Together, for a Thriving Future
As your trade association and the industry’s collective voice, we work with and on behalf of our members to promote a future of Thriving People, a Thriving Planet, and Thriving Outdoor Business. July 13 – August 12 we will be hosting sessions discussing initiatives, policy and actions we can take to ensure a thriving outdoor future.
Virtual Sessions: July 13, 20, 27 and August 3, 2021
Live Sessions: August 10 – 12, 2021
Climate Action: Ambition, Collaboration and Practical Steps to Guide Our Industry’s Path to Climate Positive
Tuesday, July 13, 2021, 12:00 p.m. (MT)
Location: Virtual Education Session
Speakers:
- Gina McCarthy, White House National Climate Advisor
- Matt Thurston, Director of Sustainability, REI
- Lise Aangenbrug, Executive Director, OIA
- Amy Horton, Senior Director of Sustainable Business Innovation, OIA
- Rich Harper, Director of Government Affairs, OIA
Award Host: Derek Sabori, Sustainability Coach and Founder, The Underswell
Award Judges and Presenters:
- Erin Callahan, Director of Corporate Engagement, RMI
- Bee Hui Yeh, Founder & Principal, The Power of We
- Eliot Metzger, Director of Sustainable Business & Innovation, WRI
- Andrew Winston, Sustainability Expert and Author
Description: More than 100 companies representing more than $25 billion in annual sales revenue have united through the Climate Action Corps to tackle the outdoor industry’s most pressing threat. If you are a member of this community, we commend you! If not, it’s not too late to join. Collectively, Corps members made real progress despite the challenges of 2020. During this session we’ll share results from our inaugural year and recognize some notable leaders in transparency, partnership, community and overall impact.
Now, with less than a decade to cut global emissions in half, we need to catalyze even bigger, bolder action within our industry – and beyond. Join this session to gain insights from industry leaders and special guests on our new path to climate positive by 2030, and how collaborating to reduce your GHG emissions, remove what you cannot reduce and advocate for systemic change can drive real impact – and business value.
Watch On Demand Now
Building an Outdoors for All: How Outdoor Youth Programming Is Helping Address Equity Barriers in Communities Across the Country
Tuesday, July 20, 2021
Location: Virtual Education Session
Moderator: Stephanie Maez, The Outdoor Foundation
Presenters:
- Shannon Harris – Our Community’s Children and Thrive Outside Grand Rapids
- Daisy Mugford – Trust for Public Land and Thrive Outside Atlanta
- Heather Rossetti – The San Diego Foundation and Thrive Outside San Diego
- Aasim Saleh – Riversport OKC and Thrive Outside Oklahoma City
- Lexus Morrow – Outdoor Outreach and Thrive Outside San Diego
Description: The Thrive Outside Initiative is focused on reversing the trend of decreasing outdoor engagement among youth. Through community investments and groundbreaking research, the Outdoor Foundation works with partners across the country to address equity barriers and help make the outdoors accessible for all.
While engaging in advocacy is critical for systems change, it is also imperative to support community outdoor programs that address equity barriers such as safety, transportation, cultural inclusion, etc., on the frontlines. Join a diverse panel of outdoor leaders and moderator Stephanie Maez for a discussion about how youth outdoor programming can help address these barriers.
Heather Rossetti with the San Diego Foundation will provide an overview of their findings on Equity Barriers from the Parks for Everyone 2.0 Report, followed by a conversation with Thrive Outside youth participants and program providers. They will share how they’re using outdoor programing strategies, community engagement efforts and other practices to address equity barriers in their communities.
We hope you will join this conversation to learn more about how you can help make the outdoors accessible to all!
Implementing 30×30: The Essential Partnership of State and Local Stakeholders
Tuesday, July 27, 2021
Location: Virtual Education Session
Speakers:
- Rich Harper, Director of Government Affairs, Outdoor Industry Association
- Matt Lee-Ashley, Senior Director of Lands, Council of Environmental Quality
- Lexie Gritlefeld, Membership Coordinator, California Outdoor Recreation Partnership
- Alicia Harvie, Community and Government Affairs Manager, REI
- Colin Robertston, Administrator, Nevada Division of Outdoor Recreation
Description: In May, the Biden administration released the “Conserving and Restoring America the Beautiful” report, outlining guidelines for conserving 30 percent of public lands and waters by the year 2030, the so-called “30×30” initiative. Since the president first expressed his support for 30×30, much of the focus of this ambitious goal and the debate around how to implement it has been at the federal level. Yet, as the report makes clear, if we are to fulfill this historic opportunity, there has to be an emphasis on locally driven conservation projects across the country. What works in Virginia may not be suitable for Montana.
