Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) announced their robust roster of keynote speakers and educational sessions for Rendezvous 2014. Rendezvous is the annual leadership forum for outdoor industry leaders and will take place October 7-9 in Asheville, NC, rated by Good Morning America as one of the “10 Most Beautiful Places in America.”

“This year’s theme is Learn. Connect. Innovate. That is exactly what attendees of Rendezvous can plan to do this year,” said Michelle Biersner, OIA’s Director of Education and Events. “Rendezvous will provide the momentum for the industry to finish 2014 strong and plan ahead for 2015.”

This year’s Rendezvous focuses on the consumer and the business best practices of the future. With sessions on segmentation, the new rules of business, and omni-channel commerce, the educational line-up is designed to help outdoor businesses understand the changing consumer and business landscape and prepare them to lead their companies through the evolution of the industry.

Inspiring Keynote Highlights Include:

• Lisa Bodell, CEO, FutureThink
  Winning Innovators Embrace Change – Do You? It’s Time to Kill the Company!
• Mark Lavelle, SVP and Head of Global Product and Strategy at eBay Enterprise
  Omni-Channel Commerce in the Outdoor Industry: Where are you in this Revolution?
• Marshal Cohen, Chief Industry Analyst, NPD
  Look into the Crystal Ball – What does the Future of the Outdoor Industry Hold?

Rendezvous will kick off this year’s event with the annual Rendezvous Service Project Sponsored by Timberland. Partnering with RiverLink, a regional non-profit spearheading the economic and environmental revitalization of the French Broad River, Rendezvous attendees will have the opportunity to support the local Asheville community by cleaning up the river and building out community areas along its the banks.

For those able to arrive early or stay late, pre- and post-conference excursions are planned with Nantahala Outdoor Center and SylvanSport on Monday, October 6 and Friday, October 10.

To learn more about the 2014 Rendezvous agenda and to register, click on:  http://outdoorindustry.org/rendezvous.

Logo courtesy Outdoor Industry Association