Processed in December of 2020
This collection was donated to USU Special Collections and Archives by Michael Hodgson and Therese Iknoian in 2020 and 2021.
No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.
Permission to publish material from the Michael Hodgson and Therese Iknoian outdoor industry collection must be obtained from the
Michael Hodgson is known as an expert in the outdoor industry, a subject that has become a main focus of his work and life. Michael is credited as a travel writer, author, photographer, an award-winning journalist, and creator/owner/co-owner of various outdoor industry websites. He has written 18 books and his articles have appeared in many notable outdoor publications. He has taken on various leadership roles within the outdoor industry, including a stint as the president of SNEWS (www.snewsnet.com), an online newsletter catered to covering fitness, outdoor, and winter-sports industries. Michael was also the senior editor for Outdoor Retailer magazine from 1990 to 1999 and is noted for launching the magazine's website on the internet. In 1995, he collaborated with Wendy Geister to create a daily paper for the Outdoor Retailer's trade shows titled the Daily Exposure, later renamed the Outdoor Retailer Daily in 2004. Michael also wrote for the Outdoor Recreation Coalition of America (ORCA), which changed its name to the Outdoor Industry Association (OIA) in 2002.
Therese Iknoian was trained as a news journalist but began to concentrate on travel writing and photography after developing a passion for travel adventure while on a short trip to Europe during her teenage years. Therese is fluent in German, French, and English and works as a translator for various outdoor industry companies through her own translation business (ThereseTranslates.com). She is also a member of the North American Travel Journal Association (NATJA) and the International Food Wine and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA). Like Michael, she has been involved in the outdoor industry, serving as a board member for the Outdoor Industry Women's Council (OIWC) in the early 2000s.
Michael and his wife, Therese Iknoian have collaborated on outdoor industry projects, such as their website HI Travel Tales where Michael and Therese share their travel experiences and offer travel advice. HI Travel Tales was named one of the top independent travel blogs in 2018 by NATJA. Michael was also awarded the silver medal from the NATJA for travel writing excellence in 2018 and 2019. In 2019, Therese won a gold and silver medal from NATJA for travel photography excellence, and received an honorable mention in 2018 from NATJA for her online Illustrated Story.
Michael Hodgson and Therese Iknoian's collection consists of records from various outdoor industry organizations and publications, including yearly reports, studies, trainings, guidebooks, event directories, and conference materials. Most of the collection is comprised of records from Outdoor Recreation Coalition of America (ORCA), Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), and Outdoor Retailer. The material dates from 1991 to 2015, with the bulk of the ORCA records from the 1990s. The collection has been organized into four series, with the second series divided into two sub-series. These series are: Outdoor Recreation Coalition of America (ORCA), Outdoor Industry Association (OIA), Outdoor Retailer, and Miscellaneous.
Series I: Outdoor Recreation Coalition of America (ORCA) (1991-2000) (1 box) Series II: Outdoor Industry Association (2002-2015) (3 boxes) A: Reports and Summaries B: Studies and Trainings Series III: Outdoor Retailer (1998-2015) (3 boxes) A. Summer and Winter Market guides Series IV: Miscellaneous (2004, 2006) (1 box)
Outdoor Recreation Catalogs (ORA 001)
Outdoor Recreation Magazines (ORA 002)
Serial publications were removed and added to ORA 001.