Trail Builder Mag Goes to the International Trails Summit Next Week in Reno
Ok, long title. Trust me, it wasn’t my first title idea … Trail Builder Mag Invades Reno? Trail Builder Mag Occupies the International Trail Summit? Nah, we’re just showing up and hanging out with everyone there. Some of you may be wondering …. what is the International Trails Summit (ITS)? In recent conversations with several trail builders, some hadn’t heard of it. Here’s what it’s about:
American Trails and the Professional TrailBuilders Association (PTBA) have joined forces to co-host the International Trails Summit (ITS) in Reno, Nevada during the week of April 17, 2023. ITS is a collaborative effort of the 25th International Trails Symposium and Training Institute and the Sustainable Trails Conference. This combined, high-impact event will convene a diverse trail and outdoor community to learn, build relationships, and find solutions to the challenges of developing and elevating outdoor recreation opportunities for all. The joint conference will also feature the World Trails Network - Hub for the Americas.
This exciting new collaboration is a gathering of trail and outdoor recreation enthusiasts and professionals representing all corners of the professional trails and outdoor recreation industry. The Summit will include more than 140 educational sessions covering a broad range of issues including nationally and internationally prominent presenters, informative and interactive workshops, a state-of-the-art Exhibit Hall, and a wide array of national training leaders.
For the past number of months, I have received countless emails and DMs wondering if I (Sean) was going to the ITS in Reno this year. Not sure if my schedule would allow me to pull it off, I decided to give it a go. In a flurry, I registered for the conference, booked my airline tickets, and reserved my hotel room. I’m all in! Then came the question … what am I going to do there?
I am covering the event as media.
Meaning, I’ll be there to cover the event, meet people, conduct interviews, and take lots of photos and videos. I won’t have a booth or anything like that. Instead, I’ll hang out in the workshops, and main sessions, with exhibitors and YOU! Since I know many of you will be there, I want to connect with as many of you as possible. I wish I could say I’d have our own Trail Builder Mag booth with magazines and all our gear, but not this year. Who knows, maybe next year? But this year, it’s all about capturing and sharing the event over our social media platforms. Who knows, maybe I’ll do more with our TikTok, which is currently sitting dormant after posting one video. Dancing???
I am grateful to the amazing people at American Trails and the Professional TrailBuilders Association for giving me / Trail Builder Mag this fun opportunity to cover the ITS this year. I’ll be posting throughout the day each day, so get ready for me to blow up your feed! As I mentioned, I am eager to meet as many of you as possible. I will be there all week starting Monday, so please drop me an email or DM me on social media and let’s connect!
Words: Sean Benesh Photos: Sean Benesh
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sean Benesh
Sean is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Trail Builder Mag. He is also the Communications Director for the Northwest Trail Alliance in Portland, Oregon. While in grad school, he worked as a mountain biking guide in Southern Arizona. Sean also spends time in the classroom as a digital media instructor at Warner Pacific University.