Join us for a discussion on the next steps to implement the president’s blueprint and how the input of state governments, private landowners, state-based outdoor business associations and other key stakeholders is critical to enacting conservation goals, assuring equitable access and combating climate change.
A Historic Opportunity on Climate and How Outdoor Companies Can Help
Tuesday, August 3, 2021
Location: Virtual Education Session
Speakers:
- Rich Harper – Director of Government Affairs, Outdoor Industry Association
- Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL 14) – Chair, House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis
- Brenda Mallory – Chair, Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ)
Description: Through the Climate Action Corps, outdoor companies have stepped up on climate – now the federal government is poised to respond. With a new administration and Congress, we have an historic opportunity to pass ambitious legislation in 2021. President Biden’s sweeping infrastructure proposal includes important provisions for climate resilience and infrastructure, including a $10 billion investment in a new Civilian Climate Corps, jumpstarting clean energy manufacturing and establishing the U.S. as a leader in climate science, innovation and R&D. Whether it’s for hunting, fishing, hiking, camping or any number of other outdoor activities, we need to preserve the public spaces and activities our communities value and protect them from the real impacts of climate change. Now, the hard part begins, with multiple congressional committees holding hearings to begin the process of drafting legislation to implement the plan in a heightened political environment.
Join us for a discussion with key administration officials and congressional leaders on the prospects for climate legislation and key provisions of the American Jobs Plan and how outdoor companies and consumers can help ensure they are signed into law.
OIA INDUSTRY BREAKFAST: The Thriving Future of Retail
Tuesday, August 10, 2021, 7:00 a.m. (MT)
Location: Colorado Convention Center, MR 400’s
Keynote Speaker: Doug Stephens, Retail Prophet
Description: In the annals of retail history, the coronavirus pandemic will be a permanent mile marker, remembered for generations to come. Companies in all sectors will point to this unprecedented time as the moment everything changed, from consumer behaviors to supply chain function – the moment that every market, industry, vertical, profession and category of product or service would, in some way, be shifted off its axis and, for the first time in recorded history, the moment that every wheel, cog and gear in the global retail machine would grind to a virtual halt.
During the pandemic, the outdoor industry saw an increase in outdoor participants and demand for companies to solve today’s biggest global challenges. According to Edelman Trust Barometer, where consumers believe government, NGOs and the media are falling short, they are looking to the business community to focus on societal engagement with the same rigor, thoughtfulness and energy used to deliver on profits in exchange for their trust and loyalty.
Doug Stephens, bestselling author and founder of the global consultancy Retail Prophet, provides an incisive look into the future of retail in a post-COVID-19 world. The topics of changing consumer behavior and company roles, the future of physical and online retail and how global supply chains will adapt will all be tackled in this fast-paced and gripping talk, led by one of the industry’s foremost experts.
Breakfast pastries and coffee will be provided.
Thriving Planet and People: Confronting Threats to the Outdoors: Two Voices from Colorado and Capitol Hill
Tuesday, August 10, 2021, 11:00 a.m. (MT)
Location: Colorado Convention Center, MR 400’s
Speakers:
- Lise Aangeenbrug – Executive Director, Outdoor Industry Association
- Senator Michael Bennet (D-CO) – Chairman of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry’s Subcommittee on Conservation, Climate, Forestry, and Natural Resources
- Representative Joe Neguse (D-CO-02) – Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee’s Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands
Description: Over the past year, as the world battled the COVID-19 pandemic, more Americans – some for the first time – got outdoors to enjoy the physical and mental health benefits of outdoor recreation. Yet we face a series of challenges that will impact our ability to preserve these open spaces and ensure that they are open and accessible to all Americans for generations to come. Overcoming these obstacles is essential for the outdoor industry. We know that for our businesses to thrive, the outdoors must thrive.
