Outdoor Retailer - January 2021 - 52

THE WINTER SHOW / Innovation Awards

The 2021 Outdoor
Retailer Innovation Awards
The virtual ceremony will honor the best the industry has to
offer for a better, more sustainable future. by L. Renee Blount

52 OUTDOOR RETAILER

/ January 2021

L. Renee
Blount

resource: the environment. Join me in this
celebration of inno-venture.
-L. Renee Blount is a Harvard-trained
designer, photographer, and longtime climber. She works simultaneously in innovation
and brand consulting and storytelling to help
brands illuminate untold stories and to rethink the future. Her storytelling is about making the outdoors much more accessible through
joy. Her most recent clients include: Patagonia,
The North Face, Athleta, Arc'teryx, and more.

The judges chose 34 contenders out of 189 nominations for
the third annual awards.
THIS WINTER, A RECORD 189 PRODUCTS AND
services were nominated for the third annual
Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards, and 34
were evaluated and voted in by the 16 judges to
move on to the final round.
The judging panel spans a depth of experience in product development, design, materials, strategy, testing, and consumer engagement. Spark, Design, Function, and Impact
are the core criteria used in the Innovation
Awards. For the final round, the 16-member panel will be joined by additional student
judges to decide the winners.
" This year's judging panel understands
product innovation from concept to consumer
use, and we're excited they are part of the third
annual Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards, "
says Marisa Nicholson, Outdoor Retailer senior
vice president and show director. " Each brings a
unique perspective to the judging process, and
their knowledge is already helping shape the
way we experience the outdoors. We appreciate their support, and their work as part of this
panel will continue to inspire our industry. "
Here are the 34 finalists.
ACCESSORIES

1. Nite Ize TRU Zip
2. Vapur EZ Lick Portable Dog Water Bottle
3. Sawyer Products Tap Filtration System
4. Yakima Products EXO System
APPAREL

Attend the online ceremony to unveil the
winners hosted by L. Renee Blount on
Thursday, January 21, 2021, 6 p.m. ET/3
p.m. PT during the Summit Days of the
upcoming Outdoor Retailer Winter Online
digital experience. Register here.

5. Houdini Sportswear Houdini Mono Air Houdi
6. Helly Hansen Odin Infinity Insulated Jacket
7. Auclair Sports Eco Racer Glove
8. Dovetail Workwear Maven Maternity

Courtesy of L. Renee Blount

I'M ABOUT INNOVATION, ADVENTURE &
wonder. I've spent the past few years working simultaneously in innovation and brand
consulting to rethink the future. Innovation
is a mix of science and whimsey that I love.
It's seeing where something is going and
reimagining the future to improve humanity. Whether it's reimagining the future
of airport movement, thinking about the
future of driverless behavior, digital products for government, imagining the future
of hotels, I've had the pleasure to strategize
and imagine with the best.
My interest began in graduate school. I realized there were firms that exclusively were
built for blue sky thinkers-where people
are ideators and dreamers (researchers, designers, engineers, strategists, and ethnographers) collaborating to make products
and better brands happen. Many brands use
ideation and innovation firms to infuse them
with new ideas. That's where I began.
Innovation is not only about pushing
bounds; it is making something that's desirable, feasible, and viable at scale-it is incredibly tough to exist in this sweet spot.
Not only am I incredibly excited to host the
Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards, but I
am stoked to see where the nexus of adventure and innovation is being pushed. This
year's finalists are the best yet. And the widest
range yet-from COVID-19 delivery systems
to pushing material science the furthest with
new padding systems and lining. Climate
change impacts are top of mind. The products
are imagining a better, more sustainable future with reusable materials and energy.
Join me in this celebration of innovation
and adventure as we honor products that
have the capacity to improve our adventures
and how we interact with our most precious

THE FINALISTS

http:// https://outdoorretailer.com/events-education/innovation-awards/ https://www.instagram.com/urbanclimbr/?hl=en https://registration.experientevent.com/showOTR211

Outdoor Retailer - January 2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Outdoor Retailer - January 2021