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Weekly Webinars, Online Curriculum Access among Program Enhancements

Outdoor Industry Association® (OIA) announced today that it is expanding its popular Outdoor University® program in 2012, quadrupling the number of live webinars it offers while also providing access to more recorded sessions on its Web site.

Outdoor University develops educational training and professional development sessions on topics relevant to retailers, manufacturers, and suppliers in the outdoor industry. In 2012, in addition to live sessions at Outdoor Retailer, Outdoor University is offering webinars—as frequently as twice weekly—on topics ranging from retail innovation, research, sustainability, best practices, trade and supply chains, and other issues the outdoor recreation industry faces.

OIA is expanding its educational opportunities in response to member demand and to provide resources to help outdoor recreation companies improve business processes and grow sales. Led by industry experts and business influencers, Outdoor University sessions give participants the option to join workshops and online discussions, or access recorded curriculum online, on-demand. Sessions are free for OIA members and available for a nominal fee to nonmembers.

“We are in a unique position to provide broad knowledge and information outdoor recreation companies need to solve key challenges and achieve business success,” said LaRae Marsik, vice president of business intelligence for OIA. “Our 2012 sessions cover a broad range of topics. These are valuable resources, yet we recognize that our members face time and resource constraints. By offering recorded sessions online, we are creating a valuable knowledge platform our members can access when they have time.”

New this year, Outdoor University is recording most of its live sessions—in addition to webinars—to provide members with greater access to OIA’s educational resources.

Read More: Outdoor Industry Association® Expanding Outdoor University® Offerings in 2012

Specialty retailers who are not participating in social media miss opportunities every day to serve and build stronger bonds with their customers. From customer service, to customer acquisition, to community building and influencer outreach, specialty retailers have an opportunity to leverage their competitive advantage as place-based entities and members of their community to build relationships and drive sales.

• Saturday, January 21, 2012
• 8:00am until 9:00am
• Salt Lake City Marriott Downtown, Salon A-B

Facebook Event Page

Congrats to Midwest Retailers Alpine Shop, Apex Outdoor Gear, Backwoods, Midwest Mountaineering, Paddle and Trail, Rutabaga and Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop!

SNEWS President Michael Hodgson, Backpacker Editor in Chief Jonathan Dorn, and Horny Toad CEO Gordon Seabury will formally award one of the finalists named below with the title of “Retailer of the Year” and five other retailers will be honored as best-in-class in the following categories: Online Retailer, Community, Growth of Outdoor Sports, Sustainable Business and Youth Involvement.

“There is no question that specialty outdoor retailers continue to play a very significant and influential role in the growth and development of our outdoor community,” Hodgson said. “This award honors exemplary retailers and sets a bar for all other retailers to achieve, with the ultimate goal of establishing a standard for specialty retail excellence nationwide.”

“Specialty retailers are the gatekeepers to our industry and enable consumers to sort through the myriad of product choices available today,” Dorn added. “Because store owners and their retail sales employees have become extraordinarily educated about the products and technologies on the market and are highly skilled in being able to impart that knowledge in a meaningful and engaging way, we’re thrilled to celebrate and recognize their efforts by hosting this awards program.”

The finalists for the 2012 Retailer of the Year Award as decided by a panel of judges are:

1. Alpine Shop, St. Louis, Mo.
2. Apex Outdoor Gear, Grand Rapids, Mich.
3. Appalachian Outdoors, State College, Pa.
4. Appalachian Outfitters, Penninsula, Ohio
5. Austin Canoe & Kayak, Austin, Texas
6. Back Country Experience, Durango, Colo.
7. Backcountry.com, Salt Lake City, Utah
8. Backwoods, Norman, Okla.
9. Canoe Kentucky, Frankfort, Ky.
10. Eagle Eye Outfitters, Dothan, Ala.
11. EMS, Peterborough, N.H.
12. Epic Sports, Bangor, Maine
13. Fort Wayne Outfitters and Bike Depot, Fort Wayne, Ind.
14. Great Miami Outfitters, Miamisburg, Ohio
15. Massey’s Outfitters, New Orleans, La.
16. Midwest Mountaineering, Minneapolis, Minn.
17. Mountain Gear, Spokane Valley, Wash.
18. Mountain High Outfitters, Birmingham, Ala.
19. Outdoor Divas, Boulder, Colo.
20. Outdoor Gear Exchange, Burlington, Vt.
21. Paddle and Trail, Beloit, Wisc.
22. Philmont Scout Ranch Tooth of Time Traders, Cimarron, N.M.
23. REI, Englewood, Colo.
24. River Sports Outfitters, Knoxville, Tenn.
25. Rock/Creek, Chattanooga, Tenn.
26. Rutabaga Paddlesports LLC, Madison, Wisc.
27. Santa Barbara Outfitters, Santa Barbara, Calif.
28. Sunflower Outdoor and Bike Shop, Lawrence, Kan.
29. Trailcreek Outfitters, Glen Mills, Penn.
30. Travel Country Outdoors, Altamonte Springs, Fla.

Read More: SNEWS/Backpacker Retailer of the Year Award finalists announced