About the Summit

You’re invited to OREC’s annual summit this fall, the Colorado Outdoor Industry Leadership Summit (COILS)!

This is a free three day conference that brings together professionals across Colorado's entire outdoor industry to learn, connect, and collaborate in an organic way, creating lasting relationships that unify and strengthen our collective industry.

This year’s conference will be located at Estes Park, CO, October 1-3, 2025.

Call for Proposals

We’re seeking proposals that align this year’s overall theme: “Gather ‘round the campfire!”

Campfires have long symbolized a sense of togetherness, storytelling, and connection. That is what COILS is and has always been about.

Coming together around the campfire is rooted in the magic that happens after a full day of adventure in the great outdoors and unwinding around a mesmerizing fire. A natural bond and banter commences followed by captivating storytelling that ignites ideas and inspiration, encourages curiosity and reflection, and fills the atmosphere with joy and laughter. Connection and camaraderie are created.”

Our theme reminds us of the shared love and passion we have for the outdoors, unifying us through common ground.

Session Tracks

Keeping with this year’s theme, we present the following program session tracks that are grounded in the camping experience:

• Basecamp Building: Strengthening the Outdoor Economy: This track is inspired by the prep, planning, and teamwork needed to set up a successful campsite. This track ties to the economic development, advancement, and sustainability of our outdoor industry. Topics in this track could include innovative business strategies, industry trends, public and private partnerships, rural outdoor economies, access to capital, localizing supply chains, state and federal policies shaping the outdoors, etc.
• Environmental Care: This track relates to the practice of caring, preserving, and protecting the environment and space we recreate on. Topics in this track could include balancing recreation and conservation, trail sustainability and restoration, indigenous land stewardship, carbon footprint of the outdoor industry, sustainable gear and supply chains, public-private partnerships for conservation, green infrastructure in outdoor recreation, etc.
• Community Knowledge and Skill Building: This track is based on the knowledge and wisdom that is shared around a campfire, helping to educate and spark ideas. This track ties to the education and training of our industry’s workforce. Topics in this track could include strategies for attracting and retaining professionals, closing industry skills gaps, building the next generation of leaders, workforce diversity and inclusion, supporting seasonal workers, higher education in the outdoor industry, youth participation in the outdoors, etc.
• Collective Health, Wellness, and Safety: This track aligns with the health and wellness of all Coloradans through outdoor recreation, and the responsible, healthy, and safe practices we take while recreating (including the responsible use of campfires!). Topics in this program track include but are not limited to mental and physical wellbeing, adaptive recreation, inclusive outdoor spaces, outdoor access, employee health, outdoor prescription programs, wilderness first aid, search and rescue, water safety, trail and outdoor infrastructure safety, building resilient and adaptable outdoor communities, etc.

Session Types

We encourage engaging and creative presentation formats. Priority may be given to proposals involving interactive elements:

• Panel (presentation and Q&A with a series of experts)
• Workshop (small group work sessions developing strategies for a specific issue)
• Community Forum (brief presentation w/ interactive discussions/deep dialogue)
• Outdoor session (an informative, tech-free session, or an interactive, hands-on instructional session)
• Case Studies (models and real world examples)

Diversity and Representation

We aim to create a space of belonging and encourage voices of underrepresented and marginalized communities to submit proposals and share their experience, knowledge, and expertise. We ask that all speakers are intentional about addressing a diverse audience that may include all abilities, ethnicities, genders, geographies, nations, races, sexualities, and socio-economic statuses.

We believe the outdoor industry is stronger when it reflects true diversity and works to make the outdoors safe, accessible, and welcoming for all.

Before You Apply, Review the Requirements

• Sessions will be 60 minutes long.
• Sessions may have up to six speakers. The person completing this form will be responsible for ensuring that all speakers are registered to attend. 
• All speakers are required to attend in person. We will not have any virtual content for the 2024 summit.
• We are unable to compensate speakers at this time.
• Organizations can submit a total of three proposals but only one can be accepted.

Follow Up and Contact

Please provide as much detail as you can about your session idea. The deadline to apply is Sunday, June 8, 2025 at 12 a.m. We will notify you once we’ve made our final selection.

Please reach out to us at matthew.nunez@state.co.us if you have any questions. 

Thank you and best of luck!

Apply Today

Type: Summit

For: Outdoor industry professionals

Date: Wednesday, October 1 - Friday, October 3, 2025

Location: Estes Park, CO | Traditional homeland and territory of the Arapaho, Ute, and Cheyenne peoples.

Venue: To be announced.

Cost: COILS is a free event, but registration is limited.

OEDIT division: Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office