After 30 years of partnering with the Outdoor Retailer trade show, the Outdoor Industry Association is ending its partnership to focus on new priorities. This change is the latest example of how the outdoor industry is evolving to meet current needs. Trade shows such as Outdoor Retailer (OR) are becoming less crucial avenues for outdoor brands to showcase new products. The Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) is taking this as an opportunity to prioritize other aspects of the outdoor industry such as outdoor policy, advocacy, and research. As a part of such efforts, OIA is rebuilding its government affairs and advocacy team.
Another key organization doing this work is the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable who has had success and continues advocating for the outdoor industry on a nationwide level in Washington D.C. OIA president Kent Ebersole sees the OIA as filling in areas of the outdoor industry that the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable does not represent. “Our members are different from their members. There is space for both of us.” Ebersole says. Another exciting development is how, according to Ebersole, OIA plans to “double or even triple down” on researching trends and gathering data on the outdoor recreation economy. This valuable research is utilized by outdoor policymakers, manufacturers, and retailers. PPORA has used such data regarding participation trends to bolster our own efforts. While the dissolution of the Outdoor Industry Association and Outdoor Retailer partnership is a big change, the Outdoor Industry Association has plenty of work to shift their focus towards and the future of outdoor industry advocacy is bright.
To read the full article from the Colorado Sun, click here.