Luis Benitez, the director of the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, was appointed in 2015.
Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade
Luis Benitez was appointed director of the newly created Colorado Office of Outdoor Recreation Industry in 2013. A much respected climber, Benitez has summited Everest size times. Earlier in his career he worked at Outward Bound, where he helped develop the leadership curriculum and led expeditions all over the world.
As one of the first government-appointed outdoor recreation officers, Benitez had been an outspoken champion for creating similar offices all over the country.
Benitez was also a key player in Outdoor Retailer's move to Denver.
In March 2019, Benitez became the VP of Government Affairs and Global Impact at VF Corporation, the parent company of The North Face, Icebreaker, Altra, Eagle Creek, and Jansport to name a few.
The Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office didn't have to look far to replace Luis Benitez, after he announced in March that he was leaving for VF Corporation. Nathan Fey has had his nose underneath the office's tent since its early days. He was a consultant, had a seat on ...read more
Luis Benitez is leaving his leadership post at the country's second-ever outdoor recreation office in Colorado for VF Corporation, the biggest company he helped lure to the state during his four years. Benitez will will become VP of government relations and global impact for VF, ...read more
It's official. After waffling for several months, John Hickenlooper finally announced on Monday that he's running for president in the next election. Hickenlooper, 67, is the 14th Democrat to declare a candidacy on what is already a crowded field. In an interview on "Good Morning ...read more
Despite former California Governor Jerry Brown's kibosh of a bill to create an outdoor recreation office, an advocacy group is stepping up to see the legislation through under the new administration. Next Monday, California Outdoor Recreation Partnership (CORP) will lead an ...read more
Keep up on the news, even among the trade show madness. Here are today's top headlines: Have a news tip? Email us at [email protected]. During the Industry Breakfast, Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), Snowsports Industries America (SIA) and the National Ski Areas ...read more
Imagine this: The Uncompahgre River flows beneath the balcony of your new home. After breakfast, you walk five minutes to the office. Your lunch break includes fly fishing on the Uncompahgre’s Gold Medal waters. Post work, you drive fifteen minutes—with zero traffic—to uncrowded ...read more
Colorado's outdoor recreation economy is about to get a lot stronger. VF Corporation, the Fortune 250 holding company for The North Face, JanSport, Smartwool, and other brands, announced that its moving its global headquarters to Denver, bringing 800 high-paying jobs to the ...read more
If the outdoor industry had a constitution, the Confluence Accords would be it. After seven months of collective effort, representatives from the eight states with formal offices of outdoor recreation gathered on the roof of a downtown Denver hotel yesterday to sign the accords, ...read more
Last week in Asheville, North Carolina, a roomful of delegates from around the country (and a few call-in attendees) took the next step in the Confluence process—a multi-state initiative to develop a national platform for the outdoor recreation industry. It was a ceremonial ...read more
As two fires rage in southern Colorado, employees of Durango’s Backcountry Experience are driving to the front lines to deliver wildland boots, sleeping pads, and other essentials for emergency responders. “This is not something I’ve asked them to do but they’re doing it to be ...read more
Western State Colorado University joins a handful of other colleges recognizing students’ desire to get a degree that’s useful in the outdoor industry, which generates an estimated $887 billion annually. The university in Gunnison, Colorado, is offering a new two-year, online MBA ...read more
“The questions that we are asking ourselves in small rural communities are ubiquitous globally,” said Luis Benitez, Director of the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office (OREC), as he kicked off the three-day Mountain Ventures Summit in Telluride, Colorado, this month. The ...read more
Open those calendar apps again. Outdoor Retailer announced today that they are shifting the dates of OR + SS 2019 to Jan. 30 - Feb. 1, 2019, three weeks later than the original schedule. And, in a quick pivot, Winter Sports Market (WSM), an annual buying show put on by Sports ...read more
Playing outside is serious business. More and more state governments are getting organized to maximize their outdoor economies by establishing offices devoted to the business of recreation. As of this week, there are eight state offices and task forces: Utah, Colorado, ...read more
Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office welcomes the thousands headed to Denver for Outdoor Retailer + Snow Show. It’s less than a week before the big show! To kick things off in a brand new city, Luis Benitez, Director of the Colorado Outdoor Recreation Industry Office ...read more
It was not an easy process. Emerald Expositions, parent company of Outdoor Retailer, was propositioned by many cities and states bragging about their outdoor cred. And the city of Denver, which lobbied hard to secure the show, had to have tricky conversations with organizations ...read more
There will be a "major announcement" tomorrow morning from Colorado's Outdoor Recreation Industry Office, according to a news release the office sent early Wednesday morning. Though the initial news release was vague, it's now clear that the press conference will be an official ...read more
