The Outdoor Recreation Roundtable’s (ORR) hosted the first-ever National Outdoor Recreation Executive Forum in the nation’s capital Tuesday. The forum followed a meeting on Monday with key White House officials around the economic impact of the outdoor recreation industry on the U.S. economy. ORR represents the interests of the recreation industry that contributes $1.1 trillion to the economy, supports 5 million American jobs and comprises 2.2% of GDP, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Tuesday’s event brought together an unprecedented number of government agency officials, bipartisan members of Congress, governors, CEOs and other leaders from across the industry’s many segments to drive collective goals and strategies forward, the organization said in a release. Hosting the National Outdoor Recreation Executive Forum is part of ORR’s ongoing efforts to convene industry leaders and government officials and provide thought leadership and cross-sector collaboration between CEOs, agency leaders and policymakers.
The forum also marked the launch of a new report that quantifies outdoor recreation-related spending and outlines threats and potential solutions related to these findings.
“This forum is a pivotal moment for the outdoor recreation economy. This is our opportunity to set a renewed vision for outdoor recreation in America through a new understanding of our collective goals, connections and cumulative power to be a force for good. We have the innovation and drive to grow the entire recreation economy and the future of this key sector through sustainability, access, participation, collaboration and inclusion,” said Jessica Wahl Turner, President of Outdoor Recreation Roundtable.
This thought-leadership convening, held at the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center followed by a reception and awards dinner at the Decatur House, set the stage for how the outdoor recreation economy grows as a force for social, environmental, physical and mental, and economic health in America for generations to come. With more Americans than ever before spending time in the outdoors, paired with new funding sources for recreation infrastructure and transformative federal legislation working its way through Congress, ORR said, the event celebrated these opportunities and addressed challenges across the outdoor recreation economy.
The forum’s agenda included:
- Keynote Address: “The Power of the Outdoors” with U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, followed by a Q&A moderated by Carolyn MacNaughton, CEO of Manitobah.
- Fireside Chat with John Podesta, senior advisor to U.S. President Joe Biden.
- Leading the Way: The Future of Recreation Leadership – Featuring U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper (D-CO); Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders; and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum; moderated by Leland Vittert, NewsNation’s chief Washington anchor.
- Meeting the New Consumer Outside through Inclusion, Infrastructure & Innovation – Featuring I Ling Thompson, CEO of the Foundation for America’s Public Lands; Chuck Sams, director of National Park Service; Robin Thurston, CEO of Outside; Lesford Duncan, executive director, Outside Foundation, and moderated by Toby O’Rourke, CEO of KOA.
- Future of Recreation Funding Report – Featuring Rob Southwick, president of Southwick Associates; and Luis Benitez, chief impact officer of the Trust for Public Land.
- State of the Outdoor Recreation Economy – Featuring U.S. Representative Don Beyer (D-VA); Aine Denari, president of Brunswick Boat Group; Bob Martin, president & CEO of THOR Industries; Tom Walton, CEO of Runway Group; and moderator Steve Liesman, senior economics reporter at CNBC.
- Access: People, Places & Stories – Featuring U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez (D-NM); U.S. Representative Ryan Zinke (R-MT); Sasha DiGiulian, founder & CEO of Send Bars and professional climber; Zachary Friedley, founder & CEO of Born to Adapt, On Running; and moderator Yvonne Leow, founder & CEO of Bewilder.
- Recreation Rebuilding Rural America – Featuring Meryl Harrell, deputy undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment, U.S. Department of Agriculture; Alyssa Ravasio, CEO of Hipcamp; Sam Reiman, director at Richard King Mellon Foundation; and moderator Chris Fussell, vice chairman of McChrystal Group and co-owner of Waterstone Outdoors.
- Recreation Industry’s Path to Sustainability – Featuring Mike Happe, CEO of Winnebago Industries; Roma McCaig, vice president of Public Affairs and Impact at REI Co-op; Justin Sibley, CEO of POWDR; Ben Speciale, president of Yamaha Marine; and moderator Kelly Pawlak, president & CEO, National Ski Areas Association.
- Healthy Land, Water, People & Communities – Featuring U.S. Representative Jen Kiggans (R-VA); Dr. Wallace “J” Nichols, best-selling author of “Blue Mind”; Robert Bean, chief financial officer and chief administration officer, The Orvis Company, Kenny Thompson, Jr., senior vice president and chief public affairs officer of Vail Resorts; and moderator Stacy Bare, executive director of Friends of Grand Rapids Parks and co-founder of Great Outdoors Lab.
- Dinner speakers included: Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-NY), Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR), Rep. Bruce Westerman (R-AR) and Bureau of Land Management Director Tracy Stone-Manning.
