Webinar: Know Before You Enroll: An Inside Look At Western Colorado University + OIA’s Outdoor Industry Business Certificate

Speakers: Dr. Scott Borden and Dr. Brooke Moran, Western Colorado University

Learn about the two courses currently being offered as a part of OIA’s recently-launched Outdoor Industry Business Certificate (OIBC) program. Dr. Borden will talk about his “Marketing & Brand Strategy in the Outdoor Industry” course and Dr. Moran will talk about her “Refine Your Unique Leadership Style” course. This webinar will help you learn more about the course objectives, what you can expect to learn by taking the course, why knowledge on these topics is important in the outdoor industry, and you’ll have a chance to ask them questions in a live Q&A session.

Webinar: Gear Up: Key Strategies Outdoor Brands Need for Mitigating the Impact of Covid-19 on the Global Supply Chain

Speaker: Tom Cook, Managing Director, Blue Tiger International

The spotlight is on supply chain: volatile demand, uncertain supply, exploding transportation costs, 301 tariffs. Supply chain management has never had such an impact on profitability, and it’s never been more important for supply chain managers to know their options.

This webinar dissects the key issues that global supply chain managers face in light of the pandemic and presents options and time-proven recommendations for mitigating these challenges:

  • Reducing risk and spend in foreign purchasing and international sales
  • Tariff mitigation options: 12 considerations
  • Current state of global logistics: ocean, air, rail and truck
  • Working with 3PLs, forwarders and brokers

 

About the speaker: Tom Cook has over 30 years’ experience in helping companies all over the world manage their business models, supply chain risk and spend and import/export operations. Under Tom’s leadership, in May of 2019, Blue Tiger International won the president’s “E” Award for Export Service, the highest recognition any U.S. entity can receive for making a significant contribution to the expansion of U.S. exports. Tom serves as director of the National Institute of World Trade (NIWT), a nonprofit, 30+ year, corporate training school on global trade and supply chain management, and has authored 19 books on business management, global trade and business development.

Increase in Outdoor Activities due to COVID-19

Are your local parks and trails far busier than usual? Is it harder to find a trailhead parking spot — not to mention new bikes, hiking boots and camping gear? It’s not your imagination. New data shows COVID-related impacts to participation in April, May and June of 2020. Americans have flocked to outdoor recreation amid COVID restrictions, as the data from OIA indicates.

  • Americans took up new activities in significant numbers in April, May and June of 2020. Among the biggest gainers were running, cycling and hiking.
  • Walking, running and hiking were widely considered the safest activities in which to participate.
  • Among the five activity segments measured (team, fitness, outdoor, individual and racquet) outdoor saw the lowest impact due to COVID shutdowns, as just 34 percent of respondents said they could not participate in outdoor activities due to pandemic restrictions. Team sports were hardest hit at nearly 69 percent, followed by racquet at 55 percent.
  • Urban participants flocked to outdoor activities: Running, bicycling, day hiking, bird watching and camping participation all rose noticeably among urban respondents since March shutdowns.
  • Looking at April, May and June of 2020 versus the same period in 2019, unweighted participation rates for day hiking rose more than any other activity measured, up 8.4 percentage points.

This monthly data will be rolled into a full-year participation study to be published in 2021. The annual study starts with a nationally representative panel of over 1 million Americans and features responses from over 18,000 people ages 6 and older. The study currently includes 122 separate sports, fitness and recreational activities.

Call to Action: OIA Needs Your Support

The health of OIA is tied to the health of our industry. We are all experiencing incredible business impacts due to COVID-19. No business is unaffected. And that includes our industry trade association.

For years, royalties from the Outdoor Retailer shows made up a large portion of OIA’s revenue, allowing for the breadth of essential OIA activities, ranging from defending public lands and battling tariffs to providing tools to navigate the threat of climate change. OIA does the work that businesses depend on, but cannot easily tackle alone. Now, we are facing a cancelled summer show and an uncertain funding future. It is time for all businesses to stand up and support OIA directly.

OIA must make every dollar count and maximize its value for members. Since March, when the pandemic took hold, salaries and expenses have been cut by more than 40 percent. Even with these cuts, OIA quickly pivoted to become a vital source of resources, webinars, education and advocacy action to support the industry during a crisis. The analytics and attendance numbers on all these efforts are record-setting.

