Outdoor and Social has a festival feel

Sidonie Graham, sales service and marketing specialist for Bigstone, distributors for Black Diamond and Nemo Equipment, was surprised how busy Outdoor and Social was.

Outdoor and Social is a three-day outdoor learning event, which started on March 11, 2025, at Newfold Farm, Edale, in the Peak District, following on from the inaugural event last year.

It is free of charge for retail staff and food and accommodation are provided.

Sidonie said: “This is my first time at the event but the brand was here last year. It is incredible. It’s nice to see all the brands in one place. It’s a lot busier than I expected and there are lots of friendly faces.”

The purpose of Outdoor and Social is to teach retail staff how to use the equipment they are selling. In that way they have the technical knowledge to advise customers what best suits them and for what activity.

There is also a recognised certification scheme so they can gain a qualification at the end of the event.

Every retail staff member is given a progression report to confirm which course they have attended and if they complete them all they are awarded their certification.

Also, anyone staying at the event could camp out to further increase the outdoor experience.

Sidonie said: “The interaction with retail staff has been really good. Anyone that’s game for camping in the cold for a few days is definitely keen to be here.

“Everyone’s really receptive and quite nerdy with tech specs and things as well, which is always really nice for a brand.”

Sidonie was also impressed with the atmosphere at Outdoor and Social. There is a varied and interesting speaker line-up in the evening in the main marquee and attendees mingle and get to know each other.

She added: “The vibe is great. It feels like a mini festival and the food is wonderful. It is nice to see other reps and other faces. It is not just reps together it’s interacting in the evenings with all the people who are attending the event as well. Everyone is all in one space, which is really nice. I will 100 per cent come again next year.”