Policy

While the political tumult from 2017 didn’t end in 2018, OIA and our members focused on collaboration and collective action to make progress on tariffs and trade, outdoor recreation and close-to-home policy that supports the health and growth of the outdoor industry.

In 2018, we brought two new members onto the OIA Government Affairs team. Patricia Rojas-Ungar, based in Washington, D.C., was hired as the vice president of government affairs and David Weinstein, based in Bozeman, Montana, was hired as the state and local policy director.

Sustainable Business Innovation

In 2018, we released the first-ever State of Sustainability In the Outdoor Industry Report to showcase the outdoor industry’s 10+ years of leadership in sustainable business and supply chain management via the OIA Sustainability Working Group. The comprehensive report benchmarks the industry’s collective efforts, allows companies to see how they compare to other companies of their size and measures the industry-wide adoption of OIA’s tools.

Participation

Raised 2.3 million dollars

Outdoor Participation has never been better or in better hands than it is with the Outdoor Foundation. In 2018, OIA’s philanthropic arm, the Outdoor Foundation had a record-breaking fundraising year with over $2 million raised, created a new community-based grant giving strategy called Thrive Outside Communities and supported 63 community non-profit projects. Through collaboration with outdoor industry stakeholders, the Outdoor Foundation was able to rethink its strategic direction and build a high-impact program that will succeed in getting America’s youth thriving outside. Here’s a snapshot of what we were able to achieve in 2018.

Together We Are A Force

“In 2018, OIA introduced the Together We Are a Force Awards to celebrate the collaborative work being done in the areas of public policy, sustainability and increasing outdoor participation. Click below to see the 2018 winners.

Events

Through the Skip Yowell Future Leadership Academy, Capitol Summit, Sustainability Boot Camps, Outdoor University @ Outdoor Retailer events and topical webinars on business, policy and sustainability, OIA provided a platform for meaningful change.

Research

In 2018, we released the first-ever State of Sustainability report to showcase the outdoor industry’s 10+ years of leadership in sustainable business and supply chain management via the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) Sustainability Working Group (SWG). The comprehensive report benchmarks the industry’s sustainability efforts, allows companies to see how they compare to other companies of their size and measures the adoption of OIA’s SWG tools and partnerships.

Our research department also released the 2018 Outdoor Recreation Participation Report that investigates the depth and effect of Americans’ participation in outdoor recreation

Membership

In 2018, outdoorists everywhere showed up in force to fight for what they believe in. The OIA staff is incredibly grateful for the support of our members. We couldn’t move the needle on important issues without your calls, your letters, your support and all of the hard work you do.