MEDIA RELEASE
Outdoors New Zealand
The Confluence – Tutakitanga
The International Outdoor Recreation and Education Conference
21-24 January 2008
Outdoor Industry Heads for the Confluence
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It’s not a conference, it’s a Confluence: “the premier gathering of the New Zealand and international outdoor sector
this decade”. That’s how organisers, Outdoors New Zealand, are billing the International Outdoor Recreation and
Education Conference to be held in Christchurch, January 21-24.
“Outdoor recreation and education are embedded in the New Zealand psyche, with most New Zealanders living close to the
mountains, rivers, lakes, bush and sea”, says Outdoors New Zealand’s Chief Executive, Laura Adams. “Keeping the outdoor
industry up-to-date with international trends and bringing them together to share experiences and knowledge is vital for
New Zealand’s future. I think the Confluence will make a significant contribution to the New Zealand priorities of
national identity and economic transformation. It’s going to be a very important event.”
The Confluence Tutakitanga, sponsored by Sport and Recreation New Zealand (SPARC), will bring the outdoor sector
together for four days with seminars, workshops and speakers from eight countries. Keynote speaker, Dr Alan Ewert,
Department of Recreation, Parks and Tourism at Indiana University, USA, will speak on “Stress and Coping in Adventure
Education Programs”. Other topics on offer are “Cowboys and Cotton Wool: The Role of Men in Adventure Education”,
“The Spiral in Action: A Pathway of Outdoor Education in Low-Decile Secondary Schools”, “Maori and Rivers” and “Extreme
Sport Subcultures: Big Wave Surfing”. 300 local and international delegates are expected to attend the four-day
conference.
Pre-conference workshops and post-conference activities augment The Confluence creating a nine-day international outdoor
symposium, the first of its kind in New Zealand.
Registrations close January 7.
ENDS