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VOBA roundtable discussion on August 24, 25, or 26

Submitted by tim on

Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance Summer is in full swing and Vermont’s outdoor businesses are directing customers to outdoor places while monitoring the unfolding COVID-19 situation. Race directors are safely hosting events, such as Kingdom Games’ open water swims and others found in Vermont Sports Magazine's calendar of events, drawing locals and international visitors, amateurs to professionals.

Despite these familiar gatherings, the pandemic has fundamentally changed travel and tourism. Federal and state funding is available to support innovative recovery strategies for Vermont's communities. Bring your ideas to a roundtable discussion on August 24, 25, or 26 hosted by the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing on the role of outdoor recreation in driving transformational change.

Hiring and training continue to challenge Vermont’s outdoor businesses, whether a retailer in need of bicycle mechanics, a trail builder constructing a sustainable project, or a gear/apparel manufacturer catering to new participants. VOBA’s outdoor jobs survey identified several promising talent pipelines and approaches to recruitment and training for inclusivity. VOBA members are invited to join a work group to plan VOBA’s Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) fall event and workforce initiative.

Rooted Vermont. Photo courtesy of Brooks Curran
TOURISM RECOVERY ROUNDTABLES – 8/24, 8/25 & 8/26

The travel and hospitality sector has undergone severe disruption as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the road to recovery continues to present significant challenges. What is the role of outdoor recreation in best meeting these challenges and how can Vermont best embrace this opportunity for transformational change in the industry?

Register to join the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing in one of the roundtable discussions below to share your ideas on current challenges, opportunities for federal funding, and the future of travel and tourism in the state.

  • Tuesday, August 24 from 12:30 pm – 2:30 pm; The Barn at the Inn at Manchester, 3967 Main Street, Manchester Center
  • Wednesday, August 25 from 9:00 am – 11:00 am; Stoweflake Resort, 1746 Mountain Road, Stowe
  • Thursday, August 26 from 9:00 am – 11:00 am; The Paramount Theatre, 30 Center Street, Rutland
Vermont businesses, data, and testimonials were featured in a report on the future outdoor recreation economy published by the State Outdoor Business Alliance Network (SOBAN) and Headwaters Economics last June. VOBA was involved in the research project which had support from the REI Foundation, Outdoor Industry Association, and other collaborators.

WORKER RELOCATION GRANTS

A new relocation program by the Agency of Commerce and Community Development provides support to employers struggling to fill vacancies due to the low unemployment rate or a disconnect between job requirements and candidate qualifications. The program reimburses eligible expenses, up to $7,500, to workers who relocated to Vermont (after July 1, 2021) in certain occupations to fill an opening with a Vermont employer. Find more information on ThinkVermont.com.

Also on ThinkVermont.com is the outdoor recreation sector webpage, listing VOBA as an industry resource and featuring VOBA members, such as The Orvis Company, Killington Ski Resort, Kingdom Trail Association, Burton Snowboards, Skida Headwear and Accessories, Outdoor Gear Exchange, Darn Tough Vermont, Turtle Fur, Renoun Skis, and Terry Bicycles.

ECONOMIC RECOVERY BRIDGE GRANTS

The Agency of Commerce and Community Development (ACCD) has expanded eligibility for its Economic Recovery Bridge Program to those that demonstrate a 2020 tax loss and a net loss when aggregating the results of their monthly profit and loss statements for the period from March 2020 – April 2021, including the amount of prior state and federal assistance. Businesses in the tourism, travel, and hospitality industries are given priority. For more information, visit the ACCD COVID-19 Recovery Resource Center.

VOREC COMMUNITY GRANTS

The Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation (FPR) is accepting letters of interest through August 27 for the 2021 Vermont Outdoor Recreation Economic Collaborative (VOREC) Community Grant Program (VOREC). The grants will be distributed to municipalities and non-profit organizations for community projects that leverage outdoor recreation defined as leisure, sport and therapeutic recreation activities pursued outdoors, mainly in a natural setting. Eligibility criteria and application materials can be found here.

A Melanin Base Camp article on building an inclusive outdoor culture was sponsored by Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing. The author, Mardi Fuller, describes her love of backpacking from experiencing Vermont's Long Trail and gives insight to reimagining the outdoors as we know it.

JUSTICE, EQUITY, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION WORK GROUP

Join VOBA's new work group on justice, equity, diversity and inclusion by participating in a small group discussion on Thursday, September 9 from 4:00 - 5:00 pm.

Bring best practices and challenges from your Vermont outdoor business or organization. Help design VOBA's upcoming JEDI networking events and trainings as well as inform workforce efforts that support BIPOC, LGBTQ, all ability, and women communities in the outdoor sector. Register here.
TAKE THE INDUSTRY-WIDE SURVEY ON WORKFORCE AND DEI

VOBA'S national industry partners, Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) and Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, have partnered with Oregon State University on gathering industry-wide data on the needs for workforce development and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI). Results will be available in late 2021.

VOBA is encouraging Vermont outdoor companies to convene a committee to complete the survey, thereby contributing our state’s information to the national findings. VOBA is lending its support alongside other state business organizations as a member of the State Outdoor Business Alliance Network (SOBAN).
RENEW OR BECOME A MEMBER IN VOBA

The Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance (VOBA) has provided networking, education, business support, and policy development to Vermont’s outdoor businesses, nonprofits, and individuals since incorporation in 2018.

The last year and a half have been extraordinary. VOBA’s technical assistance, marketing, and policy advocacy helped members navigate the pandemic, foster a participation renaissance, and support historic investments in recreation infrastructure.

VOBA’s 80 business, organization, and individual members provided critical voices in strengthening, expanding, attracting, and retaining Vermont’s outdoor recreation economy. We have more work to do in the year ahead.

VOBA's third annual membership cycle runs through June 30, 2022. Please join or renew your membership and receive benefits as an Industry Member, Supporting Associate, or Strategic Associate.

Members receive the following benefits: Website and social media recognition; event and workshop participation; newsletter subscription; access to research and reports; networking and mentoring opportunities; media promotion; organizational decision making; and, work groups engagement. Additional benefits, such as voting rights, policy advocacy support, and promotional opportunities, apply to some categories.

As a nonprofit organization, VOBA relies on your member donations, which are also tax-deductible charitable donations. Thank you for your support and see you in the outdoors!

Vermont Outdoor Business Alliance
Board of Directors & Executive Director