Innov_ex, the only Outdoor Industry conference in the world solely dedicated to innovation, took place at the beginning of May at Lancaster University in the UK. Innovation for Extremes offers a unique platform from which to build industry best practice and specific initiatives related to sustainability, general green issues and innovation. The organization behind the conference was started by Mike Parson, former owner of Karrimor, and Mary Rose, Professor at the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development at Lancaster University. Their collaboration on the book Invisible on Everest: Innovation and the Gear Makers, published in 2003, led them to try and foster a broader community discussion on the merits of innovation in the outdoor industry.