THE KORE SUMMIT
Kimberley Conference Centre • October 3-4, 2024
AN EVENT FOR OUTDOOR GEAR BRANDS AND THOSE WHO WORK WITH THEM
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ABOUT THE SUMMIT
The 2024 Kootenay Outdoor Recreation Enterprise (KORE) Outdoor Rec-Tech Summit is Western Canada’s only conference dedicated to the outdoor rec-tech manufacturing and product design sector. It will be held October 3-4, 2024 at the Kimberley Alpine Resort’s Conference Centre in the East Kootenay region of British Columbia and there will be an optional “Explore Kimberley” day on the 5th for those who would like to get out and experience the city.
Industry thought leaders and speakers will be giving presentations throughout the event and anybody interested in outdoor rec-tech manufacturing and product design in British Columbia, Alberta, Pacific Northwest and the U.S. Western States are invited to attend. We acknowledge the support of Pacifican for helping make the Summit happen.
TESTIMONIALS
We are excited to return to the 2024 KORE Summit. Last year was our first time attending and we found the networking for our business was priceless.
The KORE summit opened up doors I didn’t even know existed!
The Summit was a great opportunity to share notes with other makers in the region. I’m still baffled and delighted by just how many there are!
Meet The Speakers
(Use the arrows to toggle between them all)
Rob Owens, Founder & President of OnwardUP Sales and Marketing
Rob began his career as an outdoor retail sales representative in 2001 when he started as a technical rep for Petzl. At that time he was a professional ice and alpine climber and had begun the path toward becoming an IFMGA Mountain Guide. Rob established OnwardUP Sales and Marketing in 2009 and now represents nine outdoor brands including Patagonia. While pursuing his path as an alpinist, and then as a mountain guide, Rob developed a relationship with risk that has served him well in many aspects of running his business. Just as a focus on outdoor education led him to guiding, he feels his current business can enable elevated outdoor experiences that in turn elevate a participant’s mind, body and spirit.
Mallory Ottariano, Founder of Youer
Mallory Ottariano is the founder and Chief Everything Officer at Youer. She started her brand as a creative side project making one-of-a-kind apparel and has grown it into a full line of active lifestyle apparel for women. Today, Mallory owns her own factory in Missoula, Montana. In her presentation she will talk about growing a brand with $0 in marketing, building a community through in-person events and how to start a factory in North America.
Joël Mertens, Director of Higg Product Tools at Cascale
Joël Mertens is the director of Higg Product Tools at Cascale, a global non-profit dedicated to collective action on sustainability for the consumer goods industry. His work involves collaborating with Cascale members, NGOs, governments, and academic experts to ensure the Higg Product Tools use credible, scientific, life-cycle assessment data to help companies measure the environmental impacts of their materials and products. Before joining Cascale, Joël was with Mountain Equipment Co-op where he held roles on product sustainability, material research and development, quality assurance, chemical compliance, and supply chain environmental responsibility. He holds a Master’s Degree in Materials Engineering from the University of British Columbia.
Cam Stuart, R&E Manager at Arc’teryx
Cam Stuart is an engineer with a passion for the outdoors and the tools that enable us to explore them. He manages Research & Engineering on the Advanced Concepts team at Arc’teryx. With the mountains as his lab, he has been involved in development and validation of several technical products with a focus on how product interacts with the human body.
Carollyn Schafer, Past Interim CEO Accelerate Okanagan
Carollynn Schafer is an active angel investor with a background in law. She is passionate about building ecosystems and has recently spent a year acting as the Interim CEO of Accelerate Okanagan. She is trained as a lawyer and spent her first eight years practicing at a corporate firm in Winnipeg, focusing on Technology, IP and Privacy law. From there, she went in-house and worked with LemonFree.com, a start-up venture co-founded by her husband in the automotive marketing space until their acquisition/merger with LotLinx in 2015. She is a General Partner of OKGN WMAN, a past director and Fund Manager of the OKGN Angel Summit, and acts as the facilitator for their investor discussions.
Jack Finn, Creative Director, Skeleton Crew Creative Studio
Jack Finn and James Hearn launched Skeleton Crew Creative Studio in Vancouver in 2020. Since then, the duo have used their combination of branding and advertising experience to inform the design ethics of multiple brands from Shimano and Red Bull to the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival. They have worked in the graphic design space and marketing space for over a decade and in their presentation at the KORE Summit they will offer guidelines to creative decision making in the presentation “Yes, Yes, Yes. No, No, No.”
