The 2025 pitch competition for outdoor businesses, called Adventure Pitch, features eight companies battling to win $15,000 in prizes. It’s part of the annual event showcasing dozens of outdoor businesses and organizations from across New Mexico. The event takes place from 3:00 to 7:00 pm on November 6, 2025, at the historic Albuquerque Rail Yards. The event celebrates New Mexico’s $3.2 billion outdoor recreation economy.
Formerly part of the Outdoor Economics Conference, Adventure Pitch Fest is a standalone, high-energy event that spotlights outdoor businesses of all sizes. Participating businesses showcase their products and services to investors, industry leaders, and outdoor enthusiasts. Attendees can peruse innovative gear and services, connect with local business owners, enjoy food trucks and family-friendly activities, and even meet a burro or llama. The event is free and open to the public.
Visitors can also look forward to cheering on the pitch battle finalists as they go head-to-head delivering one-minute pitches before a panel of judges. Winners will advance through each round until first, second and third-place winners are announced, taking home $10,000, $3,000 and $2,000, respectively. Pitches start at 6:00 pm.
Past winners include the hand sanitizer company Bee Clean Spot, software developer Rezo Systems, and ORC Tech, which makes a portable, lightweight device to boost incoming signals that can be used in the backcountry. Other winners have included designers of outdoor clothing, trailers, and wilderness medicine training.
Adventure Pitch Fest is hosted by the New Mexico Economic Development Department‘s Outdoor Recreation Division in partnership with ActivateNM. Businesses accepted as pitch battle finalists have received free coaching from ActivateNM to help them prepare to take the stage. ActivateNM, part of CNM Ingenuity, is an ongoing program that offers entrepreneurs personalized guidance, community, support, and events designed to expand businesses. Finalist companies demonstrate potential for growth, community benefit, and/or environmental stewardship.
See who the finalists are and plan to attend this year’s Adventure Pitch Fest.