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OIA's Audio Outdoorist

Dig deep into the issues facing outdoor brands and retailers, from domestic vs. international manufacturing to brick-and-mortar vs. online commerce. Conversations with CEOs, VPs, supply chain reps, retail clerks, marketing gurus and an occasional celebrity outdoorist offer valuable insights and entertainment about the business of playing outdoors.
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Now displaying: 2018
Dec 21, 2018

In the past two weeks, America has experienced what can only be described as whiplash as Congressional leadership, the Senate, House and President Trump bicker over funding priorities and principles. The President has flip-flopped on his insistence for border wall funding and his threats of government shutdown. On December 13, the day we recorded part 1 of this two-part Lame Duck series, we were still optimistic that a handful of important public lands bills—including the Land and Water Conservation Fund reauthorization—would get attached to a large omnibus funding package. We were also optimistic Congress and the President would avert a shutdown. Unfortunately, hope for the omnibus package—and with it public lands bills—eroded early this week. As of the time we recorded this episode, a continuing resolution hadn’t yet been reached. OIA Government Affairs Manager Jess Wahl again helps us understand how the disagreements in Washington stymied progress for critical public land policy that, ironically, has more bipartisan support than almost anything else on Capitol Hill.

Dec 11, 2018

When the calendar turns over to January 2019, we'll welcome many new faces on Capital Hill. Likewise, we'll say goodbye to any legislative measures on Congress's docket that do not get passed before the Senate and House of Representatives adjourn for the year. In this episode, OIA's Jessica Wahl talks to Deborah Williams about the work that OIA is doing to get bills passed before the finish line and how this will impact the outdoor industry. 

Nov 14, 2018

This episode is the third in a series about the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), America’s premier federal program that reinvests offshore energy revenue into conservation to ensure that we all have access to the outdoors. Congress created the LWCF almost a half-century ago to guarantee America’s natural, historic and outdoor recreation heritage. Most likely, there’s a park, trail, greenway or waterway very close to you that was funded in part or in whole by LWCF dollars.

In this episode, host Ben Schenck discovers that not only can he see the impacts of LWCF out his window, he can actually bike all the way from his home in Pittsburgh to our nation’s capitol on a series of trails that were connected thanks to LWCF dollars. Travel along with Ben as he rides more than 300 miles and learns about the history of the trail system. Along the way he meets other outdoorists who are thru-biking or section-biking and -hiking the Great Allegheny Passage Trail and the C&O Canal Towpath.

On September 30 of this year, Congress let LWCF expire, so at the time of this recording in November, our public lands and waters have lost over $100 million dollars in potential funding. Encourage your member of Congress to reauthorize LWCF before the end of this year. Visit outdoorindusty.org/lwcf to learn about the fund, to see a map of projects across the country that are funded by LWCF and to find our social media toolkit. Then Tweet or tag your lawmakers in D.C. Tell them why LWCF is important to you and your community. Make sure they know what you—and they—stand to lose if they don’t reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund.

Nov 9, 2018

Saturday is Day 3 of Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, and it will feature the third of our OIA lunch sessions. Hear from OIA’s new State and Local Policy Director David Weinstein about the lunch panel he’ll moderate to bring attendees up to speed on the growing trend of state outdoor recreation offices. Learn what you can do for them and what they can do for you. Also, find out about the resources and goodies on offer at the OIA booth, #30001-UL of the Colorado Convention Center. View Saturday’s full OIA events and education agenda here.

 

Click here to learn more about the work OIA does year round on behalf of its member companies.

Nov 8, 2018

This is our short preview of what’s coming up on Day 2 of the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market. In this episode we again hear from OIA Executive Director Amy Roberts about Friday’s OIA lunch session. The topic: “How Change Happens: Why do some social movements succeed while others don’t?” Roberts explains why she invited author Leslie Crutchfield to talk at this year’s trade show and how Crutchield’s expertise can help guide the outdoor industry moving forward into 2019 and beyond. Also on the agenda Friday is a sustainability session for anyone who wants to increase their understanding of and involvement with the Higg Index as they develop their company’s sustainability work. You can view Friday’s full OIA events and education agenda here.

 

Click here to learn more about the work OIA does year round on behalf of its member companies.

