INCLUSIVITY AT THE FOREFRONT: THE TIME IS NOW FOR BRANDS TO CHANGE

Moderator: Lindsay Peoples Wagner; Editor-in-Chief, Teen Vogue

Description: Learn how the fashion industry is taking meaningful action to integrate diversity, equity and inclusion principles and how the outdoor industry can find ways to truly allow everyone to use their voice.

Customers, employees and other stakeholders are demanding more than just words – they are expecting real action and accountability on diversity and inclusion. In response, Lindsay Peoples Wagner, who has shaped the Teen Vogue brand to be a model for inclusivity, social values and community, co-founded the Black in Fashion Council. The council has enlisted the support of the Human Rights Campaign to provide benchmarking around corporate policies and practices pertinent to the inclusivity of Black employees and to establish an Equality Index Score.

In her keynote presentation, Peoples Wagner will walk through the components of this index, flag harmful practices and provide actionable steps to increase inclusivity and make employees of color feel seen and heard. You’ll learn what brands should do (and not do) to authentically reflect and connect with customers, employees, stakeholders and their communities.

WEBINAR: Sustainability in Today’s Digital Climate

We are faced with a new season where selling virtually and digitally is vital. In this webinar, we will introduce you to Accelerate by RepSpark and cover the lessons learned from other brands during this transition.

Get ready as we cover new ways of:

  • Making transactions easier for buyers
  • How going digital is sustainable to your brand
  • Examples of brands adopting this solution and how it’s helped their business grow

 

What is Accelerate?
A B2B eCommerce platform for you to grow your wholesale business sustainably, including:

  • Custom Shoppable Digital Catalogs
  • Virtual Showrooms
  • Sales Order Management
  • Assortments, Line Presentations and more…

OIA members receive free onboarding and a 60 day trial for RepSpark’s Accelerate platform, a $3000 value.

Get Started

Covid Edition: Letter from Our Executive Director

It is hard to believe a full year has passed since the global coronavirus pandemic shut down our nation, ravaged communities and caused economic disruption unseen in our lifetimes. We won’t soon forget the devastation, and there is still much work ahead to repair the damages the outdoor industry incurred. However, as I reflect on the past year, I am inspired by how our community came together to respond to this crisis and to deliver some powerful achievements, demonstrating our resilience and strength.

I am particularly proud of the following actions that OIA and our industry were able to take:

We conducted an industry-wide member survey to understand the business impacts of the pandemic and to learn how OIA can lend a hand with tools, resources and advocacy support. We heard from our members the value of focusing on critical outdoor issues such as equity in the outdoors, climate action, public lands, conservation, the outdoor recreation economy and trade. We also heard the need, loud and clear, for new ways for our community to convene. We have already begun delivering on these issues and will continue to do so in 2021 to demonstrate value to our members.

The outdoor industry showed up to support our critical work. We made many asks of you, our members, in the past 12 months, and we are humbled to share that your support will allow us to continue to serve to elevate the collective voice, influence and power of the outdoor industry. Thank you to those who stepped up to Leadership and Support membership levels.

Countless outdoor industry businesses rapidly pivoted their production to make millions of PPE units—including masks, face shields, gowns, ventilators and other critical equipment— for frontline workers. At OIA, we worked quickly to support our members with tools such as this webinar to help move efforts faster and further. Read the inspirational stories here.

Outdoor Retailer went virtual, and OIA pivoted to provide more than 20 education sessions at the Summer and Winter Online shows. Watch our on-demand sessions on topics ranging from DEI to outdoor recreation and from climate action to participation and trade.

OIA advocated on our industry’s behalf in Washington, D.C., and at the state level for economic disaster relief and delivered resources, such as our COVID-19 Hub and webinar and Campfire Conversation series. We also developed a comprehensive policy platform for the 2020 election and secured key meetings with the new administration and Congress.