Join us for a discussion with two leading members of Congress from Colorado, Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO), on their efforts to address these challenges in Washington, D.C., from legislation to combat climate change and wildfires to preserving public lands and waters and ensuring more equity and diversity in the outdoors. And learn more about what you and your business can do to help.
*OIA will host lunch tickets redeemable at OR participating food trucks. Limited quantities are available.
Thriving People: Public-Private Partnerships for Healthy Youth and Strong Communities
Wednesday, August 11, 2021, 11:00 a.m. (MT)
Location: Colorado Convention Center, MR 400’s
Speakers:
- Stephanie Maez – Managing Director, The Outdoor Foundation
- Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser
Description: This year, UnitedHealth Group donated $30 million to increase health care access for underserved communities across Colorado, $5 million of which is dedicated to establishing the Healthy Youth/Strong Colorado Fund. In partnership with the Colorado attorney general’s office, the fund will support nonprofit organizations that provide mental health support and services and opportunities for youth.
During this session. Outdoor Foundation’s Stephanie Maez will interview Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, a key partner and champion for this effort.
Offering the Healthy Youth/Strong Colorado Fund as a case study, we will explore how public-private partnerships can support youth mental health efforts. This will include a discussion of how investing in outdoor nature-based programming can increase healthy outcomes and decrease the use of the criminal justice system to address behavioral health challenges.
We will also examine the role of the attorney general’s office in efforts such as these, how Attorney General Weiser became engaged in this effort and what other states and stakeholders can learn from this work in Colorado.
*OIA will host lunch tickets redeemable at OR participating food trucks. Limited quantities are available.
Thriving Business: Tariff Relief for Outdoor Companies: How the New Trade Legislation Can Help Your Bottom Line
Wednesday, August 11, 2021, 3:30 p.m. (MT)
Location: Colorado Convention Center, MR 400’s
Speakers:
- Richard W. Harper, Jr., Director of Government Affairs, Outdoor Industry Association
- Ron Sorini, Principal, Samet, Sorini & Associates
Description: Congress will soon consider legislation to renew two trade programs and establish a process to help companies impacted by the China 301 tariffs that could help the bottom line of outdoor companies:
- The Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) provides duty-free treatment to certain products – such as sports bags, backpacks and other travel goods – sourced from eligible countries like Indonesia, Philippines and Cambodia. GSP expired at the end of 2020, and the new bill would renew GSP for six years through 2027.
- Miscellaneous Tariff Bills (MTBs) reduce or suspend tariffs on non-import-sensitive products for a three-year period. The last package of MTBs expired at the end of 2020, and the new legislation contains eight footwear MTBs sponsored by OIA.
- The legislation reinstates previously granted exclusions to the China 301 tariffs and will give stakeholders the opportunity to exclude additional products from the punitive tariffs.
Join us for a discussion with OIA’s outside trade counsel and members of OIA’s Trade Advisory Council on how your business can take advantage of these tariff relief measures and how you can help OIA develop new trade initiatives.
Thriving Business – Workforce Trends in the Post-Pandemic Era
Thursday, August 12, 2021, 11:00 a.m. (MT)
Location: Colorado Convention Center, MR 400’s
Moderator: Jacob Fisher – Development and Program Coordinator, Outdoor Foundation
Speakers:
- Les Duncan – Senior Director of Programs, Outdoor Outreach
- Kristen Freaney – Founder, Path to Peak
- Hannah Malvin – Project Manager, The Bridge Project
- Meredith Morrice – Director of Industry Engagement, Oregon State University – Center for the Outdoor Recreation Economy
Description: With unprecedented outdoor participation rates and the prevailing desire for physical-distancing-friendly wide-open spaces, it’s no secret that the outdoor industry is experiencing an impressive rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic.
But as companies begin to decide how and where their employees will conduct business in this new era, how can we leverage this moment to shape a strong, sustainable, and equitable outdoor industry workforce? How can we address shifting labor needs and a competitive talent landscape, while building new pathways for BIPOC, LGBTQ+, and other underrepresented groups?
Join workforce educators and industry leaders to discuss how innovative workforce development and hiring programs, forward-thinking employee engagement strategies, cutting-edge industry research, and private-public partnerships will support individual companies and the industry at large in meeting the unique challenges and opportunities presented by the new world of work.
*OIA will host lunch tickets redeemable at OR participating food trucks. Limited quantities are available.