Outdoor Retailer PostShow 2019 - 12

The Pulse

H E A D L I N E S

Alcohol brands
like Tincup
have gone
from Happy
Hour cameos
to booth-buying exhibitors.

contact with Buck, and they discussed the possibility of collaborating on a diversity pledge. But Baker
says they decided to go their own
ways, with Camber Outdoors tackling gender inequality and Baker
creating her own pledge addressing
all other minority inequalities.
"My concern was that it was all
white women," Baker said in an interview the day after the breakfast,
of Camber Outdoors' decision last
year to rebrand and reintroduce
its pledge. "If [Buck] is claiming
diversity, she needs to explain
explicitly what that diversity is-if
it's people of color, if it's women,
whatever it is."
For signatories, Camber promises
programming support and dedicated representatives who can help
attract, retain, and promote minorities in influential positions-much
of the same promises Baker's pledge
makes. "We need to think holistically about how we're creating [our]
ecosystem," said Buck.
"I fully support Camber in its
desire to uplift women in this industry. We need that," Baker said.
"But it feels like they are trying to
take the stance that they are the
first, period, to do this. And they
are absolutely not."
On the Monday following the
breakfast, Buck released a public
apology, stating "We were wrong
in the use of the words 'first of its
kind' and in how we positioned
the initiative. We see how deeply
it has impacted many people, including Teresa, and how hurtful
our words were. That was not our
intent. The announcement has
been corrected. I have reached
out to Teresa to personally extend
my apology."

/ SNOW SHOW 2019

Booze and the
Outdoor Biz

More alcohol brands are making an appearance at the Show, where mixing and mingling
over cocktails has long been a tradition.
By Hudson Lindenberger
IF THERE'S ONE THING MORE

ubiquitous on the Show floor than
furry friends, it would be the sight
of beer, wine, and whiskey in every
aisle at happy hour. And now,
beer and spirit brands have joined
the ranks of Snow Show exhibitors, with Fat Tire, Tincup, and
Stranahan's all setting up booths
of their own. At the same time,
more companies and organizations have begun to host "healthy
happy hours," with drinks like
sparkling water and kombucha
on tap. Which raises the question,
what place does alcohol have in the
outdoor industry?
Increasingly, happy hours at the
Show double as fundraisers for

nonprofits in the outdoor space.
"From our company's point of view,
I think that it only makes sense
to partner with outdoor brands
to help raise money for causes
we both care about," says Henry
Wood, co-owner of Upslope Brewing Company, which has donated
$28,000 to Leave No Trace. "We
donate money to nine different
organizations, often through
events co-sponsored with various
outdoor brands." There are more
than 7,000 breweries operating in
the U.S. today, which represents
a great deal of potential opportunity. While beer commands the
lion's share of partnerships, spirits
companies are getting involved,

too. "We are happy to work with
causes and companies that want to
protect the environment," says Joe
Risi of Tincup, "and we offer them
exposure to a national audience
that could be beneficial to them."
Attracting and keeping customers is a battle that outdoor brands
fight every day in an increasingly
cramped market. The same environmentally conscious customer
who wants to pitch a tent or go for
a hike often caps their day with
friends in the outdoors over a beer
or whiskey. That's where pairing
up with an alcohol company to
sponsor an event can be mutually
advantageous. "The outdoor industry is driven by social interactions,
a chance to share something special," says Melanie Hood, marketing manager at La Sportiva. "Often
sharing a drink afterward helps
accommodate that feeling."
While the Show now offers
attendees more ways to connect
substance-free, it seems that
certain alcohol brands and outdoor
companies are aligned, at least in
their desire to protect the environment and the places we play.

CA R LO N AS I S S E

continued

Outdoor Retailer PostShow 2019

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