Outdoorists committed to #VoteTheOutdoors and followed through. In a time of great political division and polarization, protecting the outdoors is one thing we can all agree on. Together through our #VoteTheOutdoors campaign, we were able to preserve public lands and waters, lower costs for outdoor businesses, help advance sustainable business practices and shape public policy.

Outdoor participation grew. Forthcoming research confirms what our industry was reporting anecdotally: people across the country were able to find a reprieve from the pandemic in outdoor activities like trail running, hiking, camping, fishing, biking and more. I take comfort in knowing our industry helped millions of Americans recreate safely through the Recreate Responsibly coalition and that retailers and outfitters across the country found new and creative ways to continue serving their customers, many of whom were newcomers. Our Special Report, The New Outdoor Participant (COVID and Beyond), will help you learn what motivated these newcomers and offer strategies for retaining them, even after pandemic restrictions are lifted.

The Thrive Outside Initiative released its first annual Impact Report. The Thrive Outside Initiative empowers communities to make outdoor recreation an accessible lifestyle for all. This effort is a catalyst to drive positive outcomes in critical areas such as health and wellness, youth development, social justice and community development—all more important than ever during the pandemic. Read what we were able to accomplish and how the communities adapted in year one.

We committed to building a just and equitable outdoors. As the association for the outdoor industry, we have a voice—and a corresponding responsibility to do more. The police killing of George Floyd and countless instances of racism and racial violence against Black people were horrific, and we know these events are not isolated and are part of a long history of systemic racism and injustice in our country and in the outdoors. Read our statement and commitment to do better, as well as the progress we made in 2020.

The Climate Action Corps grew to more than 80 members. In light of global circumstances around the pandemic, it would not have been surprising to see companies take a step back from their sustainability efforts. But the outdoor industry doubled down on its commitment to combat the climate crisis, and we gained dozens of new and committed Corps members. Learn more about our industry’s collective commitment to measure, plan and reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and share progress annually.

Despite the challenges and setbacks our industry endured over the past year, we also demonstrated incredible resiliency and unity. I am eager to see how this momentum carries our industry toward continued collaboration, innovation and growth.

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out to our membership team. We are here for you as we collectively work to recover.

Together We Are a Force,

Lise Aangeenbrug
OIA Executive Director

An Interior Secretary the American People Deserve

Outdoor recreation is a cornerstone of American life that relies on the health and wellbeing of the environment. Widespread access to public lands and waters is critical to maintaining and expanding the many benefits of outdoor recreation. As more and more Americans find refuge outdoors during the COVID-19 pandemic, recreation can be a big piece of the economic recovery puzzle.

Americans of all ages and the outdoor industry keenly understand this – as does President Biden’s nominee for Secretary of the Interior, Debra Haaland. With her stellar track record on public lands and waters, climate change, and environmental justice, the Senate would do well to swiftly confirm her nomination.

Secretary-designate Haaland will marry outdoor policy with this potential for economic growth. Throughout her career and during her time in Congress, she has demonstrated a sharp understanding of the impact of the $788 billion outdoor recreation economy and the benefit it has to communities. She led the charge on the Simplifying Outdoor Access for Recreation (SOAR) Act, a bill to cut bureaucratic red tape that prevents Americans from accessing outdoor spaces. She also supported the historic and broadly bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) last session, which provided much-needed funding for public lands and waters. In talking about this bill, she highlighted the close connection between environmental policy and economic recovery, saying “spending time outdoors…creates jobs in the outdoor recreation and restoration economies, but without proper federal funding, the parks, rodeo grounds, and National Parks…are vulnerable, as are the jobs that go along with them.”

In addition to increasing access to public spaces, the conservation and protection of the outdoors is of critical importance. 30×30 – the goal of conserving 30 percent of our lands and oceans by 2030 – is a top policy priority for the outdoor industry and for Haaland, too. As an industry that works closely with the Department of the Interior, it’s encouraging to see that she understands the massive opportunity to fight climate change and protect access, all while conserving public lands and waters. The outdoor industry will gladly work with her agency to develop a cohesive public and private sector action plan.

