CWA Blog Archive-2024 CWA Summit Final Keynotes Announced

2024 CWA Summit Final Keynotes Announced

Pdf Summary

The CWA announced legendary climbers Tommy Caldwell and Alan Watts as closing keynote speakers for the 2024 CWA Summit, joining previously announced opening keynote Sasha DiGiulian to form an all-star lineup. The framing emphasizes that these speakers will discuss the business of climbing through the prism of the sport's history, especially since the first indoor gyms opened in the Pacific Northwest in the late 1980s. The article's notable angle is that while Caldwell and Watts are best known for outdoor climbing, each played a vital role in the emergence of the indoor industry. Watts was instrumental in producing the first modular holds in the country and co-founded wall manufacturer EP, making him a foundational figure in the physical infrastructure of indoor climbing. Caldwell is a part owner of the North American distributor for Edelrid and has taken up the cause of creating more sustainable climbing gear while advocating at local and national levels for environmental protection, connecting elite climbing to industry and sustainability. CWA Executive Director Garnet Moore praises both as among the best climbers the sport has seen, noting they've leveraged their skills to grow climbing and find innovative ways to make it sustainable, accessible, and profitable, exactly the themes a business-of-climbing keynote should address. The article recounts Caldwell's stature, citing National Geographic calling him arguably the best all-around rock climber on the planet, and his landmark first free ascent of the Dawn Wall on El Capitan with Kevin Jorgeson, along with the personal story of his father teaching him to embrace fear and doubt. The throughline is that the 2024 Summit's keynote lineup bridges climbing's elite athletic history and its business present, bringing figures who shaped both the sport and the industry to speak to operators about where climbing has been and where it's going.

Asset Caption

The CWA named Tommy Caldwell and Alan Watts as 2024 Summit closing keynotes, joining opener Sasha DiGiulian. Though known for outdoor feats, both shaped the indoor industry, Watts co-founded wall maker EP and made the first US modular holds, Caldwell champions sustainable gear. They'll speak on the business of climbing through its history.