The Power of Showing Up: West Virginia’s Outdoor Economy Takes the Stage

We love seeing this state show up for itself, and this was a moment worth amplifying. 

The Brad and Alys Smith Outdoor Economic Development Collaborative at WVU brought West Virginia’s first-ever Outdoor Economy Summit to Charleston in mid-February, and the response said everything. The inaugural multi-day event drew over 300 people, sold out completely and still turned away a significant waiting list.

But the numbers aren’t really the point. The point is who was filing into the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center. You had state leadership like Treasurer Larry Pack alongside outdoor recreation pioneers like Dave Arnold, who has spent decades proving what’s possible in the Mountain State. Community funders like the Benedum Foundation and Partner Community Capital, who have long put their money behind this state’s potential, were there alongside convention and visitor center representatives, destination marketers and the literal trailblazers who are out there armed with shovels and vision, quietly building the infrastructure that makes all of this possible.

That mix of people was by design. It takes real intention to build a room like that, and a real investment of time, resources and understanding of why showing up for these moments matters. As attendees, we were all given the opportunity to sit across from someone whose work looks nothing like our own and figure out what we’re actually building together (even if it’s figuratively). That kind of gathering doesn’t happen by accident, and it doesn’t happen without community.

West Virginia has never lacked for people who believe in this place. What it’s building now is the infrastructure to match. And we’ve seen it firsthand at DR. From helping bring the new Monday Lick Trail System to life visually for the Pocahontas County CVB to building the brand for Mountaineer Bike Yard from the ground up, we’ve had the privilege of working alongside some of the people and projects that are turning big ideas into real destinations and real economic drivers for this state.

Digital Relativity was proud to sponsor this inaugural event. Here’s to the visionaries at WVU and the collective community that made it happen! We can’t wait to see what happens next!