Why I Decided to go to Outdoor Retailer

By: Michelle Jackson

When the Outdoor Retailer Show moved from Utah to Colorado, it was a pretty big deal. For me, though, that move signaled an interesting odyssey into connecting more with the movers and shakers in the outdoor space. These initial connections happened in an unlikely way. I worked at Outdoor Retailer as part of the convention staff hired to help run the show and support the attendees during their time in Denver. I answered questions about the city, helped people find their sessions, answered questions related to attendee registration, and observed everything and everyone around me. During my breaks, I would walk around the halls, look at the products and meet the different people who loved the outdoors as much as I did.

It was clear that the folks attending Outdoor Retailer were passionate about enjoying nature, issues related to conservation and everything else in-between. Designers created products to help women have an easier time when hiking and needing "to go" to an ingenious shower set up for those of us who can't stand smelling our hiking funk. Then there were conversations about representation, gender, and more. The problem was that even though I wanted to be a part of everything, I was working and couldn't fully participate in the event.

LACK OF REPRESENTATION

Despite working at the event, I had a phenomenal time. In fact, I've worked it every year that it has been hosted in Denver. One year I even got to play with baby goats and had a blast. But something kept bothering me: the lack of representation at each show specific to the American attendees. It wasn't just a lack of people of color at the show; it was a lack of plus-sized attendees and differently-abled folks as well. Something needed to change.

I knew that the community was open to having conversations that I cared about, such as inclusivity in the outdoors, accessibility, and climate change's impact, because I had discussed those topics with attendees at each event. But, the continued lack of diversity of voices made it important to me to figure out a way to participate as a registered attendee, especially as a Black woman outdoors enthusiast who also runs a website about all about Colorado.

THESE WERE MY PEOPLE

After working my last Outdoor Retailer event, I decided that I would attend as an accredited attendee the next time I went. The challenge with Outdoor Retailer was that it is a show specifically focused on products, goods and

services in the outdoor space vs. being an entirely outdoors-focused event.

With that nuance in mind, I tried to figure out a way to attend that would make sense to the registration staff at the event. Since I had worked the event before, I had a pretty good idea of what the registration was looking for, so I kept an eye out for when registration opened up.

SIGN UP SUCCESS & NOW WHAT?

I've built out an online brand in the personal finance space for the past seven years. I then started my Colorado website quietly in the background to support Colorado local businesses, events, and outdoor activities. Because of those projects, I successfully requested a media badge. Also, because of wonderful publications such as Hike It Off magazine and a few other outdoor brands that I've written for, I proved that I wasn't some fly-by-night random person wanting to crash the event.

Attending Outdoor Retailer will allow me to have deeper conversations with brand representatives without worrying that my supervisor could reprimand me for talking too much to the attendees. Also, I can attend and be 100% present without worrying about work-related responsibilities.

I'm excited to lend my voice organically to conversations about product sizing, snowboarding, sustainability and hiking while wildfires are burning in the West. I know that I will be making a difference by walking through the halls because representation matters. But it won't be enough for me to be there.

I plan on sharing my experiences going into the outdoors with Outdoor Afro, a community created by Rue Mapp, to encourage safe outdoor adventures for African Americans. Geeking out with anyone who has done a thru-hike because I have the future goal of hiking the Colorado Trail. And sharing the time I spent four weeks wandering the mountains of Colorado with Outward Bound when I was 13 years old.

NORMALIZING SEEING BLACK & BROWN FACES IN OUTDOORS SPACES

It has become clear that it's also important to not only enjoy outdoor activities it's also essential to be in the room when and where people are making decisions or asking for feedback on initiatives, products and services. It's not lost on me that I gained my initial access to the Outdoor Retailer community because of a side-hustle.

I wrote this piece to encourage other people who want a place in the room to reimagine what gaining access looks like. Sometimes it happens in the least likely of ways. If there is an outdoor space that you would like to become a part of, don’t wait for someone to create a seat at the table for you. Instead, make that seat and gently nudge obstacles out of the way like I did because our voices deserve to be heard.

Michelle Jackson runs the website and podcast Square State, where she gets to unapologetically geek out about her state of Colorado. When she's not having random conversations with new people, she can be found hiking, biking, sitting on a patio, or exploring the mountains. Her ultimate goal is to normalize POC faces in outdoor spaces and stop surprising people when she says she's from Colorado.