New OIA Development Board

In this extract from a new Outdoor i series on the work of the Outdoor Industries Association (OIA), its Engagement Officer Claire Carter calls for nominees for the new OIA Development Board.

Currently, the leaders of the UK outdoor industry have a specific bias - older, male, white British. In some instances, this is simply because many of the ‘Gen X’ who set up the trade are still running it, but there are also thick glass ceilings to gender, ethnic and other diversities in outdoor participation plus entry and promotion in the industry. The OIA is addressing this by identifying future leaders to form a Development Board (DB). This group of 10-12 will be split into four working streams to be project managed through defined outcomes over an 18-month period. They will engage with changing consumer demographics, commerce methodology and our industries’ sustainability, as well as commissioning new research and developing campaigns with real, defined outcomes.           

This the final call for nominees and volunteers to add to our 25 strong initial consultation group. During our consultation period, common themes arose such as inability to move forwards in the industry, static attitudes to consumer behaviour, the lack of resources available to risk change and be challenging. The Development Board will create new industry resources to allow our businesses to trail blaze. We need committed, progressive and realist individuals to make this industry a dream place to work for the next twenty years and beyond, as it was for those who set up our core companies. 

The DB board will be selected after an initial consultation in July.