Outdoor Insight

The Outdoor Industry is signing off in July. The North Face, Patagonia and REI were among the first brands to announce that they would be pulling all ads from Instagram and Facebook for the month of July, part of the #StopHateforProfit campaign. Organized by national civil rights groups including the NAACP, Color of Change and the Anti-Defamation League, the boycott urges brands to withhold their advertising dollars in protest of what they characterize as the social media sites' disinterest in stopping hate speech and disinformation. Several other brands also joined in the movement, including Adidas and Reebok, Vans, Merrell, Arc'teryx, Burton, Clae, Eddie Bauer, Puma and Lululemon (in addition to firms like Coca-Cola, Ford and Unilever) — pledging to pull all advertis- ing spending on Facebook and Instagram in July. Merrell has a new head of marketing. Janice Tennant, the former chief marketing officer for fellow Wolverine World Wide brand Cat Footwear, will serve as Chief Marketing Officer for Merrell and will report to brand president Chris Hufnagel. Outdoor nonprofit Camber Outdoors has created a Workplace Anti-Racism Action Agenda, a free resource for out- door and active firms that want to create and sustain diverse and inclusive workplaces. The resources include tools for corporations to use and guidance, and will be available to Camber Corporate Partners. "Camber partner companies, who are demonstrating their commit- ment to prioritizing equity, inclusion, and diversity, understand that this work is a strategic business imper- ative," Camber Outdoors Executive Director Emily Newman said. "The Workplace Anti-Racism Action Agenda has three components: LEARN + ACT + CHANGE, and provides businesses with a model for moving to immediate action." W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) announced a new sustainability framework for its Gore Fabrics Division. The strategic initiative supporting the framework is an absolute and science-based goal to reduce carbon emissions by 2030 # T H E B U Z Z OUTDOOR EYE N E W S / A N A L Y S I S Outdoor Trade Shows Go Virtual AntiViral Textiles Take Off As many in the industry navigate virtual and digital trade shows for the first time this summer, the learnings from the experience will surely impact what in-person trade shows look like in the future. Outdoor Retailer's virtual plan for this summer includes elements it hopes will replicate the vibe of "an industry gathering place" that the show is well known for. From July 21-23, 2020, the outdoor community will be able to gather online in an interactive environment for Outdoor Retailer Online, with exhibiting brands showcasing product lines for Fall '20 and Spring '21. Exhibitors will be able to host multiple live video conversations simultaneously within their page, and to book appointments or interviews within the platform. All sessions will run live within the platform and will be recorded and available on-demand. The winter show is scheduled to return to Denver from January 27-29, 2021. Meanwhile, in lieu of its in-person Grassroots Connect Show that was scheduled to take place in Knoxville in June, Grassroots Outdoor Alliance last month opened its "ConnectHub" to specialty independent retailers looking to engage with vendor brands for Spring '21 planning and buying. It is designed less as a virtual event and more as a resource for connecting brands and retailers. The Fall 2020 Grassroots Connect Show is scheduled to take place in Kansas City from November 9-12. l Innovation in anti-viral textiles in response to the COVID-19 crisis is taking off with ingredient suppliers around the world contributing new treatments to help protect from coronavirus. It will be a technology to watch in performance products in the upcoming seasons. Swiss textile company HeiQ has been leading the charge and recently announced a new partnership with Arvind Limited, India's leading textile-to- retail conglomerate. Arvind will offer shirting and suiting fabrics, readymade garments and face masks using HeiQ Viroblock technology in India under the company brand Intellifabrix. HeiQ Viroblock significantly enhances the antiviral log reduction and reduces viral infectivity by 99.99 percent and is one of the first textile technologies in the world to claim such efficacy on SARS-COV-2. HeiQ Viroblock has been designed to stay active on treated garments for 30 gentle domestic washes, ensuring safety for the consumer that lasts for a good part of the garment's life. PRONEEM, a Marseilles-based biotechnology company founded in 2003, specializing in micro-encapsulation of natural active ingredients to functionalize textiles, has developed a textile treatment with high antiviral activity called VIRALSTOP. l Outdoor Retailer and Grassroots Connect are held online this summer. outdoorinsightmag.com Summer 2020 • Outdoor Insight HeiQ Viroblock masks

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