On July 18, 2015, the four-day 22nd European Outdoor Show came to a close at the Messe Friedrichshafen exhibition center in Germany. A total of 21,464 trade visitors from 85 countries attended (2014: 21,912), along with 1,052 journalists from 29 countries covering the event. As a microcosm and barometer of the outdoor market, the European Outdoor Show has established its leading position among trade exhibitions in the outdoor industry, thanks to the high level of participation by key decision-makers in the sector.
Icebreaker was also pleased to participate in this edition of the show. Peter Ottervanger, General Manager for Europe, said, “This was a particularly outstanding show. We met many of our key customers and had very friendly and insightful discussions with industry colleagues. We were very busy and the show was a great success. We’re especially proud that our Kala Dress won the Gold Award, which helps showcase and promote Icebreaker’s technological advancements — definitely a major achievement for us.”
Over 100 conferences and seminars were held during the show, further highlighting the significance of the 2015 European Outdoor Show. “These conferences and seminars, led by international experts, served as mini gatherings for representatives from various segments of the outdoor industry,” said Dirk Heidrich, Project Manager of the European Outdoor Show. In addition, the trend show and kayak experience also went smoothly.
On the afternoon of the second day of the show, commissioned by the China Outdoor Association (COA), Li Hao, General Manager of Nanjing Ningfei Company and Project Director of the Asia Outdoor Show, released the 2014 China Outdoor Industry Report. The report addresses the following questions: What is the size of China’s core outdoor market in 2014? How have the number of outdoor brands and physical retail stores changed? What will be the development trends of the core outdoor market over the next 5–10 years? Following its world premiere at the European Outdoor Show, the industry report will be further explained in detail at the Asia Outdoor Show in Nanjing on July 23 from 15:00 to 15:30, where audience members can gain insights into the industry data and analysis.
According to the on-site professional visitor satisfaction survey, 88% of professional visitors considered the European Outdoor Show a success, and 88% said they would attend the next edition. Regarding the current economic situation of the outdoor industry, 48% of visitors believe the industry is on an upward trend, while 39% think it will remain stable. The 23rd European Outdoor Show will take place from July 13–16, 2016, in Friedrichshafen, Germany.