KPS/3 unit targets adventure events

When KPS/3 launched a new outdoors- oriented subsidiary, the Renobased marketing company was driven by a belief that the creation of a new identity for Nevada tourism is gaining traction.

Adventure Nevada Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of KPS/3, next month will produce a new rock-climbing event, The Red Rock Rendezvous, near Las Vegas.

While Adventure Nevada Co.

isn't entirely a promoter of special events, the Red Rock Rendezvous is a good indication of the work the company will do, says Stephanie Kruse, president and chief executive officer of KPS/3.

Groups such as the Nevada Commission on Tourism and the Reno- Sparks Convention & Visitors Bureau have put plenty of energy and cash into efforts to build an image of Nevada as a place for outdoors-oriented tourism.

Those efforts have been successful, Kruse said last week, but potential outof- state visitors still need more guidance.

"A lot of people don't how to get their arms about what to do," she said.

The role of Adventure Nevada Co., then, is creation of outdoor-related tourism products that provide visitors with a point of entry.

Along with the Red Rock Rendezvous, the company is working on a volunteer basis to promote a springtime whitewater festival planned along the Truckee River in downtown Reno.

A proposal is pending, meanwhile, with a gaming company that might use Adventure Nevada Co.

to develop a rafting festival in northern Nevada later this year.

Along with events, Adventure Nevada Co.

also plans to work with communities to help them identify and package their outdoor-recreation assets.

That work might range from help with fundraising to traditional advertising, Kruse said.

So who will pay Adventure Nevada Co.? In some cases, Kruse said, payment will come from communities that use the company's service.

Grants from government agencies and other nonprofits are another potential source of revenue.

The Las Vegas climbing festival, meanwhile, is supported by corporate sponsors notably Mountain Gear and The North Face.

Increasingly, Kruse said, manufacturers of outdoor gear recognize Nevada as an important market and are looking for opportunities to boost their presence here.