The 2024 Gateway Outdoor Expo + Summit offers outdoor enthusiasts the opportunity to try out the latest gear from regional outfitters and join the conversation about expanding outdoor access to all of our fellow Missourians.
In the market for a new pair of hiking boots? Want to see what the stand-up paddleboarding fuss is all about? Seeking inspiration for your next adventure tour? Then you won’t want to miss the 2024 Gateway Outdoor Expo + Summit, to be held November 22 – 24 at the St. Charles Convention Center in St. Charles.
Hosted by Terrain Magazine and River City Foundation, the Gateway Outdoor Expo + Summit is a space to showcase the newest outdoor gear, services, and resources as well as an opportunity to discuss salient issues in the outdoor industry.
This free, family-friendly event will feature more than 200 exhibitor booths from regional outdoor and adventure-sports outfitters, product demos, kids’ activities, and other attractions. Special features include a mountain bike trial zone, a rock-climbing wall, a swim spa demo, and a photo contest gallery.
Returning for the first time since 2019 is the Gateway Outdoor Summit. Sessions include:
- Driving Outdoor Diversity: Thrive Outside Network Panel
- Blazing Trails That Will Change Outdoor Community and Culture
- Big Ideas for Outdoor Recreation in the Great Middle West
- Trailblazing Together: Transforming the Landscape of Outdoor Recreation
Brad Kovach, publisher of Terrain Magazine and deputy director of River City Foundation, says the summit is meant to unite outdoors enthusiasts toward the betterment of the industry..
“We feel it’s essential to have a place where regional outdoor industry stakeholders can gather and learn about the most pressing issues—and greatest opportunities—facing our outdoor community, and then discuss ways to collaborate and commit to addressing these issues,” Kovach says.
In deciding which session topics to present, expo organizers considered how the outdoors fit into our larger society.
“The first year we held the summit, the theme was ‘Building an Outdoor Community and Economy,’” Kovach says. “St. Louis was, and is still, an emerging outdoor market, so we felt it was appropriate to set the stage in 2019 and focus on why and how building a vibrant outdoor community was beneficial, from positive effects on physical and mental wellness, to fostering community revitalization and pride, to supporting economic growth and diversification.
“This year, the theme is ‘Outdoors for All’ and the sessions focus on how we can work together to create a shared outdoor culture that is welcoming, accessible, and equitable for everyone. The lack of diversity in outdoor recreation has been a big topic in the industry, nationally, for years. This is our opportunity to bring the discussion home and talk about ways to make changes here in our own city and state. So, session topics range from a look at best practices for including marginalized communities to updates on four major trail projects that are poised to change the face of outdoor recreation in our area because of the experiences and connections they will create. We want to have meaningful conversations and provide a place where collaboration and action are the outcome. We invited speakers and panelists from around the region, and the country, based on their expertise with cultivating positive change via the outdoors.”
This focus on inclusion isn’t just about access, but about helping more people experience the numerous benefits of time spent outdoors.
“If you’re in the outdoor industry and you’re not talking about diversity and inclusion, then you’re part of the problem. Outdoor recreation has historically excluded people of color, women, and the LBGTQ+ community,” Kovach says. “If we truly want to create ‘Outdoors for All,’ then we need to have those difficult discussions. We need to understand each other and agree on ways to work together on initiatives that help remove barriers and create meaningful outdoor experiences for anyone. We can’t avoid the topic and think that outdoor recreation inclusiveness will evolve on its own.
“Creating a more diverse outdoor culture will widen the reach of the physical and mental health benefits I mentioned earlier, build a more stable and sustainable outdoor ecosystem, and frankly, make the space more creative and positive and interesting. It’s important to remember that diversity and inclusion is not limited to race and ethnicity but also includes those living with disabilities, the young and old, and even those who are new to the outdoors or have differing levels of knowledge and skill when it comes to outdoor activities. We want everyone to be welcome and included in the outdoors.”
P.S. Missouri Life will be there. Be sure to stop by and say hi.
Photos courtesy of Gateway Outdoor Expo + Summit
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