Dear Outdoor Community,

At the beginning of the month, the international outdoor community gathered in Munich at the ISPO trade fair. Three packed outdoor halls (and even more outdoor brands in other halls) and very well attended EOG activities proved that outdoor is an integral element of the biggest sporting goods show in the world.

EOG members’ experiences were positive; not only on the organisation and management of the show but also with the number and quality of visitors. Members reported productive meetings throughout the show with balanced optimism for the future - a good sign for the whole industry considering the difficult recent trading conditions.

As ever, ISPO MUNICH proved to be an effective and fun platform. The outdoor industry is increasingly seeing the whole event as one where, in addition to the daily business of the fair, it shares, updates, learns and co-operates. It is a community building event and it’s great to see outdoor taking such a prominent position.

The development of the Materials Traceability Working Group, is a very positive step into the right direction. Making sure the supply chain is easier to trace is one of the industry’s key tasks in the upcoming decade so we have included some key facts below and are still very open for new partners to join in.
The EOG is now looking forward to visit the ISPO BEIJING where for the first time we will offer members a lounge, which has developed so well in recent years  and is becoming more and more important.

Sincerely yours,

Mark Held – Secretary General, EOG

SWG Update and presentations

At ISPO 2012 the EOG's Sustainability Working Group held a very successful Exploring Sustainability Breakfast. The presentations included:
an update on the SWG's own work; the European Commission covering the plans that the commission have for Product and Corporate Environmental Footprinting and the EcoDesign Directive; NICE and 2025 Design who looked at the current sustainability tools available; Sophie Mather Textiles who covered Bio Synthetics for the outdoor sector; Futerra Sustainability Communications, who covered the process of writing a sustainability report; and Greenpeace, who covered the Detox campaign work.

For those who could not join the events on the day, we have uploaded the presentations on www.europeanoutdoorgroup.com.

If you would be interested to join the newly formed Materials Traceability Working Group that will consist of various Task Forces to address traceability of claims for specific material supply chains (the first of these will be looking at the Down supply chain) or if you are interested in getting involved with the Sustainability Work Group please contact Project Manager, Vanessa Knowles . We would be very pleased to welcome you into any of the Task Groups.

Market Research - “State of Trade 2011”

The 2011 data input forms are available online for all former participants and also those just joining the project, to download. If you are a brand or a retailer with own brand product and are interested in joining the project or have previously participated and not yet received the information, please contact us as soon as possible. We are happy to explain the process, discuss concerns and address any other issues you might have.
Please check the Market Research section and application form on our webpage or contact Mathias Basedow.

EOG enhances co-operation with ISPO Beijing

For the first time, the EOG will have a lounge at ISPO BEIJING. The EOG Lounge is located in the gallery on the second floor of the CNCC, accessed via the VIP Lounge, and should be used for executive staff of EOG member brands to have meetings or breaks in a relaxed atmosphere away from the general busy stand business.

Mark Held -  “There is no doubt about the growth potential of the Asian market. We are glad that more and more member brands are getting active and that we have found with ISPO a partner which is capable of creating a trade show, which understands European and Asian trade culture and brings them together in a balanced way. The EOG Lounge is a logical result to support our members.”

OutDoor show on track

Over 600 companies have already booked their exhibition spaces at OutDoor, the leading European trade show, running from 12 to 15 July 2012 in Friedrichshafen, Germany. “We’re firmly on track and looking forward to a strong OutDoor 2012,” announced Klaus Wellmann, CEO of Messe Friedrichshafen.

Around the world, industry giants are tuning up for this must-attend event in the heart of Europe. The yearly summit on Lake Constance will once again be welcoming new participants too: renowned brands such as Pearl Izumi (Japan), Scott (Switzerland), GoPro (USA) and Kangaroos (USA) have already registered for 2012. According to Project Manager Stefan Reisinger, “OutDoor is increasingly becoming an international heavyweight. With our partners at the European Outdoor Group, we are focussing on the right topics and trends, while engaging the opinion leaders. We’re very pleased that the eyes of the outdoor world will again be turning to Friedrichshafen in July 2012.”

Further information at: www.outdoor-show.de