Nov 7, 2018

In this short episode, we preview a few of the can’t miss events on Day 1 of the Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, which begins Thursday, November 8, in Denver. Beginning with the Industry Breakfast at 7 a.m. and ending with the Outdoor Retailer Innovation Award, the first day is packed with informative and inspiring programming.

OIA’s Executive Director Amy Roberts talks about breakfast keynote Leslie Ghize of the TOBE Report, who will share insights about how today’s brands and specialty retailers can thrive in the changing retail landscape. And OIA Political Director Alex Boian explains why the Thursday lunch session recapping the 2018 midterm election campaigns will help attendees understand how the turnout and outcomes affect OIA’s policy agenda in Washington D.C. and in state houses around the country. You can view Thursday’s full OIA events and education agenda here.

Click here to learn more about the work OIA does year round on behalf of its member companies.

Oct 4, 2018

In this short interview, OIA’s managing content editor Deborah Williams sits down with Jimmy Chin to talk about to talk about the newest film that he and his wife, documentary filmmaker Chai Vasarhelyi created about Alex Honnold's free solo climb of El Cap: National Geographic’s Free Solo. Jimmy talks about the ethical questions that arose throughout the project and the team’s desire to reflect an accurate and unflinching portrait of Alex Honnold. He also talks about why this project and the work that he does as a photographer and North Face athlete are so important to helping people—within and outside the outdoor industry—understand the value of our public lands and waters. Take a listen, and then go see this incredible film, which is coming to theaters nationwide this month. You can find out more at freesolofilm.com

With the impending midterm elections, we have released OIA's first ever Voter's Guide. First and foremost, we encourage everyone out there to vote - but more than that, we want you to vote informed! We have the power to put policymakers in office who will continue to grow the $887 billion outdoor recreation economy. Our Voter's Guide provides expert insights and commentary on key issues and races. We help you understand candidates’ voting records and how gubernatorial and congressional races across the country could affect the balance of power nationwide on issues important to the outdoors. Visit the Voter's Guide find all the info you need to vote informed this November. And please share the guide with your networks using the hashtag #VoteTheOutdoors.

Finally, one of the issues you’ll read about in the Voters Guide and that earned headlines this past weekend is the Land and Water Conservation Fund or LWCF. On September 30, Congress let LWCF expire. Not sure what LWCF is or why its expiration is a problem? Visit outdoorindustry.org/LWCF to get up to speed.

 

Jul 25, 2018

Live from Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Denver, CO, Deborah Williams brings you the highlights of the day's news, must-attend events, and the hottest products.

Jul 24, 2018

Live from Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Denver, CO, Deborah Williams brings you the highlights of the day's news, must-attend events, and the hottest products.

Jul 23, 2018

Live from Outdoor Retailer Summer Market in Denver, CO, Deborah Williams brings you the highlights of the day's news, must-attend events, and the hottest products.

Jul 12, 2018

In this 2-part episode, Deborah Williams talks about a couple places and an issue that are important to her as an outdoorist, a Denverite and a Coloradan. The places are the Montbello Open Space Park and iconic Rocky Mountain National Park, and they are both recipients of Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars. She visits both in this 2-part episode, and she speaks with with some of the projects’ stakeholders from the Turst for Public Land, The North Face, Environmental Learning for Kids about how LWCF dollars were put to work.

Jul 12, 2018

In this 2-part episode, Deborah Williams talks about a couple places and an issue that are important to her as an outdoorist, a Denverite and a Coloradan. The places are the Montbello Open Space Park and iconic Rocky Mountain National Park, and they are both recipients of Land and Water Conservation Fund dollars. She visits both in this 2-part episode, and she speaks with with some of the projects’ stakeholders from the Turst for Public Land, The North Face, Environmental Learning for Kids about how LWCF dollars were put to work.

Jul 5, 2018
Cailin O'Brien-Feeney, OIA's State and Local Policy Manager for the past three years, has been hired to head the Office of Outdoor Recreation for the state of Oregon. In this interview, Deborah Williams, OIA's managing content editor, interviews Cailin about what he's accomplished over the past three years in his current role and what his first course of action will be once he arrives in Oregon.
 