James Retty, Sales Specialist, Uptrack Solutions
James has worked in the outdoor adventure industry for over 25 years and is the founder of Uptrack Solutions, the former director of Escape Route Adventure Group, and the former owner of Arc’teryx Whistler. He is highly regarded for innovating and executing strategies that enhance brand awareness for selected vendors, increase the efficiency of operations, and grow revenue. He brings excellent analytical and critical thinking skills to evaluate business problems and to identify and apply appropriate solutions. Although he has been focused on specialty retail in the physical and e-com platforms, he has a particular interest in linking D2C and wholesale processes.
Clare Kelly, Chartered Professional Accountant
Clare Kelly lives with her family in Nelson, BC and she has owned and operated multiple businesses in the Kootenays since 2008. She dedicates her business knowledge and technical skills for the social, environmental, and financial success of her community. In addition to being a CPA, she is also Certified Xero Advisor, a Quickbooks Certified ProAdvisor, and an avid runner, cyclist, and nordic skier. In her presentation, she will discuss solutions to common outdoor industry accounting issues, such as how to supervise external bookkeepers, how to deal with inventory or point-of-sale apps, and decision-making around cashflow tools.
Robbie Roberts - Industrial Designer, Form3 Design
An Industrial Designer and Principal at Form3 Design in Vancouver, Robbie and his team tackle diverse design projects with special focus on bike, ski, and outdoor sectors. He is passionate about how industrial design brings together art, creativity, and emotion with the technical aspects of physics, materials, and manufacturing; always striving to blur the boundaries between disciplines. Robbie lived his childhood years on a bike in Cranbrook while also kicking off a love for skiing in Kimberly and is pumped to return to the roots of his outdoor passion at the KORE summit.
Chase Anderson, Industry Relations Manager, Utah State University
Chase Anderson is the Industry Relations Manager for the Outdoor Product Design & Development program at Utah State University. He earned a Masters Degree in Instructional Technology and a bachelors degree in International Business, both from USU. He fell into the outdoor industry volunteering for Cotopaxi during their early years and has since worked for NordicTrack, Proform, iFit, and Altra. He’s a student of the industry and is one of the collaborators behind the Outdoor Recreation Archive, USU’s effort to preserve the print materials and history of the people, products and brands of the outdoor industry. Chase is the host of the Highlander Podcast, a weekly show focused on the past, present, and future of the outdoor industry.
Jenna Celmer, Co-founder, Basecamp Outdoor
Jenna Celmer is an outdoor industry tech founder and investor with a devastating wit and a passion for breakfast foods. She came to the outdoor industry via The US Olympic Committee (Team USA) where she was a Scientific Communicator. Before that Jenna worked at an aerospace and tech startup launching an accelerator with the US Air Force Academy to help make entrepreneurs more competitive for government contracts. A self-proclaimed “Chief Hype Officer,” Jenna helps connect and empower the outdoor industry in all capacities through co-founding Basecamp Outdoor, a community and career hub for everyone from students to CEOs.
David Harley, Founder of Far West & Valhalla Pure Outfitters
From dishwasher and taxi driver to lifelong entrepreneur, David is one of the architects of Canada’s Outdoors industry. David founded the Far West company in Vernon in the 1908s and was WL Gore’s fifth customer. It wasn’t long before he became North America’s largest Gore-Tex apparel producer. From 1990, David has built Valhalla Pure Outfitters into Canada’s largest premium outdoor retailer with sales of over $50 million annually.
Truls Ytre-Eide, Research Engineer, Composites Knowledge Network
Truls Ytre-Eide is a research engineer with the Composites Knowledge Network and works directly with small and medium enterprises across Canada to support them with their composites manufacturing. He experienced working in composites manufacturing in the aerospace and defense industry before joining the CKN.
Brent Firkser, Founder, GoSo Cookware
Ricky Lee Jones, Founder of North45
Entrepreneur and marketing expert Ricky Lee Jones recently gave a presentation at the KORE Speaker Series in which he described how he took a company from $50K in annual sales to $1.5 million in just 12 months thanks to various social media strategies he employed. Ricky has worked with a variety of brands over the years and he launched his own company called North45, which manufacturers merino wool headwear and face masks with anti-fog capabilities.
