COVID-19 Webinar: Protect Your Bottom Line – Relief from China 301 duties and a 90-day tariff deferral

Speakers: Rich Harper, Manager of International Trade, Outdoor Industry Association
Nicole Schude, Of Counsel, Sorini Samet & Associates
Megan Costello, Vice President, Trade & Customs Policy, Sorini Samet & Associates

As they deal with the COVID-19 crisis, outdoor companies may be able to utilize two programs to secure much-needed tariff relief.

If you are a U.S. importer of an impacted product, you could be eligible for retroactive duty refunds from the China 301 tariffs. The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) has granted many product-specific exclusions from these duties, and many requests are still pending. If your product is eligible, additional action needs to be taken to ensure your ability to obtain a full retroactive refund.

Additionally, the Trump administration announced last week that it would grant a 90-day deferral on all tariffs, taxes and fees on a select group of products imported into the U.S. in March and April of 2020 for companies impacted by COVID-19.

Learn how your company can utilize these programs to protect your bottom line.

COVID-19 Webinar: Real Estate Rights and Strategies for Business Owners–COVID-19

Speakers: Andy Ewald, Scott Peterson and Greg Mikrut, CBRE

CBRE’s panel of experts, who specialize in representing local and national business owners, will share strategies for and rights of business owners during the COVID-19 crisis. In order to relieve a short-term cash burden during a period of disrupted revenues, local and national tenants have pursued these strategies as a reaction to the economic shock from COVID-19. Their team will review the legal obligations within a lease document, outline the proper approach to secure rent relief, share how landlords are responding, and provide predictions for the future.  In addition, the CBRE team will provide an overview of what is happening at a high level in the capital markets, which effects the velocity of lending, and they’ll share how the market may react going forward. Finally, their finance team will discuss how this pandemic may impact valuations and how to protect the future value for business owners.

Cash flow relief is on the minds of business. On behalf of outdoor industry small and mid-sized business, OIA is exploring legislation that provides rent relief.

Thrive Outside OKC: Connecting with the Outdoors During COVID-19

In its first year, The Outdoor Foundation’s Thrive Outside Community Initiative has made multi-year grants to four regions across the country (San Diego, Oklahoma City, Atlanta and Grand Rapids) to build and strengthen networks focused on providing children and families with repeat and reinforcing experiences in the outdoors. Our communities are finding unique ways to positively impact their communities during the COVID-19 crisis.

We’re proud to share the innovative work from our Thrive Outside Oklahoma City Community through one of their leading organizations RIVERSPORT.

 

 

Staying connected to the outdoors right now is challenging. We want to offer families a fun, easy activity that uses everyday items, and we want to tie it into getting more kids and families involved in kayaking and canoeing.

We launched the RIVERSPORT Cardboard Canoe Challenge inviting Thrive Outside partners and families across the community to “think outside the box” and transform household cardboard into canoes of their own design. While some people are building boats large enough get on the water, others are building mini versions to float in their backyard ponds, pools or even bathtubs. The creativity has been impressive!

This can also be a STEM activity for kids. RIVERSPORT is providing online worksheets exploring the concepts of buoyancy, boat design, engineering basics, Newton’s Laws of Motion and boat vocabulary to help parents who are suddenly teaching science and math at home.

This curriculum is part of RIVERSPORT’s SOAR initiative – Success through Outdoor Adventure and Recreation – a collaborative learning adventure that brings together Thrive Outside and STEM education in a teamwork experience. It begins in the classroom where kids divide into teams to build cardboard canoes, then culminates in a field trip to RIVERSPORT where they race and every student has the opportunity to go paddling. Our goal is to offer the experience to every seventh-grader in Oklahoma City metro area Title 1 schools.

Once shelter-in-place restrictions are lifted, RIVERSPORT is planning a community-wide Cardboard Canoe Challenge day as way to celebrate being back on the water. RIVERSPORT is also encouraging other communities to join the Cardboard Canoe Challenge by either launching their own promotion or sharing RIVERSPORT’s. Everyone can use #cardboardcanoe as a way to connect on social media.

For now, the focus is on the fun of spending time with family and staying connected to the outdoors. RIVERSPORT hopes that time spent thinking about and building canoes will encourage families take the next the step and try kayaking or canoeing this summer.

To learn more or download the STEM worksheets, visit riversportokc.org/cardboardcanoe or email info@riversportokc.org.

Elizabeth Laurent
RIVERSPORT

COVID-19 Webinar: Pivoting to Produce, Source and Donate PPE

When: Tuesday, April 14, 11:00 a.m. (MT)

Hosted By: Outdoor Industry Association and Snowsports Industries America

Panelists: Jason Duncan, VP Tactical and Innovation, Outdoor Research; Alex Adema, President & CEO, DPS Skis; Lyndi Bell, Consumer Experience Marketing Director, Chaco; Sarah Wood, Board Chair, North Carolina Recreation Coalition; Amy Allison, Director, North Carolina Office of Outdoor Recreation

Moderator: Kristin Carpenter, CEO, Verde Brand Communications

Countless outdoor and snowsport companies are stepping up to answer the call for rapid production and deployment of personal protective equipment (PPE) and medical devices to protect frontline workers from the spread of COVID-19. Hear from a few brands that were early out of the gate and successful in pivoting their operations. Find out how they quickly built relationships with local hospitals and frontline service providers to ensure products were getting into the right hands. Learn about key resources and important guidelines. Discover opportunities to collaborate with industry peers to take all of our efforts further faster.

COVID-19 Webinar: Insurance Coverage for Outdoor Retailers and Manufacturing Companies

Speaker: Perkins Coie LLP

Coronavirus loss estimates are already in the billions of dollars for retailers and tourism companies as state lockdowns are implemented and more retail chains are forced to shutter doors, send workers home and look for solutions to supply chain deficiencies. Are the losses covered? Unfortunately, it depends.

In this webinar, we will walk through business insurance policies that may provide coverage for coronavirus losses, including business interruption and contingent business interruption coverages, several standard property insurance coverage extensions, supply chain and trade disruption policies, cargo marine policies, event cancellation policies, liability policies and more. The speakers will identify what language your policy needs to contain (or not contain) for coverage to attach and will provide practical advice on what records companies should gather now to assist in any future insurance claims. In addition, the speakers will discuss when companies should provide notice or notice of circumstances under their current policies.