China’s leading outdoor industry exhibition — Asia Outdoor — will be held in Nanjing from July 24–27, 2013. During the event, China’s largest environmental NGO, Friends of Nature, will engage with outdoor gear manufacturers, outdoor groups, and other industry professionals through a series of interactive activities to share the concept of “Leave No Trace.”
“Leave No Trace” originated in the United States in the 1960s. The movement advocates minimizing human impact on the environment during outdoor activities and fulfilling our responsibility and care for nature. With the rapid growth of China’s outdoor market in recent years, increasingly popular outdoor activities have also caused significant environmental damage. In response, Friends of Nature introduced “Leave No Trace” to China in 2011 and chose to collaborate with Asia Outdoor to jointly promote the concept.
It is reported that Friends of Nature will use Booth M0601 in Hall B to share Leave No Trace outdoor knowledge, discuss ways to reduce the environmental impact of outdoor activities, and seek more partners to expand the influence of Leave No Trace in China. During the exhibition, Friends of Nature will also organize events such as a film salon and hand-drawn postcard activities. Among them, a film salon will be held from 1:30–4:30 PM on July 25 in Meeting Room C01, where audiences will learn about Leave No Trace environmental knowledge and personal stories, and watch the classic outdoor documentary “180° South.” In addition, Friends of Nature will offer a “Leave No Trace Outdoor Experience Activity” for local outdoor enthusiasts in Nanjing, with details to be announced soon.
For this exhibition, the China Outdoor Retailers Association (CORA) has provided strong support to Friends of Nature. A CORA market department representative stated: “As a well-known environmental advocate in the outdoor industry and a member of 1% for the Planet (FTP), CORA pays great attention to the Leave No Trace movement. In February 2013, Friends of Nature officially became a member of the 1% for the Planet environmental organization initiated by Patagonia, which has further strengthened our collaboration. CORA is giving full support to LNT through concrete actions, jointly promoting the adoption of the Leave No Trace movement across mainland China. We hope more outdoor gear companies, outdoor groups, and outdoor enthusiasts will care for nature, promote the Leave No Trace philosophy, lead by example, and encourage more people in the outdoor community to join the Leave No Trace movement.” During the exhibition, CORA will distribute a large number of beautifully designed eco-friendly souvenirs to encourage everyone to jointly promote and practice Leave No Trace.