Steve McGrath of Camp Chef Shines on Outdoor Retailer Stage

Camp Chef's VP of marketing discussed the state of the outdoor industry - including how COVID sparked an "explosion of the brand" - during a panel at Outdoor Retailer in Salt Lake City.

At the recent Outdoor Retailer summer trade show in Salt Lake City, Steve McGrath, vice president of marketing for Camp Chef, was one of five panelists on an executive roundtable hosted by The Daily, a B2B outdoor industry trade publication.

The panel, titled "What's Next for the Outdoor Industry Post Pandemic," featured McGrath and four other outdoor industry executives: Lesley Christoph, Marketing Director, Lowa Boots; Thomas Laakso, Vice President of Product and Operations, DPS Skis; Jedd Rose, President, Topo Designs; and Somer Webb, CFO, Solo Brands.

The panel was moderated by Bart Schaneman, chief writer for The Daily, whose recent article, Lowa, Topo, DPS, Solo, Camp Chef Leaders on What's Next for Outdoor, recapped the panelists' comments.

During the event, he asked McGrath and others to discuss how the pandemic "leveled the playing field," where smaller companies could compete with the big brands in large stores. Other questions centered on inventory problems; the importance of brands and retailers partnering during COVID; how much savvier customers have become; and more.

Participants shared their views on how the pandemic shaped their business, where they think the industry is headed and headwinds that remain. They spoke about inventory issues, softening demand, silver linings and innovating during the pandemic.

McGrath was quoted throughout the recap article, which opened with his assessment of how COVID-19 impacted the outdoor industry in general and Camp Chef in particular.

"Certainly, people were getting outside more. They were going camping instead of going to Disney World," McGrath said. "A lot of people learned to cook. The Food Network took off. For us, it was an explosion of the brand."

To read McGrath's comments - plus how others view the current state of the outdoor industry - head over to The Daily for the full article, Lowa, Topo, DPS, Solo, Camp Chef Leaders on What's Next for Outdoor.