Running Industry Diversity Coalition Celebrates Four Years of Partnership with TRE

The Running Event (TRE), North America’s premier run and outdoor specialty retail conference and trade show, is excited to announce the return of the Running Industry Diversity Coalition (RIDC) for its fourth consecutive year as a key partner at TRE.

RIDC is an educational nonprofit with a mission to unite the running industry to improve inclusion, visibility and access for black, indigenous and people of color. Through partnerships with brands, race events, retailers and run clubs, the RIDC actively leads efforts to increase BIPOC employment and ownership while helping shift the culture of running.

The group’s presence at TRE will again include a vibrant booth, an educational “deep dive” session on the future of run specialty and signature community events for TRE attendees and the Austin community at large. Additionally, for the third year running, TRE and RIDC are collaborating to offer scholarships to BIPOC-owned or managed retail businesses to attend the 2024 event.

Over the past four years, RIDC’s involvement with TRE has transformed not just the event, but also the

running industry at large. Its commitment to driving inclusivity and fostering thoughtful change has challenged TRE to evolve in ways that align with RIDC’s mission and, in return, create ripple effects throughout the industry.

“RIDC has been a driving force in helping us cultivate a more inclusive environment at The Running Event,” said Christina Henderson, event director, TRE. “Their ongoing partnership has made a profound impact, inspiring meaningful change not only at TRE but within the brands and retailers we serve. As we look ahead to TRE 2024 and beyond, we’re excited to continue this collaboration and advance inclusivity and diversity within our industry and communities.”

At this year’s show, RIDC will present an educational session titled “The Future of Run Specialty from the RIDC Lens: Relevance and Consumer Loyalty.” This session will bring together retailers and brands with their community partners, exploring how impactful community collaborations can redefine consumer engagement and build long-term trust and loyalty. RIDC will also host two signature events during TRE 2024: The CommUnity Run, powered by Saucony, and THE COOKOUT. Both events will offer opportunities for networking and collaboration among attendees, exhibitors and the local Austin community.

RIDC will also bring the winner of its inaugural RUN THE BLOCK grant program to TRE. The RIDC’s executive director first announced the program at the 2023 TRE Awards.

“The RIDC’s impact on this event and the communities we serve was not mere serendipity but the result of continuous and deliberate effort,” said RIDC executive director, Kiera Smalls. “The work we put in is because the conference and trade show lacked visibility, inclusion, and access for black, indigenous and people of color, and this galvanized us, TRE staff, and our member organizations to ramp up the RIDC’s involvement in service of our mission. There is not a moment where we aren’t approached or emailed about the positive visible change happening at TRE over the last four years, and the RIDC will continue pushing to see more change amongst TRE’s attendance, programming, and staff.”

TRE 2024 will be held Nov. 19-21 at the Austin Convention Center.