Growing Outdoors will help build the capacity and skills of current and next-generation leaders and organizations to innovate, collaborate, and advance community and economic development. Through the project, outdoor industry leaders will engage with economic development partners to establish Appalachia’s competitive advantage for outdoor industry investment, via the following activities:

Outdoor Industry training and tool kit for regional economic development professionals

A toolkit will be developed for economic development entities detailing out the needs and preferences of companies in the outdoor industry cluster, to help economic developers (especially in rural areas) better serve and attract outdoor manufacturing industry companies.

Outdoor Industry Long Range Strategic Plan

A detailed long-range plan for WNC’s outdoor industry, launched at the 3rd annual Outdoor Industry Summit in 2021, will outline the findings and impacts of the project’s work to date, and where the strongest opportunities lie going forward. Should multi-state projects arise, this project activity will support multi-state travel and coordination by the project steering team to help pull those projects together.

WNC Outdoor Industry Census

Outdoor Gear Builders will widen the scope of their annual Outdoor Industry Census to include the broader supply chain and capture a clearer picture of the outdoor industry’s economic impact on WNC.