Thirty years ago, outdoor business leaders formed the association to fight back a tax that threatened the viability of our young industry. It was the beginning of coming together to face a big obstacle. Some of the many wins since then have included:

  • Creating the Outdoor Recreation Economy Report, launched in 2012, that measured our enormous economic impact (more than 2% of GDP) and transformed our relationships in D.C.
  • Leading the introduction and passage of the REC Act, which directed the Bureau of Economic Analysis to measure the impact of outdoor recreation on the U.S. economy, Outdoor recreation is now taken seriously in politics.
  • Leading the movement to oppose and defeat the proposed Backpack Tax which would have levied an additional burden on top of our already disproportionately tariffed specialty goods.
  • In 2019 alone, OIA efforts through tariff bills and exclusions saved the industry $120 million in taxes.
  • Advocating for the protection of millions of acres of public lands and increased investment in outdoor recreation at the federal and state-level. Despite helping collect more than a million signatures, Bears Ears and Escalante suffered unprecedented reductions, but without OIA efforts the damage would likely have been much deeper and broader across our nation’s 117 monuments.
  • Increasing outdoor participation and building long-term community engagement through the Outdoor Foundation and Thrive Outside Communities initiative. Today, there are four flagship communities: San Diego, Oklahoma City, Atlanta and Grand Rapids, engaging thousands of young people.
  • In five years, facilitating the growth and development of 160 of our industry’s emerging leaders through the Skip Yowell Future Leadership Academy, a six-month, immersive education and mentorship program.
  • Creating the Climate Action Corps, one of the boldest industry collaborative efforts fight climate change by making measurable and meaningful carbon reductions by 2030. More than 60 businesses have already joined to ensure their collective business sustainability.

OIA played a major role in shaping our industry. But there is more to do. OIA’s mission is more relevant than ever: thriving businesses, thriving people and a thriving planet. Thriving is in short supply right now. As we come out the other side of this pandemic, we need the unifying power, collective voice and the broad perspective of our trade association.

It is a hard time to make an ask, but in the face of losing almost half of OIA’s revenue in Outdoor Retailer royalties, our trade association needs your direct support. You saved significant travel and exhibiting costs associated with the show cancellation, so please consider committing a small portion of those savings to OIA. We make this request with humility and deep respect for your own challenges right now. The North Face, Smartwool, Hydro Flask, Patagonia, Eagle Creek and W.L. Gore have all pledged money.

We ask that you please join in making a donation to OIA that replaces the royalty fee that you would have paid through your tradeshow exhibiting costs. If you have questions about your royalty payment and what it would have been this year, please reach out to membership@outdoorindustry.org. We are here to serve you. Thank you for your consideration.

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Audio Outdoorist: Campfire Conversation: Climate Action After a Pandemic

Can companies in the outdoor industry afford to lean into climate action in the midst and immediate aftermath of a pandemic? For the next hour, you’ll get to listen in as they chat candidly about their respective companies’ approaches to climate and sustainability work. Throughout their conversation, you’ll hear four recurrent themes: risk, resiliency, equity and recovery.

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COVID-19 Webinar: Managing Supply Chains in an Uncertain Trade Environment: New Sourcing Opportunities for Outdoor Products

When: Tuesday, June 23, 11:00 a.m. (MT)
Speakers: Rich Harper, Manager of International Trade, Outdoor Industry Association
Ron Sorini, Principal, Sorini Samet and Associates
Andrew Samet, Principal, Sorini Samet & Associates
Emily Vedaa, Global Trade Manager, Columbia Sportswear

Over the past several months, outdoor companies have faced multiple disruptions to their supply chains, whether they be punitive tariffs, the COVID-19 outbreak or uncertainty around global trade policy. As they mitigate the impact of these challenges to protect their bottom lines and maintain high standards for their products, many businesses are actively seeking alternative sourcing options. Join us for an important discussion on some of the key sourcing trends for outdoor products and how U.S. and global trade policy could impact those decisions. In this discussion, you will learn about the following:

    • The impact of punitive tariffs and COVID-19 on some of the top sourcing options for outdoor products
    • New sourcing opportunities for outdoor companies, including the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) program and free trade agreement partners
    • How U.S. and European Union trade policy could impact your business and sourcing decisions

We have work to do. We are committed.

The recent police killing of George Floyd and countless instances of racism and racial violence against Black people are alarming and horrific. 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. People thriving outside is a core value for our industry and we know that racism, funding, and policies have often prevented equitable access and enjoyment of the outdoors. As the outdoor industry, we must immediately take action and increase our commitment to achieve racial justice, diversity, equity and inclusion in the outdoors, in our workplaces and across the country.

