Inside Outdoor Winter 2017

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Even amid its frenetic pace,
new products, whiz-bang booth
displays and bustling crowds,
there is an easy familiarity to
Outdoor Retailer, from logistics
to orchestration. That won’t
change this year. But Outdoor
Industry Association hopes you
will sense a shift in the tenor,
not only at the winter trade
show but throughout the in-
dustry in 2017 and beyond.
It’s a shift that began last
summer, with OIA Executive
Director Amy Roberts’s presen-
tation at the Industry Break-
fast. There, she outlined the
trade association’s three pillars
– policy, participation and sus-
tainability – and asserted her
conviction that a trade associa-
tion should galvanize disparate
industry stakeholders toward
common initiatives.
“We are attuned to and
inspired by our members’ indi-
vidual success stories, and there
are many of them,” says Roberts.
“But it’s not enough for us to
simply applaud good efforts.
As the industry’s trade associa-
tion, our job is to multiply them.
We can do that by connecting
brands and retailers and other
stakeholders – groups that might
not otherwise have occasion to
collaborate or that might only
think of themselves as competi-
tors – and by encouraging them
to share their knowledge for the
benefit of the entire industry.”
Roberts is quick to point
out, though, that it’s not a mat-
ter of divulging trade secrets
but rather of sharing lessons
learned and best practices.
“There are some issues that are
more important than landing
a sale,” says Roberts. “Some
topics that call for competitors
to work together; pooling their
combined resources and find-
ing a solution. Tackling climate
change. Addressing trade poli-
cy. Identifying best practices.”
Through a new campaign
that it is unveiling at Outdoor
Retailer Winter Market, OIA is
shining a spotlight on industry
influencers who are already col-
laborating for the greater good.
People such as Colorado
Governor John Hickenlooper
and Colorado Springs spe-
cialty retailer David Leinwe-
ber work together on policies
that favor small business and
the state’s rich outdoor recre-
ation infrastructure. Portland
State University’s Jennifer
Nolfi and Yeti Coolers’ Alex
Baires are recruiting more
diverse college students into
industry career tracks and
leadership roles. Peter Haney
of Columbia Sportswear
and Daniel Uretsky of Allied
Feather and Down are lead-
ing the industry in materials
traceability and transparency,
not only through their busi-
ness relationship but through
their work on the OIA Sus-
tainability Working Group. All
of them and many more are
featured in the campaign.
A series of print ads in the
OR Show Dailies will profile
other pairings that exemplify
the campaign slogan: “Togeth-
er We Are a Force,” and OIA’s
website
will provide expanded inter-
views, audio and video about
the individuals and companies
featured in the campaign.
“Pairing some of the peo-
ple behind the most recogniz-
able brands in the outdoor
industry – some of whom
are competitors on paper
– Together We Are A Force
illustrates the strength our
industry has when we band
together to affect change,”
says OIA vice president of
marketing and communica-
tions, Jennifer Pringle.
“There are
some issues
that are more
important
than landing
a sale”
Get It Together
OIA calls for industry collaborations
Gorp
Inside Outdoor | Winter 2017 58