CEO DATELINE - Outdoor company donates trade show proceeds to help association
CEO DATELINE - Outdoor company donates trade show proceeds to help association
- May 1, 2020 |
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Walt Williams
Outdoor apparel company VF Corp. is donating 15% of its refund from a canceled trade show to prop up the Outdoor Industry Association, which relies on the event for a significant portion of its revenue.
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The Outdoor Summer Retail Market was scheduled for June in Denver but was canceled in April because of the COVID-19 pandemic. OIA is a primary sponsor of the event, which is produced by exhibitions company Emerald, and derives significant revenue from that sponsorship.
VF produces several popular outdoor apparel brands, including The North Face and Timberland, and had planned to exhibit at Outdoor Retailer. The company said in a statement Wednesday it would donate some of its refund from the show to OIA to help both the group and its small business members.
"While no company is immune to the impacts of COVID-19, we recognize there are disproportionate impacts on non-profit organizations like OIA," said Jen McLaren, president of the VF brand Smartwool. "OIA is important to our industry and the work they do directly supports small businesses. We believe it's important to support those who support our industry, and we want to make sure OIA can continue doing great work."
OIA Executive Director Lisa Aangeenbrug said her group was "extremely grateful" for the donation.
"VF and its brands are true pillars of purpose-led leadership in our industry," she said. "We hope other brands will follow their lead and support us as we continue serving the outdoor industry."
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