Today, Governor Polis and the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office (OREC) of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced the inaugural Outside Festival at Denver’s Civic Center Park, June 1-2, 2024. This flagship event will celebrate Colorado’s unparalleled outdoor recreation lifestyle and industry, while advancing our state’s commitment to increasing access to the outdoors. 

Today, Governor Polis and the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office (OREC) of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced 12 new recipients of the Colorado State Outdoor Recreation grant across the state. These grants will promote career development, hiring efforts and marketing in Colorado’s thriving outdoor recreation sector and have been awarded to organizations from Craig to Ridgway and Arvada to Colorado City.

Today, Governor Polis and the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office (OREC) of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced nine new recipients of the Colorado State Outdoor Recreation Grant across the state.

Today, Governor Polis and the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office (OREC) of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) announced a new grant program to support continued pandemic recovery among outdoor recreation industry businesses and nonprofits. The Outdoor Recreation Industry Impact Fund (ORIIF) will provide funding to help outdoor recreation industry employers hire and retain staff across the state.

The Wright Collegiate Challenge is a hands-on, semester-long program for college students, designed to spark out-of-the-box ideas and entrepreneurial thinking in addressing current-day challenges within the outdoor recreation industry. Working in teams, students are paired with leading outdoor businesses and nonprofit organizations to tackle complex issues facing the outdoor recreation industry.

The #ShopLocalColorado campaign this April celebrates Earth Day by highlighting sustainable products and initiatives by outdoor recreation and renewable energy businesses throughout Colorado. We invite business owners and community partners to utilize the #ShopLocalColorado toolkit to share the shop local message and encourage all Coloradans to shop locally, support our small businesses and boost our economy.

mountainFLOW Eco-Wax continues to grow support with “Shark Tank” appearance

Peter Arlein, founder and owner of Colorado-based mountainFLOW eco-wax, was incredulous at the email he was reading. A scout for the hit television show, “Shark Tank”, had seen him at the 2020 Outdoor Retailer at the Colorado Convention Center and wanted to know if he was interested in possibly being on the show.