Outdoor and Social 2025 got off to an extremely busy start.
The three-day outdoor learning event kicked-off today, March 11, 2025, at Newfold Farm, Edale, in the Peak District, following on from the inaugural event last year.
It is an outdoor trade event providing workshops and practical sessions designed to increase knowledge and confidence in outdoor products and skills through experience with recognised certification for those completing the courses.
Delivered under the guidance of brands, experts and professionals it is completely free of charge to all retail staff and aims to help them deliver better information to the consumer.
Those staying at the event also camped out for an authentic outdoor experience and will be entertained by an extensive speaker line-up.
With 86 brands in attendance, 28 retailers and over 150 staff, co-founder of Outdoor and Social, Adam Renshaw, and host, Kev Harris, welcomed them all after lunch in the main marquee.
Kev Harris is a broadcast media and corporate event presenter who has worked on and at a whole host of broadcast programmes and events, including working with brands and partners within the outdoor industry, travel and tourism, and multiple motorsport championships and automotive events around the world.
Adam said: “It was great to see so many old and new faces here today. Also, the way brands and retail staff were engaging was extremely encouraging.
“There has been an excellent take up on the booking system for training sessions and the guided mountain walks.”
This is the second year that the and Social and Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) certification scheme for outdoor retail staff has been provided
and Social working with the Institute of Outdoor Learning (IOL) have constructed an educational path to guide specialism through specific modules covering outdoor categories.
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.
The IOL is the professional body for organisations and individuals who use the outdoors to make a positive difference to others. Its members have a shared vision of Outdoor Learning as a highly valued form of development, education and employment in UK society. The OIA is the trade body for manufacturers, retailers and other organisations that provide products and services for the outdoor leisure pursuits market in the United Kingdom. Its role is to provide leadership and promote the outdoors, persuasively representing the industry’s interests in all activities and at every level and be a high profile, campaigning organisation.
After the welcome speech, Phil Banfield, founder of VENTUREFIELD, which specialises in global commercial consulting, leadership facilitation and development, gave a talk on how to improve interactions with consumers to increase sales.
As well as that there was a tasting session provided by Expedition Foods. They produced the first freeze-dried meals in Europe, meals designed to deliver the energy and balanced nutrition required for the most gruelling challenges. Expedition Foods offers 27 different meals and 4 desserts and a choice of serving sizes with their High Energy (800kcal), Single Serving (450kcal) and Double Serving (1000kcal) ranges. They offer meals to suit everyone’s needs with vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free options available.
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