Addressing climate change is also a top priority for the entire outdoor industry. Businesses that operate in outdoor recreation have been feeling the impact of climate change for years and intimately understand the need for an aggressive, coordinated effort to address the crisis. With Deb Haaland at the helm of Interior, we believe progress can be made while leveraging the outdoor recreation economy as one part of the solution to support the traditional energy communities that will be affected by these changes. In her time in the House of Representatives, she cosponsored the Ocean Based Climate Solutions Act and introduced the Climate Stewardship Act, both of which worked to mitigate climate change by promoting natural climate solutions to keep the planet healthy. She also promised to “continue to push for natural climate solutions” going forward.

To effectively address the growing threat from climate change and protect the environment, we need everyone from Democrats and Republicans in Congress to Fortune 500 companies to park rangers to work together. Secretary-designate Haaland has a history of working across the aisle – she’s gotten more Republicans to sign on to her bills than any other Democrat in the House of Representatives. Her proven willingness to work in a bipartisan manner will be a boon for the outdoors, which after all are enjoyed by Americans from all backgrounds and walks of life.

The American people deserve an Interior Secretary that will fight for all of us. From conservation to economic recovery to climate change, Deb Haaland understands the broad impacts of decisions made by the Department of the Interior. For the good of the environment, the economy, and the people, the Senate should quickly vote to confirm her so she can get to work.

Thrive Outside Profile Series: Courtney Baltiyskyy

Q&A: Courtney Baltiyskyy, Policy Analyst for the YMCA of San Diego County

Courtney Baltiyskyy, a policy analyst for the YMCA of San Diego County, knows first-hand how the outdoors can immediately change a child’s mood and provide a way forward. Thanks to the Thrive Outside initiative, the YMCA and quite a few other local organizations are working together to make outdoor experiences not a “nice to have” thing in San Diego, but an essential part of every family’s experience. We asked her how the programming is going and what she hopes it achieves.

Tell us a bit about the Thrive Outside initiative in San Diego.

When the Outdoor Foundation put out the RFP for Thrive Outside grants, that brought all of us to the table to figure out how we can speak the same language and work in the same direction to leverage our collective impact. Along with The San Diego Foundation, which is the backbone organization for our Thrive Outside initiative, we’re also working with U.S Fish & Wildlife Service, the County of San Diego Parks & Recreation Department, the Nonprofit Institute at USD, Parks California, and Outdoor Outreach. We want to increase volunteers, advocacy, the number of individuals who have repeat, meaningful experiences in the outdoors, and programming around trauma response and solutions to adverse childhood experiences.

What does your community need most?

There’s a lot of fear and uncertainty here around water. We see a lot of parents who don’t know how to swim, so they’re afraid for their children to be near the water. But with increased resources and system changes, we can help mitigate that fear, provide access to swim lessons through scholarships at the YMCA so that teachers and parents are more comfortable taking their kids to the beach, and just generally offer water safety awareness so that families know when it’s safe to go to the ocean.

We’ve also been able to address justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in access to the outdoors. Outdoor Outreach, for example, one of the organizations that has benefited from Thrive Outside funding has been working with youth ages 15 to 24 who are leading these conversations. They’re discussing their experiences and helping in the decision-making process as we explore new programming and outdoor outreach, and they’re compensated for their time or given access to scholarships. One of the things they’re asking for is more resources around mental and emotional health. They’ve seen their friends and peers take their lives far too often and far more frequently than we’ve ever seen. They’re also asking to help make systematic change to keep our environment as pristine as when their grandparents saw it years ago.

How have you seen outdoor experiences influence kids you work with?

I’ve seen such a transformation in kids. I’ve worked with kids who had ADHD and were on the autism spectrum, and getting into the outdoors, even if it was just on their school campus, opened them up to such a different sensory experience and really set them up for success. My drive for the Thrive Outside initiative and the partnerships we have is really to make sure that all youth have an opportunity to do that. In the current landscape, there are just too many who disproportionately don’t have the opportunity to experience the outdoors. I spent a few years in the Peace Corps, teaching in Ukraine, and I would also use the outdoors there as a tool to take a break from the classroom during the warmer months. Ukrainian school days are extremely long and rigorous—7 or 8 hours of instruction, plus tutoring—and taking a break outdoors was a great way to unlock learning.

