The Outdoor Recreation Network is delighted welcome so many to our annual Conference. This year the event was held in Wicklow, Ireland. Delegates enthusiasm for engaging in the interactive sessions and contributing to the various discussions truly enhanced the conference experience. We extend our sincere gratitude to all our speakers, delegates, and partners for their valuable contributions to this enriching event. Special thanks are due to Coillte, Fáilte Ireland, and Sport Ireland for their generous support, as well as to our MC, Joanne Murphy, for her dynamic facilitation throughout the conference.

Day 1
“There was such great energy and drive to do better amongst attendees representing all sectors across Outdoor recreation in the UK and Ireland with great new insights shared, collaborations discussed and opportunities for partnership working made through networking IN PERSON!” – conference attendee feedback.

From leveraging data to ‘Get Ireland Active’, to identifying access inequity and influencing decision-making, each session brought valuable perspectives. We explored the growing role of data insights in environmental protection, visitor behaviour, health impacts, and more.

Highlights included connected breakout sessions fed by quickfire presentations that allowed delegates to bounce ideas of each other in a fast-paced, engaging fashion. The afternoon session culminated with small group conversations and a summary round-up that prioritised the valuable insights from the day. Day 1 was capped off with the conference dinner, expertly hosted by MC Joanne Murphy, including fireside chat with guest speaker Ellie Berry from Tough Soles and the inaugural ORN Awards ceremony, which celebrated outdoor recreation success across the UK and Ireland.

Day 2
“It’s not every day you get to hike a mountain, swim in a lake and finish it off by whizzing down a slide in the UK & Irelands first fully accessible Forest Park at ‘Beyond the Trees’ Avondale, Co. Wicklow” – conference attendee feedback.

Day 2 commenced with a burst of energy, with some attendees participating in a refreshing morning swim in Glendalough Upper Lake. The conference party then travelled to ‘Beyond the Trees’ in Avondale Forest Park where the remainder of the day was dedicated to discussions on data-driven tourism destinations and place shaping. The session featured presentations on the profile and significance of outdoor activity visitors to the country and included a presentation from Daithi de Forge from Coillte on the immensely popular site of Avondale. A highlight for many was undoubtedly the ‘Journey Through and Above the Trees’, culminating in an exhilarating descent down the infamous slide!