Day, VP of sales and marketing for Leisure Trends Group, who has participated in almost all 15 projects. “It’s an incredible way to give a lot back and make a huge impact in a very short amount of time.”
Over the years, the Rendezvous Service Project Sponsored by Timberland has touched all corners of the nation, spanning 12 cities and contributing more than 7,000 hours of volunteer labor on projects such as breaking trail in the Arizona desert, building a playground for a Colorado mountain town, clearing overgrown forest in Oregon, improving a shelter for domestic violence victims, lots of trail work, and more.
This year’s project focuses on the Tijuana River Valley, one of the largest open space areas in San Diego County. OIA and Timberland are partnering with WiLDCOAST, an international conservation team that works to conserve coastal and marine ecosystems and wildlife.
“We’re looking forward to making this year's 15th annual service event one of the most memorable and impactful ever,” said Jay Steere, a Timberland and outdoor industry veteran who has participated in 12 of the Rendezvous service events. “The Tijuana River Valley project with WiLDCOAST epitomizes the type of grassroots partnership we seek, to ensure that we are able to make a real difference in the communities that host Rendezvous while also creating a rewarding experience for the participants.”
Timberland has long been active in community engagement and service. In addition to sponsoring the annual Rendezvous Service Project, the company offers employees 40 hours of paid time off each year to volunteer.
Past Rendezvous attendees are encouraged to share memories of their favorite service projects on the OIA Facebook page: facebook.com/OutdoorIndustryAssociation.
In addition to the service project, this year’s Rendezvous includes a broad offering of educational sessions that focus on diversity and inclusion strategies, the changing consumer, and building the outdoor retail of the future. This year’s schedule is packed with eye-opening sessions that promise to educate and energize outdoor companies and help them stay at the forefront of trends that are affecting the outdoor industry. The full Rendezvous agenda is online at outdoorindustry.org/events/rendezvous/agenda.html.
The housing deadline for Rendezvous is Sept. 6. Register online at outdoorindustry.org/rendezvous. Attendees are encouraged to make their travel plans to arrive in time for the service project, which starts on Monday at noon.