How have the outdoors influenced you personally?

I spent a lot of time in the outdoors through Girl Scouts more than any other agency. My mom was our leader, and I had the same group of friends in Girl Scouts from Daisies all the way until we were seniors in high school. We went on regular camping trips or ski and snowboard trips, and even as adults, with our own families, we’re all still very close. I went to Girl Scout resident camp in the summers and that helped me get out of my comfort zone and try new things. It has inspired me to make sure that my own kids have those experiences and have really mindful moments in the outdoors, as well as to think about how we can be stewards of the environment in a really intentional way.

What’s your vision for the ultimate outdoor access for kids growing up today?

When we consider the broad spectrum of where youth and families are already engaging, I would hope that the outdoors is a component of each of those touch points. So if a family is going through counseling services, the outdoors is a touch point. If you’re going to school, the outdoors is a regular touch point. When people are going to community-based organizations for out-of-school programming, the outdoors should be a huge touch point. I would want to see outdoor experiences intentionally being a part of each experience that a youth or a family has, so that it’s seamlessly integrated into their identity development.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Outdoor Retailer: Education Recap

Miss an education session from Outdoor Retailer Online? Don’t worry, you can catch them all on-demand.

INCLUSIVITY AT THE FOREFRONT: THE TIME IS NOW FOR BRANDS TO CHANGE

On January 6th, we kicked off Outdoor Retailer Winter Online with a keynote presentation led by Lindsay Peoples Wagner, who is editor-in-chief of Teen Vogue and co-founder of Black in Fashion Council. She shared how the fashion industry is taking meaningful action to integrate diversity, equity and inclusion principles and how the outdoor industry can avoid performative allyship, increase inclusivity and make employees of color feel seen and heard.

Key takeaways from the discussion included:

  • Giving employees of color real agency within an organization by moving past performative allyship and into active allyship. “It’s more than just having that seat at the table — it’s being put in a position of success to be able to make change.”
  • Prioritizing authentic representation to make all communities feel welcome. “When you talk about inclusivity, at the root is representation — to make people feel seen and heard and say, ‘They may not understand my whole entire life and everything that I’m going through, but they see me, they hear my problems, they understand who I am and what I’m looking for.’”
  • Fighting explicit and implicit bias starts with systematic change. “Systematic changes are the things that fundamentally make you ask, ‘Would a person of color want to stay at this company or not?’”
  • Reflecting your values through budgeting for diversity and inclusion initiatives. “I understand the pandemic has caused budgets to change, I understand that people have had to lay people off — I understand all of these things. But I will say inherently, if anything is important to you it is part of your budget.”

Looking for outdoor-industry specific DEI resources? We’ve rounded up a few great places to start:

  • In Solidarity Network: a resource for job seekers of marginalized identities looking for employment in the outdoor industry.
  • Outdoor CEO Diversity Pledge: a program that compels outdoor executives to create, promote, and enforce policies that expand the diversity, equity, and inclusion of their employees, board members, and customers.
  • Camber Outdoors: a community of corporations, nonprofits and small businesses who are committed to accelerating workplace change by creating inclusive cultures, implementing equitable systems and attracting a diversity of talent to their workplaces.
  • REI Product Impact Standards: a set of standards that engage REI’s more than 1,000 brand partners to advance more sustainable and inclusive business practices. See the specific section on Diversity and Inclusion on pg. 13.

