The Gateway Outdoor Summit on Friday, November 14 is a one-day event that brings together industry professionals, nonprofit leaders, educators, and advocates to explore how outdoor recreation connects people to purpose, community, and the natural world.

We’re excited to welcome Eddy L. Harris — acclaimed author, filmmaker, and lecturer — as our keynote speaker. A St. Louis native and author of the celebrated Mississippi Solo: A River Quest, Harris has spent decades exploring questions of race, identity, and belonging through travel and storytelling. In his documentary River of the Heart, he retraced his source-to-sea Mississippi River journey at age 60.

All Summit sessions will take place on the lower level of the St. Charles Convention Center in meeting rooms 102/103 and 104/105.

The Summit is free, but space is limited. Please register here to attend.

The Summit precedes the Gateway Outdoor Expo on November 15-16. (Note: The exhibit hall is not open on November 14.)

Preliminary Schedule

12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Summit Check-In

1:00 – 1:15 p.m.
Summit Welcome and Schedule Overview

1:15 – 1:30 p.m.
Introductions and Sponsor Recognition

1:45 – 2:30 p.m.
Session 1A: Recreation with Intention: Building Purpose Through Outdoor Experiences — How challenging outdoor adventures help youth discover leadership and meaning.

Session 1B: Natural Value: Tourism Audits for Outdoor Recreation Economies — Tools to assess local assets, balance growth with preservation, and drive economic development.

2:30 – 2:45 p.m.
Transition Break – Snacks provided by Fit Flavors

2:45 – 3:30 p.m.
Session 2A: Equity on the Trail: Expanding Access to Leadership and Prosperity — Practical ways to make outdoor leadership more inclusive and equitable.

Session 2B: Beyond the Finish Line: How Race Events Fuel Outdoor Economies — Exploring the lasting cultural and economic impact of outdoor race events.

3:30 – 3:45 p.m.
Transition Break – Happy Half-Hour

3:45 – 4:45 p.m.
Keynote Address: Call of the Wild by Eddy L. Harris — The Mississippi River became my sanctuary and teacher. Though I wasn’t born to the wild, a 2,000-mile canoe journey taught me endurance, solitude, and self. From catching a catfish as a child to finding my voice on the river, the call of the wild ultimately saved my soul — and my life.

4:50 – 5:00 p.m.
Closing Remarks and Summit Wrap-Up

5:00 – 7:00 p.m.
VIP & Vendor Party