Check out https://outdoorindustry.org/advocacy/ to see what your state is doing and what you can do to advocate for outdoor recreation. 
May 18, 2018

On todays episode, you'll hear from a couple of "Climate Crusaders" - individuals who have made it their mission to reduce their and their businesses' impact on the planet. First, we’ll hear from Mario Molina, the executive director of Protect Our Winters. POW is leading the way in climate advocacy and creating a movement among snow sports enthusiasts and professional athletes to speak up to politicians. Mario will be speaking at the Outdoor Industry Climate Leadership Summit, which will take place over Memorial Day weekend in Telluride, on the first day of MountainFilm.

Next we’ll hear from Kim Jordan, the co-founder and now board chair of New Belgium Brewing. Since it’s founding in 1991, New Belgium has invested dollars, time, and employees in discovering creative ways to conserve energy in their beer production. It’s a philosophy that has not only paid off for the company and the environment, but one that can inspire other companies in the outdoor industry.

Want to learn how you can get involved in OIA’s sustainability and climate initiatives? Check out the toolkits for advocating on climate policy and reducing your business’s footprint.

https://outdoorindustry.org/sustainable-business/climate/

https://outdoorindustry.org/event/outdoor-industry-climate-leadership-summit/

Protect Our Winters - https://protectourwinters.org/

New Belgium Brewing - http://www.newbelgium.com/Sustainability

Mar 1, 2018
In this episode, OIA’s managing content editor Deborah Williams talks with Cailin O’Brien-Feeney and Stewart Lewis, who make up the local policy arm of our government affairs team. Cailin and Stewart will explain the work they’re doing to move legislative initiatives around outdoor recreation and access in a few key states, as well as their involvement with state offices of outdoor recreation, a trend that’s on the rise across the country.  
 
 
If you want to get involved, visit our advocacy webpage - http://outdoorindustry.org/advocacy/ - to learn more about the federal and state bills that OIA is tracking. There you can also find our Recreation Economy Report, opportunities for you to engage with our policy work, and other helpful recreation and trade policy resources. Finally, if you’re active on social media, you can join the Outdoor Advocate Network on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/groups/OutdoorAdvocateNetwork - and follow OIA on Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/OutdoorIndustryAssociation/. Both are great ways to tap into the conversation and help influence policymaking. 
 
Feb 14, 2018

In this episode, Deborah Williams, OIA’s managing content editor, talks with Jessica Wahl, OIA’s Government Affairs Manager about how OIA is advocating for it's members at the state and federal level. Jessica works in DC on recreation policy, and in this interview we’ll hear the latest on what she’s working on, the response since the Trump Administration rolled back the protection on the Utah's national monuments, and the actions you can take to make a difference.

You can find out more information about the work that OIA does on policy at outdoorindustry.org/advocacy. There you can also see what current legislation OIA is working on at the state and federal level. Finally, if you want to engage policymakers directly, you can attend Capitol Summit in DC in April.

Feb 6, 2018

In June of 2017, President Trump announced that he would withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement. In a letter to OIA members, Executive Director Amy Roberts noted that the withdrawal threatens not only the $887 billion outdoor industry and the 7.6 million American jobs it supports but also the very future of our planet.

 

As outdoorists, we see and feel the impacts of climate change when each season becomes harder and harder to predict. As businesses in the outdoor industry, we know we have an important role to play. Our Sustainability Working Group is a global leader in the promotion of responsible and resilient supply chains, and Sustainable Business Innovation is one of our association’s core pillars. Another is advocacy. Following President Trump’s announcement, more than 2,000 mayors, governors and business leaders—including many in this industry—signed the “We’re Still In” letter affirming their commitments to the Paris Agreement’s climate targets. Outdoor Industry Association remains committed to climate advocacy through our work in D.C. and at the state level to work toward fact-based, innovative and bipartisan solutions.

 

A few weeks ago at the Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show in Denver, our industry heard from keynote speaker Paul Hawken, the author of the book Drawdown, who explained that those solutions are not far-off. Many solutions are, in fact, already in existence, viable and accessible. Following the keynote, OIA’s Sustainable Business Innovation Manager Jessie Curry had an opportunity to sit down with Hawken for an in-depth conversation. Over the next 20 minutes, we’ll dig into the book, its solutions and learn what outdoor industry companies—and even individual outdoorists—can do right now to drawdown carbon from our atmosphere and help ensure a viable planet for us all.

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