KORE Outdoors Summit 2024

Photo Journal

The 2024 KORE Outdoors Summit was held October 3-4 at the Kimberley Alpine Resort’s Conference Centre in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia. There was also an optional “Explore Kimeberley” day on Saturday, October 5.

This was the third year of the event, which is Canada’s only conference dedicated to the outdoor rec-tech manufacturing and product design sector, and it sold out at a record number of 150 delegates. They ranged from manufacturers and designers to government representatives, students, professors and engineers. Presentation topics included everything from “Influencer Marketing” and “Everything You Need To Know About Carbon Fibre Composites” to “Small Business Accounting” and “Industrial Design.” There were also more workshops and concurrent plenary sessions than years past.

Professional photographer Mark Gallup of Fernie, BC was on site for the Summit and took the following photographs throughout the two days.

The conference began the morning of October 3 with a speed networking event, followed by keynote presenter Mallory Ottariano. Mallory is the owner of Montana-based Youer Apparel and an alumni of the TedX talk circuit. She spoke about “how to grow a brand with $0 in marketing.” That was followed by concurrent workshops including one about the development of the world’s lightest three-piece trekking pole, which involved the input of multiple Kootenay-based designers and entrepreneurs.

After a lunch break there were more plenaries and workshops and then the Summit offered something new: an “Outdoor Connect” event, which was part workout, part exploration, and part networking. Delegates could choose to go on a group mountain bike ride, group run, hike, or visit the Spirit Rock indoor climbing gym. Free rental bikes were provided for those who didn’t bring their own and groups were led by locals who had helped design the trails. This was one of the most popular aspects of the conference and we will definitely be offering it again.

The first day ended with a campfire social in the courtyard of the Conference Centre that featured multiple seating areas and fire rings set up by Jasper-based KUMA Outdoors, as well burgers and and drinks.

The second day of the conference included panel discussions, workshops, plenaries, lunch, and breakout sessions to discuss such topics as innovation, apparel, gear repair, and marketing, sales and distribution. For a list of the day’s speakers, visit koreoutdoors.org/meet-the-speakers-at-the-2024-kore-rec-tech-summit.

The closing keynote was Rob Owens, a former professional mountaineer and owner of OnwardUp Marketing who talked about the similarities between recreating in the mountains and running a business.

Many delegates stayed for the optional “Explore Kimberley” day on Saturday, October 5th, which included a variety of activities from golf to outdoor rock climbing, as well as discounted guided experiences from fly fishing to rafting. The weather was absolutely perfect for the entire event with warm, sunny days and cool, crisp nights and the larch trees on the surrounding mountainsides were just starting to turn a golden hue.

It’s the perfect time of year for an event in Kimberely and so knowing that, the 2025 KORE Outdoors Summit will take place October 2-3, 2025 with an optional Explore Kimberley day on October 4th.

Mark Gallup is a legend in the outdoor action world having photographed for some of the biggest publications and companies over the past three decades. For more about his work, visit markgallup.com.