Outdoor Recreation – National
A&O Industry Labor Market – Oregon
Economic Impact Of Sports Events & Franchises – Portland Oregon
Living Lab//
Oregon’s legendary recreational opportunities aren’t just a perk to entice active talent. They also serve as a living lab for testing products and observing customer behavior. The people making and marketing your products are the ones using them.
Walk Score
Portland is a city of neighborhoods, where people walk to work, to dinner, to shop. Showing up to a meeting with a rain jacket over your business suit—if you even wear one—is standard practice.
Walk Score»
Walk There! 50 treks in & around Portland & Vancouver»
Cycling
Portland has the highest percentage of urban bike commuters in the country. The city’s exploding bicycle racing scene is internationally known, and cycling-related businesses proliferate here.
Hiking/Camping
You don’t have to go far to find sublimely beautiful camping and hiking in the Columbia River Gorge, the Pacific coast and the high desert. And you don’t even have to leave town to access Forest Park’s 80 miles of wooded trails.
Foodies
Physical fitness requires optimum fuel. Portlanders are serious about good food, and the abundant Willamette Valley produces some of the country’s best. And with the dozens of food carts mushrooming around town, lunch is one more thing we can take outside.
Public Transportation
A long history of investment in public transportation has created a sophisticated transit system and high ridership, contributing to the city’s enviable livability.
Water Sports
The convergence of two rivers and the proximity of the Pacific Ocean make the Portland area an epicenter of windsurfing, kiteboarding, surfing, kayaking, and standup paddleboarding.
Running
Hardcore runners, from elite road racers to trail ultramarathoners, congregate here. These die-hards are notorious early adopters of everything from minimalist running to GPS technology. Running shoes are even part of the business uniform in this casual culture.
Sustainability//
People who love being outdoors care about sustainability. It’s only natural—we want to protect the places we play and the air that fills our lungs.
The emerging green ethos increasingly defines the industry’s core values. Embracing sustainability as part of a company’s culture and business strategy appeals to talented young workers (and savvy consumers) who care about the environment.
On a nuts-and-bolts level, sustainability strategies also help businesses avoid risk. Getting ahead of the curve in developing alternative materials and processes helps insulate a company from higher oil prices, tougher product safety regulations, and changing consumer tastes.
Portland has always been on the forefront of environmental responsibility. We are the first city in the U.S. to adopt a formal plan to lower carbon emissions, we reintroduced the modern streetcar, promoted new ways of managing waste and stormwater and are now a home to the green building and clean technology revolutions. It is no wonder that companies that place an emphasis on sustainability in their materials, manufacturing, and supply chain such as Nike, Nau, Icebreaker and Looptworks, all call Portland their home.
Talent//
Attracted by prime recreational opportunities and Portland’s international reputation for cultural innovation, the strongest talent in the world is drawn to Portland. Portlanders are motivated, nimble, and proud of their work.
Taylor Hinshaw
“This is the perfect place for me to start my career.”
Anna Martens
“People in Portland don’t just talk about their ideas, they make them happen.”
Sean Beers
“I don’t consider what I do work.”
Entrepreneurship//
The spirit of entrepreneurship is valued and supported in Portland, a creative mecca that welcomes exploration and innovation.
Half of the area’s large heritage firms in the A&O industry started with entrepreneurs, and their presence creates an environment that encourages new players.
The City of Portland and PDC are committed to helping small to medium sized business owners in the A&O industry. PDC provides connections to financial resources and networking opportunities that assist business owners in growing their companies.
- Peer-2-Peer Program- a forum for shared learning and networking for small to medium sized businesses in the A&O industry
- Oregon Entrepreneurs Network – OEN
