Ahead of OutDoor by ISPO, the European Outdoor Group (EOG) held its Summer Meeting in the Munich Order and Convention Centre, providing its members with updates on the association’s key projects. In the EOG’s first face-to-face meeting since the start of 2020, the membership was provided with the latest news from the organisation’s market research, CSR and sustainability, and events programmes. In addition, representatives from the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) and It’s Great Out There Coalition (IGOT) gave presentations on their work, while trade show partner Messe Munich welcomed companies to OutDoor by ISPO. At the end of the meeting, Ukrainian alpinist Nikita Balabanov addressed the EOG and urged the industry to continue supporting the work that he and colleagues are doing in response to the conflict in his country.

Market insights

EOG head of market insights Pauline Shepherd provided association members with the first sight of key data from State of Trade 2021 (see details HERE) and the latest results from the Outdoor Retail Benchmark Report (sell-through). Pauline also showcased early progress from the association’s new retail sales reporting project. The initiative’s objective is to expand the current level of retail reporting and develop this further, so that the EOG can better understand the detailed dynamics of the marketplace, as close to the consumer sale transaction date as possible. To find out more about the EOG’s market research programme, contact Pauline Shepherd on pauline.shepherd@europeanoutdoorgroup.com.

CSR and sustainability

EOG head of CSR and sustainability Dr Katy Stevens, project manager Dr Verity Hardy, and programme manager Scott Nelson, presented an update on the EOG’s CSR and sustainability vision and strategy, along with the latest news from the Supply Chain Decarbonisation Project and the Single Use Plastics Project (SUPP). So far, partnership work through SUPP (www.singleuseplasticsproject.com) has collected 4.6 tonnes of poly bags from just two pick-us in the UK, with an estimated 691,000 poly bags diverted from waste through the project trials to date.

All of the CSR and sustainability work is underpinned by key principles: Achieving climate neutrality; responsibly using resource; discharging safe emissions; ensuring freedom from harmful chemicals; and maintaining ethical supply chains. The CSR and sustainability team also revealed plans for a proposed collaborative decarbonisation fund for the industry. The fund will be dedicated to supporting decarbonisation projects and climate mitigation actions within supply chains related to the outdoor industry, and more details will be communicated in due course. To find out more about the EOG’s CSR and sustainability programme, contact responsibility@europeanoutdoorgroup.com.  

European Outdoor Summit

EOG head of events Penny Taylor and Benjamin Thaller of Outdoor Sports Valley (OSV) updated members on plans for the 2022 European Outdoor Summit (EOS) in Annecy, on 6 and 7 October. EOS is being delivered by the EOG in partnership with OSV, with content aligned to the main summit theme: ‘Finding balance and success within disorder’. Penny and Benjamin highlighted that the 2022 EOS agenda will be very relevant to CSR and sustainability executives in outdoor companies, with multi-ticket pricing offers available. To find more information about EOS and book tickets, visit www.europeanoutdoorsummit.com.

European Outdoor Conservation Association and It’s Great Out There Coalition

Representatives from EOCA and IGOT provided updates on their work and plans for the future. The two organisations lead on action relating to two core pillars of the outdoor industry – preserving nature and promoting participation. To find out more about EOCA, visit www.eocaconservation.org and for more information about IGOT, visit www.itsgreatoutthere.com.  

Ukraine

Ukrainian alpinist Nikita Balabanov addressed EOG members. He thanked the industry for the support it had given him and his colleagues in providing assistance during the conflict in Ukraine, much of it coordinated through the Polish Outdoor Group. Nikita urged colleagues to continue providing as much assistance as they can for as long as the crisis endures. Nikita had driven overnight from Ukraine to attend the EOG Summer Meeting, and then spend time at OutDoor by ISPO. To offer support to the outdoor industry’s collective response to the conflict in Ukraine, contact Piotr Turkot of the Polish Outdoor Group on pt@4outdoor.pl.

OutDoor by ISPO

The meeting concluded with Tobias Gröber of Messe Munich welcoming the industry back to an in-person European trade show for the first time since early 2020. Tobias outlined some of the key aspects of the 2022 edition of OutDoor by ISPO, thanked EOG members for supporting the event, and expressed his hopes for a successful show.

Mark Held, EOG president, comments: “Collectively, I think that everyone is happy and relieved that we are now able to return to face-to-face events. The EOG is grateful to its members and to Messe Munich for sustained and significant support throughout the pandemic, and we hope that our Summer Meeting clearly demonstrated how much work we have continued to deliver during that time, which will help our sector to adapt to the challenges ahead and thrive in the long term.

“It’s worth noting that this is only the second edition of OutDoor by ISPO and we are still in the process of implementing our full vision for the show. It’s exciting to introduce more of those elements this year at the MOC and we will continue that process next year when we return to Messe Munich. For the good of the industry, it is vital that we all work together on the big, overarching projects. So, I am pleased that so many colleagues have backed the show in 2022, and I look forward to even more joining the collective momentum as we build for the future.”

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