James Friedrich, Senior Merchant, MEC
James Friedrich is a product consultant who specializes in helping businesses unlock growth and he’s also a senior merchant for Mountain Equipment Company who oversees a $60M product portfolio, collaborating with some of the outdoor industry’s major brands. But before all that, James was an engineer and startup founder. His primary goal is to offer entrepreneurs the guidance and support he wished he had many years ago.
Dan Durston, Owner of Durston Gear
Dan Durston is an ultralight hiker, adventurer and self-described gear geek based in Golden, British Columbia. He’s hiked the Pacific Crest Trail and Great Divide Trail (both ways) and had plenty of time on those trips to obsess about the design of ultralight backpacking tents. He came up with his own concept and it proved to be so popular, it’s the world’s top-selling trekking pole tent. His company Durston Gear now sells ultralight backpacks, hiking poles and various tents.
Cam Shute, Owner of Dark Horse Innovations
Cam Shute of Dark Horse Innovations worked for G3 for 18 years before setting up his own company that designs and engineers a variety of outdoor products from hiking poles to cookware. He says of his business: “
Matt Mosteller, Senior Vice President, Resorts of the Canadian Rockies
“Powder Matt” Mosteller is on a mission to share the positive energy of the mountains and his crazy love for flakes. As chief storyteller for Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, he has organized some of the first social media influencer meet-ups, which helped put the Powder Highway on the map. He continues to collaborate regularly with outdoor/travel/adventure influencers to craft powerful stories that are helpful, humorous, timely, worthy, inspiring and authentic.
Pat Simpson, Owner of Ghostrider Equipment
Pat Simpson has a background in mechanical engineering, specifically with the design of automated packaging machinery. From there he moved into heavy industry and worked in the maintenance and reliability fields for 20 years. Now, he’s applying his skills to the outdoor recreation industry and has launched Ghostrider Equipment, which manufactures the world’s first bear spray canister holder for bikes.
Christian Rawles, Owner, Ambler Mountain Works
Christian Rawles has over 20 years of experience in the outdoor industry ranging from retail sales, supply chain management and wholesale sales management. Most recently, he has been the owner of Ambler Mountain Works, an apparel accessory brand based in Nelson, BC. He has spent the last few years working with other entrepreneurs to help them launch, build & grow their businesses through coaching and consulting. Christian is a KORE board member, an Executive in Residence with KAST and the host of the KORE Outdoors Podcast.
JoJo Das
Born in Kolkata, India, JoJo has hopped and skipped his way through his home country, Canada, Indonesia, the United States, and Saudi Arabia. He had never considered himself an outdoors-oriented person until he moved to Vancouver in 2013. On the ancestral and unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations, JoJo developed a strong love and passion for rock climbing. He is now a firm believer that walls are meant for climbing instead of keeping people apart. JoJo is crafting his outdoors career, from working at Mountain Mentors, VIMFF, and is currently the Executive Director at SOARE, helping it become the best incubator for outdoor rec-tech it can be.
Where & When
The 2024 KORE Outdoor Rec-Tech Summit will take place October 3-4, 2024 with an optional “Explore Kimberley” day on the 5th.
The event is being held at Kimberley Alpine Resort’s Conference Centre in Kimberley, British Columbia.
Accommodations
We respectfully acknowledge this event takes place on the unceded territory of the Ktunaxa, who have occupied these lands for more than 10,000 years.
➡️ Trickle Creek Lodge and Polaris Lodge are located adjacent to the Conference Centre. Rates range from $139/night for a one-bedroom room and $339/night for a 3-bedroom suite. Visit tricklecreeklodge.com and polarislodge.com for accommodation options but be sure to call 1-877-282-1200 ext 2 and quote the group name “KORE Summit 2024” to receive the discounted rate.
➡️ The Larix Hotel in Kimberley is offering a 10% discount to Summit attendees. Call the hotel directly at 250-427-1500 to receive the discount.
➡️ Alpine Lodging has added a promo code of KORE2024 to their booking engine to receive a 15% discount for all properties available Oct 2-6. Peruse the properties and book directly at alpinelodging.ca. Use the promo code at check-out.
➡️ Simply Kimberley owns and operates resort-base chalets and condos in and around the city. Lodging options can be seen on their website and you can email info@kimberley.com for Summit attendee lodging rates.
