Outdoor and Social was showered with praise by brands, retailers and speakers.
Outdoor and Social, the three-day outdoor learning event, was held at Newfold Farm, Edale, in the Peak District, from March 12-14.
It is an outdoor trade event providing workshops and practical sessions designed to increase knowledge and confidence in outdoor products and skills through experience.
Delivered under the guidance of brands, experts and professionals it was completely free of charge to all retail staff and aimed to help all retailers and their staff deliver better information to the consumer.
Retail staff had the opportunity to camp out at the site, in tents kindly provided by Vango, MSR, Nordisk, Nemo and Colemans, and experience nights under canvas.
During the day brands explained how their equipment worked and the best way to use them, while retail staff then had the opportunity to use them on guided hikes led by leaders from the Mountain School UK.
Co-Founder, Adam Renshaw, said: “It was a great event. Everyone was excited about it. To have so many brands and retailers here for the inaugural event was fantastic. We can only build on this in years to come.
“It was great to see the excitement that retailers had using and learning about the equipment. Also, brands were also excited by their enthusiasm.
“I’d just like to say a big thankyou to everyone who attended and helped to make this event such a success.”
The attendees were also entertained throughout the day and night by a host of guest speakers.
Speakers at the event included Outdoors Industry Alliance CEO Andrew Denton, Grace Wilson from Komoot, Sports Dietitian Renee McGregor, Dan Gladstone from Peoplework, Sam Sykes from Mountain School UK, Lena Haushofer Exhibition Director ISPO Munich & OutDoor by ISPO, Harrison Ward Outdoor Cook – Fell Foodie and Jamie Ramsay Endurance Adventure Athlete.
This was a learning event and and Social and the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) joined together to implement the first certification scheme for outdoor retail staff in the UK.
and social working with the Institute of Outdoor Learning (IOL) have now made the first step in an educational path to guide specialism through specific modules covering outdoor categories.
and Social and the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) have joined together to implement the first certification scheme for outdoor retail staff in the UK.
Adam added: “Improving the level of education through training in the outdoor industry is something we at and Social are committed to. Bringing together the OIA and IO.”
The learning sessions available at Edale was the first phase of an education and training system specifically designed for outdoor retail staff, and which will be recognised by the Institute for Outdoor Learning (IOL) and the Outdoor Industries Association (OIA). The IOL is the professional body for organisations and individuals who use the outdoors to make a positive difference to others.
At the event top brands such as Vango, Osprey and Montane provided dedicated educational sessions, briefing outdoor retail staff on everything they needed to know to be able to knowledgeably and confidently explain, promote and sell their products. Topics covered included items like footwear (shoes vs boots, differing sole units and stiffness, basic orthotics, socks, laces and boot bags and footwear aftercare) and sleeping bags (materials, liners, volume, mats, shapes, robustness, packing and storing, care and maintenance), tents, clothing, cooking systems and so on.
Attendees who completed six sessions over the duration of the event not only greatly enhanced their outdoor product knowledge but also received a certificate in recognition of completion of the training, endorsed by the OIA and IOL. Certificate holders can also be assured they are firmly on the first step of the ladder of a Continued Professional Development programme that will help them upskill, strengthen the image of outdoor retail staff as a profession and enhance their own career paths.
Praise for the event was overwhelming
Lena Haushofer, Exhibition Director ISPO Munich and OutDoor by ISPO, said: “The event is amazing it’s a really good mixture and helps brands and retailers to get to know and learn from each other. The workshop sessions were excellent and you can learn from really good mountain guides when you’re on the guided hikes. On the hikes, I had really good talks with really nice, like-minded, people, which is great. And that’s all about the outdoor community here. So, in total, I feel this is a perfect outdoor event for retailers and brands.”
Extreme adventurer, Jamie Ramsay said: “I think this is essential. It’s that marrying up of the expertise and the knowledge of the designers and the marketing teams at brands with the people who actually sell the equipment.”
Sam Sykes, owner of the Mountain School UK, said: “We really wanted to be part of this sort of training starting again for the UK industry. What Adam (Renshaw, co-founder of Outdoor and Social) and his team have done bringing this together is incredibly impressive. Many people weren’t sure whether it was even possible to bring all these people together. And he’s done it admirably. Everyone’s having a great time. And people can immediately see the benefit of what we’re doing here.”
Chris Bishop, from Vango, said: “This event is massively important to the industry. It’s fantastic to get everyone together in one place. There’s a lot of stress on the industry to get around and see everyone all throughout the year and to bring everyone into one place like this, in a fantastic environment and landscape is great. To get everybody in one place is really key for the industry to finally be doing this.”
Michelle Morrison, department manager from Go Outdoors, Bury, said: “I jumped at the chance to come. I really wanted to push myself and I’ve really enjoyed it. I’m muddy. I’m dirty. But I’ve loved every minute of it. I’ve really found it interesting because it’s that one-to-one interaction with the brands. You can ask as many questions as you want, and it’s been really, great. I’ve come away really knowledgeable. I hope I get an invite for next year.”
Jaye Thornhill, from Montane, said: “He said: “It’s a great opportunity to meet loads of retailers all in one space. And the vision of the whole event is to get retailers and brands all together and help build that community amongst the industry, which is something that’s really important for us.”
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