Industry: Andrew Denton


A passion for the outdoors


David Pittman speaks to OIA’s new chief executive Andrew Denton on his aspirations for the association.


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peaking to Andrew Denton, his passion for the outdoors soon becomes clear. He has nearly three decades of experience in the sector, starting his career in outdoor education and then moving into a series of senior management and ownership roles in major businesses such as Rohan, Mountain Equipment, Sprayway, the Peaco Group and the Outdoor Sports Company (OSC). An accomplished mountaineer, mountain biker, ski mountaineer and triathlete, Denton is an outdoor activist outside of the office too, as well as a member of the Alpine Club. This focus on the outdoors has given him vast experience and passion that he is looking to bring to the Outdoor Industries Association (OIA).


Denton was announced as OIA’s new chief executive in July, taking up the role in August. He replaces Louise Ramsay, who has moved to the role of communications director with the association as part of its new-look executive structure (see SGB Outdoor July). Ramsay and Denton’s roles are part time, although he admits to working tirelessly in the first few weeks of his new job, visiting businesses across the industry in his mission to promote the work of the new-look OIA and garner support from existing and potential members.


This forms part of his professional remit to strengthen OIA’s role in growing participation and business for all those involved in the outdoors, and his own personal motivation to build a powerful and representative trade association for the outdoor market. “When I first spoke to Louise, I was very impressed by her, the work that had already gone into refocusing the association and where it wanted to go.


“The make-up of the board is very different to how it used to be and is more dynamic. This dynamism is exciting and is similar to other outdoor associations around the world, such as


6 www.sgboutdoor.co.uk ʻ


There are many unknown challenges and opportunities that lay ahead, but the only guarantee in an uncertain future is


that you are better off working together than facing it alone.


OIA in the US and the Scandinavian Outdoor Group (SOG).


“There remains cynics in the market that question the role OIA can play, but I believe an outdoor association is a good thing, as shown by the success of OIA in the US and SOG.” An association is only as strong as its membership though and Denton says this is why OIA needs support from the industry. “It’s chicken and egg. We are committed to growth, representing the trade at the highest levels and being a genuine voice to lobby on behalf of members.


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“To be that association, we need support from across the outdoor market. Foremost, I am looking to grow the number of members to increase the financial support for the association. This will allow it to continue to provide services and commercial benefits to small members, such as bulk purchasing discounts.


“In turn, this will give us a stronger voice that will interest bigger members who don’t need the association to benefit from economies of scale but are looking for a balanced, neutral voice to represent their interests and lobby government.”


British Cycling is cited by Denton as an example of an association that has been able to unite an industry and work to increase the prominence of its sport and members. Growing participation, political support and city-wide cycle schemes are notable successes British Cycling has had in recent years. Denton says OIA has the


potential to do the same for the outdoor market. “Like cycling, outdoor ticks many of the boxes that the government is looking for. It offers natural health benefits, is a relatively green industry and supports the UK economy by promoting the ‘staycation’ market. “The total value of the outdoor industry in the UK is somewhere near £5bn, which is far greater than the cycling industry, yet the market remains disparate and there is no single voice able to leverage this potential.


“I passionately believe the outdoor market needs a strong association. £5bn gives the industry a big voice but it will only be heard if we pull together. Members need to trust what OIA can do and it’s a relatively small investment to become a member. We are also offering a money-back guarantee to smaller businesses if they don’t recoup their membership fee within a year.


“Everybody wants to see a sustainable increase in participation in the outdoors; why wouldn’t they? I’ve earned a living, made some of my best friends and had some of the best moments of my life thanks to the outdoors. I want everyone to experience and enjoy it; we all want that.


“There are many unknown challenges and opportunities that lay ahead, but the only guarantee in an uncertain future is that you are better off working together than facing it alone."


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