➡️ Kimberley Riverside Campground is offering a 15% discount for Summit attendees. Call 250-427-2829 and use promo code KORE24.
➡️ Visit Tourism Kimberley’s “Stay” page for accommodation providers.
WHAT’S INCLUDED
When you register for the full event, the following is included:
- Two full days of sessions featuring knowledgeable and entertaining speakers and presentations
- Breakfast and lunch on each day of the symposium sessions
- Food at the networking event at the end of day 1
- An optional “Explore Kimberley” day on the 5th
GETTING HERE
Kimberley is located in the southeastern corner of British Columbia, 16 km from the Canadian Rockies International Airport (YXC) in the city of Cranbrook. It’s also an easy, and beautiful, 4-hour drive from Calgary and a 10-hour drive from Vancouver.
Explore Kimberley
On Saturday, October 5th there will be an optional day for attendees to enjoy the recreational amenities of Kimberley including:
- Mountain biking the Nature Park and Lois Creek
- Biking the Rails to Trails
- Shuttle biking Bootleg Mountain
- Indoor climbing at Spirit Rock Climbing Centre in Kimberley
- Outdoor climbing at St. Mary’s and Perry Creek
- Hiking in the Nature Park
- Fishing on St. Mary’s River
SCHEDULE AT-A-GLANCE
Kimberley: A Good Place To Explore in Autumn
The mountain town of Kimberley is ideal in autumn because the larch trees are golden, the temps are perfect for outdoor fun, and the summer crowds have gone home. Come for the Summit but stay for the recreation, the restaurants and shops in the central platzl, and the surrounding wilderness that’s oh-so-easily accessible.
TESTIMONIALS
Attending the KORE Summit last year was a fantastic way to connect with like-minded individuals who share a passion for the outdoor industry. It provided an excellent opportunity to showcase my business while also learning about innovative companies within our region and beyond.
The Summit exceeded my expectations in every way. It’s a rare opportunity to be able to connect with, and learn from, so many people within the outdoor industry so easily. A conference of this quality anywhere else would be five times the price. The Summit is a game changer for small businesses in the Kootenays.
The KORE Summit was my single best networking and professional development event of the year. Such a great variety of content and attendees made it a very worthy way to spend a couple of days. Also, it was so fantastic to spend time in Kimberly and be so close to great recreation opportunities.
OUR PARTNERS
Summit Sponsor
PacifiCan
PacifiCan is the federal economic development agency dedicated to British Columbians. PacifiCan works with partners who are building innovative businesses, creating quality jobs and supporting inclusive growth throughout our province.
Basecamp Sponsors
City of Kimberley
KORE thanks the City of Kimberley for the financial support for the “Experience Kimberley” and “Invest Kimberley” conference components for the optional day on Saturday, October 5. Summit delegates can discover both adventure amenities, such as trails and recreation facilities, as well as local businesses and economic development opportunities including light industrial and workshop manufacturing areas.
Website: kimberley.ca
PBJ Merch Co.
New Westminster, BC-based PBJ Merch Co. makes custom merchandise, gifts, and apparel for your company. Founder Rich Patterson says his “deep roots in Cranbrook and connections across the Kootenay region, where I spent my youth skiing, camping, and revelling in the outdoors, inspire our dedication to environmental stewardship and to supporting organizations like KORE.”
Website: pbjmerch.co
Gear Re-Store
Calgary-based Gear Re-Store specialises in extending the life of outdoor gear, including waterproof/breathable jackets and pants, down products, sleeping bags, tents, and backpacks. Premium repairs and restoration services with above average turnaround time. Industry-leading technology. Reducing impact on the planet by keeping good gear out of the landfill. That’s who we are.
Website: gearrestore.com
Simply Kimberley
Simply Kimberley plans, organizes and books vacations, transportation and lodging in Kimberley. With its very own selection of condos, luxury private chalets and transportation services, Simply Kimberley creates customized vacation packages for the golf or ski adventurer in the Kimberley area.
Website: kimberley.com
COMMUNITY FUTURES EAST KOOTENAY
Community Futures is a community-drive, non-profit business loan, business development, and community economic development organization. We partner with community and business leaders to foster rural economic growth, and build vibrant, sustainable communities. Funded by the Government of Canada, Community Futures has been supporting rural entrepreneurs and communities for over 30 years. To find the Community Futures office nearest you, visit communityfutureskootenay.com.
