Great outdoors

Switzerland – Outdoor retail brand The North Face is to host its first Mountain Festival in the Swiss Alps.

• It will take place in September 2016 and will welcome 500 self-styled explorers to Lauterbrunnen
• The £75 ($110, €99) event will take place over three days and activities will include climbing, mountain trail running and paragliding

The retailer says it is not using the event as a way to sell merchandise, but for marketing purposes and to generate buzz on social media, helping it to track its reach and engagement online.

The idea for a Mountain Festival grew from the success of last year’s event, The NightRay Outdoor Festival hosted in The Gorges du Verdon in France.

‘We have an ambition to inspire people to live a life of exploration and this event will offer the opportunity to express this at its best,’ says The North Face senior brand marketing manager Giorgio Saviane.

This won’t be for anyone who wants to experience digital detox and the joy of missing out (JOMO), as The North Face will be actively encouraging people to post and share their photos throughout the trip.