WATCH NOW

THRIVING PEOPLE AND THRIVING BUSINESS: OUTDOOR COMPANIES LEADING WITH INCLUSIVE AND REPRESENTATIVE MARKETING

Outdoor brands, advocates, athletes and marketing leaders from Merrell, The North Face, Ruffwear and more joined together to discuss the work they are doing to rethink their marketing strategies, build authentic relationships and incorporate strong representation in their advertising. This candid and transparent conversation dug into the pivotal moments from each participant’s journey and the lessons learned and best practices they’ve developed along the way. Key insights included:

  • Change starts within. There can be no external change at a brand or company without internal change – marketing and advertising must reflect an authentic shift in company culture.
  • Take the time for a “transformational pause.” The work ahead takes time. Ensure your team takes the time to reset and shift priorities to truly do it.
  • Acknowledge and represent all marginalized populations. What does true representation look like for your brand? Partnerships can only advance and accelerate your work.

WATCH NOW

Join Pocket Outdoor Media and Outdoor Industry Association for an uncomfortable conversation about the N word. Register now for the February 16th webinar.

Outdoor Retailer Winter Online Summit Day Education Session Recap

2021 Summit Days education featured in-depth discussions on inclusive marketing, the outdoor recreation economy, climate action, trade and expanding outdoor participation, as well as the catalyst that moves all these issues forward: our shared commitment to advocacy.

In case you missed a session, or want to dive deeper, we rounded up the key insights and takeaways from each Summit Day. Read more below and if you haven’t already, watch the sessions on-demand. They’ll be available in the Outdoor Retailer platform until March 19.

THRIVING PEOPLE AND PLANET: HOW PUBLIC POLICY CAN BUILD AN OUTDOORS FOR ALL

Leaders from all sectors of the outdoor community, including Secretary-Designate of Interior Deb Haaland, discussed how public policy can increase outdoor participation in diverse communities and how increasing participation, in turn, supports outdoor policy and benefits such as youth development, environmental stewardship, overall health and wellness and more.  Key topic areas that surfaced:

  • As highlighted by Haaland, the outdoor industry has many opportunities to expand equitable access to the outdoors, particularly with BIPOC communities, through advocating for legislation, administrative action and other public sector measures.
  • The Thrive Outside programs in San Diego and Oklahoma City have very different approaches to youth outdoor engagement, but both have been successful in advancing their advocacy and policy efforts.
  • State offices of outdoor recreation play a critical role in the work to increase outdoor participation and pass policies to ensure and grow thriving outdoor communities.

WATCH NOW

THRIVING PEOPLE AND THRIVING PLANET: THE 30 BY 30 INITIATIVE IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A SHARED OUTDOOR FUTURE

Outdoor recreation advocates, sportsmen and sportswomen, tribal leaders and equity experts convened to explore how we can work together to support public and private land conservation traditions in the U.S., address climate change, honor the sovereignty of tribal nations and ensure equitable access for current and future generations. Takeaways included:

  • Our economy, our businesses, and our communities are dependent on the health and well-being of public lands and waters and natural spaces across America.
  • As outdoor industry businesses, intact and conserved outdoor spaces are fundamental to our existence. Investing in America’s natural infrastructure — can help the U.S. economy recover from the current economic crisis.
  • Our success will depend on our honoring tribal nations who have stewarded lands and waters since time immemorial, on supporting private landowners committed to conservation on their property, on collaborating with outdoor recreation interests and historically underserved communities, and on heeding scientists

WATCH NOW

THRIVING PEOPLE, THRIVING PLANET AND THRIVING BUSINESSES: BIDEN, CONGRESS AND THE OUTDOOR RECREATION ECONOMY

Representatives of the outdoor industry and Congress came together to highlight the exciting opportunities we have to advance priorities for the outdoor recreation economy under a new Congress and administration. From combating climate change to promoting diversity and equity in the outdoors to preserving our public lands and waters and supporting a stable and predictable federal trade policy, the outdoor industry is in a unique position to work with friends and allies in support of our policy agenda. Highlights included:

  • Outdoor companies will help the U.S. be a leader on climate. With this Congress and administration, every bill will be a climate bill. Every agency will be a climate agency.
  • Investment in green infrastructure is critical to preserving our public lands and spurring economic recovery. Green infrastructure is critical infrastructure.
  • In the face of uncertainty due to trade wars and a global pandemic, outdoor companies have been resilient and, with a balanced trade agenda, are set up for growth and success.

