Outdoor Retailer - April 2021 - 4

FIRST WORDS

The Human Connection
long-term positive life changes. "
All of the challenges we have to tackle, the
mountains we have to climb, become less
threatening and more approachable when we
proceed together. And adventures are always
more fun with friends.
Studies have also shown the brain processes
information more efficiently in the presence of
others. We see that at our shows. An in-person
conversation can lead to new discoveries and
allow you to better understand the interests and
needs of the other party. It can influence decisions and fuel inspiration.
Our team is ready to help you deeply connect with the community again. We're working to create a safe experience this August in
Denver, and we can't wait to share time with
you again. Keep an eye out for registration
opening this month!

MARISA NICHOLSON

Outdoor Retailer Senior Vice
President and Show Director

EDITORIAL AND DESIGN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
ART DIRECTOR
PHOTO EDITOR
MANAGING EDITOR
SENIOR EDITOR
COPY EDITOR

Doug Schnitzspahn
John McCauley
Andrew Kornylak
Bevin Wallace
Cameron Martindell
Melissa Howsam

BUSINESS
SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT
Marisa Nicholson
PUBLISHER
Ryan Johnson
ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER
Tim McManus
SENIOR MARKETING DIRECTOR
Jennifer Pelkey
PR & COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER
Lisa Ramsperger
MARKETING DIRECTOR
Sarah Hass
SALES DIRECTOR
Krista Moore
SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Paul Dillman
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Andria Klinger, Dave Nielson,
Robert O'Quinn
PRODUCTION/TRAFFIC MANAGER
Laurie Stiglitz
EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
Lori Silva
ADDRESS
31910 Del Obispo, Ste. 200, San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
WEB
outdoorretailer.com
Produced in collaboration with Hed Hi Media.

Outdoor Retailer is a trademark owned exclusively by Emerald
Holding Inc.
Copyright © 2021, Emerald Holding Inc. All rights reserved.

CONTRIBUTORS

JENN FIELDS

JAMES EDWARD MILLS

BERNE BROUDY

DANI REYES-ACOSTA

Fields ( " Can We Save the Earth?, "
page 18) is a writer and editor based in
Colorado whose work has appeared
in Elevation Outdoors, Simplemost,
the Los Angeles Times, TheBoulder
Daily Camera, and TheDenver Post
(where she worked on staff).

Mills ( " Breaking the Ice, " page 34) is
a freelance journalist, the author of
The Adventure Gap: Changing the
Face of the Outdoors, and an adjunct
faculty member of the University
of Wisconsin, Madison's Nelson
Institute For Environmental Studies.

A Vermont-based writer, photographer, and adventurer, Broudy ( " The
Myth of Greatness, " page 10) is passionate about conservation, education, and recreation. She has spent
her life working to make the outdoors a place where all feel welcome.

A writer, strategist, educator, athlete,
and advocate, Dani Reyes-Acosta
( " Listen to Win, " page 8) is a seminomadic Colorado-based storyteller
bent on rewriting the narrative of who
plays outside and how we build community with others on this planet.

4 OUTDOOR RETAILER

/ March 2021

From left: courtesy Jenn Fields, courtesy James Edward Mills, courtesy Berne Broudy, courtesy Dani Reyes-Acosta

HUMANS ARE SOCIAL BEINGS. WE LEARN
and grow from each other. We grieve together
in tragedy and loss, and we provide support to
mitigate stress. We're cheerleaders, caretakers, huggers, and high-fivers.
Over the past year, we've leaned on technology to keep us connected. We quickly learned
new systems and adjusted our work and social
lives. This online pivot helped us make progress during the pandemic, and many of these
new functions will continue to benefit us.
But interacting with other people in person
is powerful. We're wired to be social. That's
evident in the research in Outdoor Industry
Association's The New Outdoor Participant
(see page 16). Many new participants learned
or took up outdoor activities because of
friends and family. A key reason they sought
the outdoors and will continue to participate
is simply for human connection.
This is valuable information in our work
to keep people engaged. As the report states,
" Outdoor activities are a cost-effective antidote that can serve as the social fabric that
brings kids, families and communities together safely, and can be a powerful part of making

http://www.outdoorretailer.com

Outdoor Retailer - April 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Outdoor Retailer - April 2021