As the association for the outdoor industry, we have a voice—and a corresponding responsibility to do more. We don’t have all of the answers and have listening and learning to do, but we must do better and start now.

We need to admit that we are part of the problem. We must listen to, learn from and amplify the voices of our Black community leaders, friends and activists. We must take meaningful action. Statements of solidarity are important, but action is paramount.

To start, OIA commits to do the following:

  • LISTEN: At the executive level and on our board of directors, we can and will do better listening and learning. Together with Snowsports Industries America and Camber Outdoors, we are working together on how we will convene organizations that represent diverse backgrounds and organizations focused on diversity, equity and inclusion to listen and learn what more the outdoor industry can do. We will start this month and will have more to share on this very soon. We will report on our goals, action and progress and highlight outcomes at the January 2021 Outdoor + Snow Show.
  • ADVOCATE:  We will use our voices as individuals and as companies to call out racism in the outdoors, in our workplaces and in our lives. We have and will continue to advocate for policies and programs that do more to make the outdoors a safe, welcoming and equitable choice for everyone.
  • HIRE: We commit to do better in hiring and recruiting people of color as employees in our companies as well as on our board of directors.
  • DONATE: We are supporting the NAACP with a donation, and encourage our member companies to join us and give money to organizations that advance anti-racism.
  • PROMOTE:  We will use our platform and reach to amplify Black outdoor organizations and voices. We will continue to support the work of the Outdoor Foundation’s Thrive Outside Communities, which you can read about here.

We are committed to this work. We stand in solidarity with the Black community. Together We Are a Force is a statement that includes not just our outdoor industry members but also speaks to the power of us as individuals across all races, genders, ethnicities and backgrounds to come together.

Audio Outdoorist: Campfire Conversation: How Specialty Retailers Are Reopening, Repositioning or Reinventing After Pandemic

Three specialty retail shop owners across the country and an expert in consumer trends and retail strategy gather around the fire to discuss the immediate aftermath of the COVID “shutdown,” the steps they’re taking to reopen or reposition their businesses, the safety precautions they’re using and how they’re recouping their losses. From day-to-day operations adjustments (adjusted hours, curbside pickup, delivery) to staffing changes; creative inventory strategy to quick-start e-commerce solutions, they’ve responded on the fly and without a roadmap.

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COVID-19 Webinar: Special Session for OIA: Coming Out of Crisis

When: Tuesday, June 2, 11:00 a.m. (MT)
Speaker: Shawn Rhodes, Shoshin Consulting

As COVID-19 and its after effects rock our communities, profitability and business plans, the outdoor industry finds itself in unprecedented times. Shawn Rhodes has made it his life’s work to study teams who found ways to survive – and even thrive – in the most challenging and dangerous environments on the planet. We’ve asked him to specifically address dealing with the aftermath of this current crisis for our members. In a special virtual session, Shawn will walk us through the following:

  • Recapturing lost profitability in our businesses
  • Planning for an uncertain workforce composition while not sacrificing performance
  • Creating contingency and continuity plans so we can weather the current (and future) storms of COVID-19

 

Download the Presentation Slides ▸

 

About the Speaker:
Shawn Rhodes leveraged his former life as a war correspondent to become an international expert in how the best teams pivot when change enters their plans. He’s a Tampa-based TEDx speaker, a former National Park Ranger and his work studying teams in more than two dozen countries – some the most dangerous places on the planet where he relied on the products of our members to survive and thrive – has been published in news outlets around the world including TIME, CNN, NBC, Forbes, the Wall Street Journal and INC. His clients have included Deloitte, ConAgra, Coca-Cola and dozens of similar businesses. Shawn is also a nationally-syndicated columnist with the Business Journals and author of the new book “Pivot Point: Turn On A Dime Without Sacrificing Results.”

Audio Outdoorist: Campfire Conversation: Bouncing Back – How Resiliency Can Help the Outdoor Industry Move Forward

Outdoor industry businesses and employees have been overwhelmed by the impacts of the COVID-19 situation for months now, trying to stay safe while keeping themselves afloat. But as we begin to realize that COVID-19 will be part of our lives for some time, how do individuals and businesses in the outdoor industry move from treading water to being agile and successful in our “new normal?” Join us around the campfire as we discuss how members of the outdoor industry can create resiliency to adapt to the changing landscape, stay true to their core values, and even thrive while navigating an uncertain future.

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