WATCH NOW

THRIVING PEOPLE AND THRIVING BUSINESS: OUTDOOR COMPANIES LEADING WITH INCLUSIVE AND REPRESENTATIVE MARKETING

Outdoor brands, advocates, athletes and marketing leaders joined together to discuss the work they are doing to rethink their marketing strategies, build authentic relationships and incorporate strong representation in their advertising. This candid and transparent conversation dug into the pivotal moments from each participant’s journey and the lessons learned and best practices they’ve developed along the way. Key insights included:

  • Change starts within. There can be no external change at a brand or company without internal change – marketing and advertising must reflect an authentic shift in company culture.
  • Take the time for a “transformational pause.” The work ahead takes time. Ensure your team takes the time to reset and shift priorities to truly do it.
  • Acknowledge and represent all marginalized populations. What does true representation look like for your brand? Partnerships can only advance and accelerate your work.

WATCH NOW

Thrive Outside Profile Series: Kristen Ragain

Q&A: Kristen Ragain, manager of philanthropy and community partnerships for REI Co-op

REI Co-op has donated $1 million to the Thrive Outside initiative in hopes of helping kids in urban centers around the U.S. have repeating outdoor experiences in slices of nature close to home. As manager of REI Co-op’s philanthropy and community partnerships programs, Kristen Ragain works to support programming that ensures that every person can benefit from time outdoors. We asked her why it’s so important to support this, and how she thinks the average American’s outdoor experience could change once life begins to return to normal.

Why is it important to REI to support Thrive Outside?
As one of the leaders in the outdoor industry, we knew it was important for REI to support this effort from the very beginning. The average American spends 95 percent of their life inside and this contributes to so many different challenges our society faces. At the co-op, we want to help reverse this trend. Connecting youth and families to the outdoors is one critical way to help do that. The 2019 Outdoor Participation Report shows people are connecting to the outdoors less and less [Editor’s note: Americans took one billion fewer outdoor outings in 2018 compared to 2008] so we appreciated that Thrive Outside supported the idea of repeating and reinforcing outdoor experiences. Having a progression plan in place and a sense of reinforcement allows for a community to grow and connect. It will be really exciting for all of us in the outdoor industry, and others, to start seeing the results of Thrive Outside so we can all learn from it and use that information for our philanthropic and community engagement work.

What are your hopes for what some of those outcomes may be?
My hope is that participants in the program see the outdoors as a daily/regular part of their lives and spend time in close to home nature which can improve overall health and wellbeing.

During the Covid-19 crisis we are seeing that more people than ever before are seeking refuge,solace and wellbeing in close-to-home nature. Hiking and biking on local trails and parks, paddling, and walks in natural areas have been supportive and healing for many. the Outdoor Foundation, with Thrive Outside, and also the broader industry, has a huge opportunity here to come through COVID and help people reimagine that daily connection to the outdoors and how important it is for our health and wellbeing both as individuals and as a collective community and society.

Do you think we might see a bigger shift toward those close-to-home spaces?
I think we’re going to be seeing people looking to recreate in nearby outdoor places, especially in the next 18 months or so. Maybe someone who was really into backcountry trips is now taking up local trail running, or maybe someone who used to do a lot of indoor yoga and fitness is now doing those things outdoors. I think across the board there are going to be more people spending time in local parks, trails, and waterways. It’s an interesting time for the organizations that are stewarding these places, because they’re seeing an increase in participation and usage, and obviously a decrease in funding. Outdoor places need to be maintained and experiences for connecting youth outdoors need to be cultivated and supported. Hopefully, this is an opportunity to raise awareness that we can’t take these things for granted and we need to increase support for the organizations that are doing what they can to create equitable access to the outdoors for all people.

