Inverness Outdoor Network, an association of twelve activity providers, took a stand at the Ordnance Survey Outdoors Show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham last weekend.
Offering a range of 40 high quality outdoor activities from abseiling and ice climbing to more leisurely pursuits such as horse-riding and guided walks. The group were targeting the 37,500 visitors who attended the biggest consumer show of its kind in the UK.
Inverness Outdoor Network shared their stand with VisitScotland, where they launched their new leaflet and website promoting a range of the best outdoor activities Inverness has to offer. Based around Inverness, the group have worked in partnership to pool resources and now are jointly marketing their activities. They have recently attracted £13,000 in funding to market Inverness as a short break activity destination.
Mike Dunthorne, a founding member of the group and Director of Boots N Paddles says, “The members of the network have worked very hard over the last six months to secure funding for this initiative. We now have a great website and also a leaflet that will be distributed to a huge audience and will attract more visitors to the Inverness area.
“We are all looking forward to the Outdoors Show. It’s a wonderful opportunity to market our product to an English audience and to meet potential customers face to face. The English market is very important to us as a significant proportion of our business comes from south of the border. “
The website www.outdoorsinverness.co.uk showcases the vast range of land and water based activities on offer from the Network. Activities provided by ION members can be enjoyed right across the highlands from the Cairngorm National Park to the UK’s highest mountain Ben Nevis. These include sailing courses, paintball, snow boarding, ski touring, sea kayaking, rock climbing, canoe expeditions and weaselling (wriggling, scrambling and squirming through a vast area of boulders). There is also quad biking, go karts and adventure areas within 4 miles of the highland capital at Bogbain.
The group have been financially supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and VisitScotland through the Challenge Fund.