Website: cfek.ca
CRANBROOK TOURISM
As the basecamp of the Kootenay Rockies, Cranbrook has it all. From all the trails one can dream of to multiple award-winning golf courses all within a 20-minute drive from town, Cranbrook is an adventure and outdoor enthusiast’s paradise.
Website: cranbrooktourism.com
KUMA OUTDOOR GEAR
Kuma Outdoor Gear offers North America luxury camping supplies designed in Canada. They believe in creating durable, outdoor products; it’s that simple. Their emphasis is on rugged and tough products that you can depend on. Using premium materials and a focus on ultimate comfort creates products that you can’t live without.
Website: kumaoutdoorgear.com
Trailhead Sponsors
Economic Trust of the Southern Interior BC
We gratefully acknowledge the financial support from ETSI-BC for helping fund part of the KORE Outdoor Rec-Tech Summit.
Website: www.etsi-bc.ca
Tourism Kimberley
From arts and culture to feasts, flavours, and festivity, Kimberley is a place to soak up magic moments with every turn.
Website: tourismkimberley.com
FUTURPRENEUR
Futurpreneur has been fueling the entrepreneurial passions of Canada’s young enterprise for two decades. They are the only national, non-profit organization that provides financing, mentoring and support tools to aspiring business owners aged 18-39. Our internationally recognized mentoring program hand matches young entrepreneurs with a business expert from a network of more than 2,400 volunteer mentors.
Website: futurpreneur.ca
REVY WEB DESIGN
We’re a small team of creatives who design and develop really great websites for the businesses of the Kootenays. Our team has a wide range of skills to help your business shine online. Whether you’re looking for web design, branding, photography, SEO and analytics, or engaging content creation, we’ve got you covered.
Website: revywebdesign.ca
AMBLER MOUNTAIN WORKS
Ambler specializes in ethically-made hats, toques, tees, felt slippers and other products that encourage people to get out and enjoy life outdoors. But the company does more than just make nice stuff to sell. The husband and wife team who own it believe that small businesses can make a difference in our local communities and across the globe by the decisions we make and actions we take. Ambler wants to make a difference in the lives of the people they work with, from the makers to the wearers and everyone in between.
Website: amblermw.com
KOOTENAY ASSOCIATION FOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Since 1998, KAST (Kootenay Association for Science & Technology) has led our region’s economic development through technology and innovation. We are the only non-profit tech association serving the entire Kootenay region. Our main offerings are: the Venture Acceleration Program, DER3 program, Kootenay Pitch Competition, Tech Resiliency Program, Nelson Innovation Centre and GLOWS. Our mission is to enable a vibrant, thriving and healthy tech community in the Kootenays by creating inclusive economic opportunities, stimulating job growth and by providing entrepreneurs and businesses with the support they need to thrive in the local and digital economy.
Website: kast.com
IN-KIND SPONSORS
KOOTENAY COMPUTER
From computer sales and repair to proactive IT management and support, Kootenay Computer offers a complete range of strategy-driven solutions for business and residential. Their skilled technicians are knowledgeable and well-trained on the latest technology to support any operating system you might use. Whether it’s Apple products or Windows computers, they repair and maintain them all. Even Linux, Unix and FreeDos systems are supported.
Website: kootenaycomputer.com
BLACK DOG CYCLE & SKI
Kimberley-based Black Dog Cycle & Ski is all about offering quality service and products we can stand behind with confidence and knowledge. That goes from our high-end skis and electric bikes, down to our t-shirts. If we won’t wear it, we won’t sell it. So, drop in and let’s see what we can do to make your outdoor leisure time everything you hope it can be.
Website: blacdogcycleandski.com
MOUNTAIN LIFE MEDIA
Mountain Life isn’t just a magazine or website, it’s a lifestyle. A vibrant, healthy, outdoor-loving lifestyle that we want to share with the world. We seek to showcase the extraordinary characters and epic adventures from Coast to Coast to Coast in Canada’s vast wilderness (and beyond). People from all ages and walks of life check out Mountain Life and our award-winning publications to get inspired to make stories of their own.
Website: mountainlifemedia.ca
OUTDOOR CONNECT PARTNERS
The following organizations have partnered with KORE to provide a variety of activities for the Outdoor Connect part of the agenda on the afternoon of the first day of the Summit.