What do you think, an equitable outdoors looks like?
It is important to work towards the Trust for Public Lands’s goal that everyone should be within a 10-minute walk to a great place to get outside. But, many also know that just because access to the outdoors is available, not everyone feels safe in the outdoors or a sense of belonging in nature. This is a significant barrier. So, equitable access to the outdoors needs to be about ensuring access and working towards a reality where everyone can feel safe being themselves and find their place in the outdoors.

What drives your passion for this work?
As a child, I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, assuming that everyone was able to experience the outdoors as my family did through hiking, camping, climbing, biking, etc. As I grew up, I realized this was not the case and was inspired to work for environmental nonprofits and, now, REI, which works to connect all people to the outdoors. The outdoors is good for us. What could our planet be like if nearby access to nature and the outdoors was a basic human right for all? This idea, this question, is what gets me out of bed every day ready to support, advocate and work for equitable access to the outdoors no matter one’s race, orientation or economics.

Webinar: Climate Action – Ambition, Collaboration and Practical Steps To Guide Our Industry’s Path to Climate Positive

 

 

DOWNLOAD SLIDES Learn More & Join the Climate Action Corps

The launch of the Climate Action Corps one year ago kicked off our industry’s bold and collaborative mission toward climate positive by 2050 or sooner, and is now nearly 100 companies strong. The climb to “climate positive” is an adventure like no other, the next decade of which is critical. Outdoor companies who excel in this race to the top will be rewarded by customers, employees, consumers and investors. Those who don’t will lose out. But what does “climate positive” even mean? How can we get there? This session will open with a powerful call to action for why and how the outdoor industry can (and must) lead by example despite volatile times from business strategy expert and sustainability guru Andrew Winston, followed by practical, achievable steps you can take in your day-to-day outdoor business to transform the status-quo by reducing what you emit, removing even more, and advocating for policies that matter most.

Keynote: The Big Pivot – Sustainability and Climate Action in Volatile Times, Andrew Winston, a globally-recognized expert on building resilient, profitable companies that help the world thrive.

Additional Speakers:

Reduce: Tackle the major sources of emissions in a bottle, a boot and a snowboard (Michael Sadowski, independent advisor to OIA’s Climate Action Corps)

Remove: Two outdoor companies’ approaches to carbon removal (Mike Gass, Timberland, and Matt Thurston, REI)

Advocate: Why the unique voice of the outdoor industry business community matters (Katherine Hamilton energy policy guru and thought leader, co-host of The Energy Gang podcast).

Moderator: Amy Horton, Outdoor Industry Association

COVID-19 Stimulus Package Highlights

The following provisions are related to small businesses and access to Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) second draw loans. For additional information on obtaining PPP loans, view OIA’s webinar from March 2020 with Small Business Administration.

Additional expenses are now allowable and forgivable with PPP funds:

  • Covered worker protection expenditure. PPE and adaptive investments to help a loan recipient comply with federal health and safety guidelines or any equivalent state and local guidance related to COVID-19 during the period between March 1, 2020, and the end of the national emergency declaration.
  • Covered property damage costs. Costs related to property damage due to public disturbances that occurred during 2020 that are not covered by insurance.
  • Covered supplier costs. Expenditures to a supplier pursuant to a contract, purchase order, or order for goods in effect prior to taking out the loan that are essential to the recipient’s operations at the time at which the expenditure was made. Supplier costs of perishable goods can be made before or during the life of the loan.
  • Covered operations expenditures. Payment for any software, cloud computing, and other human resources and accounting needs.
  • These forgiven loans will not be counted as taxable income.

Specific Group Insurance Payments as Payroll costs:

  • Clarifies that other employer-provided group insurance benefits are included in payroll costs. This includes group, life, disability vision and dental insurance.
  • This provision applies to loans made before, on, or after 12/22/2020 (enactment date), including forgiveness of the loan.

PPP Second Draw Loans:

  • This “PPP second draw” loan will be for smaller and harder-hit business, with a maximum amount of $2 million.
  • To be eligible to receive a PPP loan, you must:
    • Have fewer than 300 employees
    • Have used (or will use) the full amount of your first PPP loan
    • Demonstrate at least a 25% reduction in gross receipts in the first, second, or 3rd quarter of 2020 relative to the same 2019 quarter.
  • Eligible entities must be a business, certain non-profit organizations, self-employed individuals, sole proprietors, independent contractors and small agricultural co-operatives
  • Loan terms:
    • Seasonal employers may calculate their maximum loan amount based on a 12-week period beginning February 15, 2019 through February 15, 2020
    • New entities may receive loans of up to 2.5x the sum of their average monthly payroll costs
    • Businesses with multiple locations that are eligible entitles under the initial PPP requirements may employ not more than 300 employees per physical location
    • Wavier of affiliation rules that applied during initial PP loans apply to a second loan
    • An eligible entity may only receive one PPP second draw loan
  • Loan forgiveness: borrowers of a PPP second draw loan would be eligible for loan forgiveness equal to the sum of their payroll costs, as well as covered mortgage, rent, and utility payments, covered operations expenditures, covered property damage costs, covered supplier costs, and covered worker protection expenditures inured during the covered period. The 60/40 cost allocation between payroll and non-payroll costs in order to receive full forgiveness will continue to apply.
  • Guidance to prioritize underserved communities: directs the SBA Administrator to issue guidance addressing barriers to access to capital for underserved communities no later than 10 days after enactment
  • Application of Exemption Based on Employee: extends existing safe harbors on restoring full time employees (FTE) and salaries and wages.
    • Specifically, applies the rule of reducing loan forgiveness for the borrower reducing the number of employees retained and reducing employees’ salaries in excess of 25 percent.

Increased Ability for PPP Borrowers to Request an Increase in Loan Amount due to Updated Regulations:

  • Requires SBA to release guidance to lenders withing 17 days of enactment that allows borrowers who returned all or part of their PPP loan to reapply for the maximum amount applicable so long that they have not received forgiveness
  • This section allows borrowers whose loan calculations have increased due to changes in interim final rules to work with lenders to modify their loan value regardless of whether the loan has been fully disbursed, or if Form 1502 has already been submitted

Eligibility of 501(c)(6) and Destination Marketing Organizations for Loans Under PPP:

  • Expands eligibility to receive a PPP loan to include the following organizations –
    • 501(c)(6) if:
      • The organization does not receive more than 15 percent of receipts from lobbying
      • The lobbying activities do not exceed $1 million during the most recent tax year that ended prior to February 15, 2020
      • The organization has fewer than 300 employees
      • Professional sports leagues or organizations with the purpose of promoting or participating in a political campaign or other political activities are not eligible under this section
    • Destination Marketing Operations if:
      • Sections 1-3 above, and
      • The destination marketing organization is registered as a 501(c) organization, a quasi-government entity, or a political subdivision of a state or local government

      Prohibition on use of Loan Proceeds for Lobbying Activities:

      • Proceeds of the covered loan may not be used for lobbying activities, as defined by the Lobbying Disclosure Act, lobbying expenditures related to state or local campaigns, and expenditures to influence the enactment of legislation, appropriations, or regulations

      Limitations on Eligibility:

      • Businesses or organizations that were not in operation on February 15, 2020 are not eligible for a second draw PPP loan
      • This was the case for initial PPP loan
      • Eligible entities that receive a grant under the Shuttered Venue Operator Grants will not be eligible for a PPP second draw loan

      Direct Appropriations:

      • $284.45 billion for PPP, including:
        • $35 billion for first-time borrowers
        • $25 billion for second draw PPP loans
        • $15 billion for PPP loans issued by community financial institutions
        • $15 billion for PPP loans issued by certain small depository institutions
      • $15 million for the Minority Business Development Centers program
      • $50 million for PPP auditing and fraud mitigation
      • $3.5 million for Debt Relief program