The 9th Asia Outdoor was successfully held from July 23–26, 2014, at the Nanjing International Expo Center. This year, the total number of exhibitors reached 613, a slight increase from last year (2013: 610); over four days, the event attracted 17,298 professional visitors from around the globe (2013: 18,563); and 455 journalists were on-site for coverage.
More brands exhibited for the first time, and the quality of professional visitors improved
This year, Asia Outdoor attracted more debut appearances from top international brands, such as Gore-Tex, Mountain Hardwear, Primaloft, Columbia, Montrail, Asics, Odlo, and ONE WAY. On the other hand, some casual outdoor brands are gradually exiting the increasingly competitive outdoor market.
At the exhibition, many exhibitors noted that although the number of professional visitors declined this year, the overall quality significantly improved. According to the professional visitor report, the proportion of outdoor retailers, professional buyers, group purchasers, and decision-makers from outdoor clubs increased. This year, the geographic reach of professional visitors was also broader, with higher representation from provinces and cities such as Jiangsu, Shanghai, Zhejiang, Anhui, Guangdong, and Beijing. Visitors from northern provinces also stood out, including Shandong, Liaoning, Henan, and Heilongjiang.
Regarding the decline in exhibition attendance compared to last year, Luo Taoxiong, General Manager of Guangzhou Fire Fox—a multi-brand distributor in the industry—offered another perspective: “From the end of June to early July, many colleagues from our purchasing department were traveling, attending over 30 brand ordering fairs across the country, which already consumed significant energy and expenses. As a result, many dealers only sent smaller teams to visit Asia Outdoor this year.”
Exhibitors and visitors are optimistic about the future outdoor market
On the opening day of Asia Outdoor on July 23, Mr. Konrad Jäger, Chairman of Beijing Demans, Mr. Mayer, Marketing Director of Messe Friedrichshafen GmbH (Germany), Mr. Li Hao, General Manager of Nanjing Ningfei Exhibition Co., Ltd., as well as brand representatives from participating companies such as Toread, Columbia, TNF, Kailas, and Northland, attended the opening ceremony. In the morning of the opening day, the organizers, together with brand representatives, held a press conference announcing the 2015 Asia Outdoor, COA, and China Outdoor Industry Report.
According to the 2013 China Outdoor Industry Report, the core retail sales of China’s outdoor market reached 15.38 billion RMB in 2013, an increase of 16.2% compared to 2012. The total outdoor market retail sales rose from 32.6 billion RMB in 2012 to 36.8 billion RMB in 2013, marking a 12.9% growth.
In 2012, the growth rate of China’s outdoor market retail sales was 20.4%, but the growth rate of retail outlets far exceeded market demand, reaching 43.1%. The 2013 industry report showed that the development speed of outdoor stores over the past year was slower than the growth of market retail sales, which is good news.
At the press conference, Mr. Konrad Jäger commented on the current state of the outdoor market: “The market sales channels are growing in sync with the overall market volume, which is an important step toward returning the outdoor market to normal—even if the issue of overcapacity has not yet been fully resolved.”
Meanwhile, brand representatives from the China Outdoor Alliance launched a public welfare campaign to promote outdoor sports and advocate environmental protection. At the event, the alliance introduced a T-shirt with the slogan “I Want Fresh Air.” Mr. Zhong Chengzhan, General Manager of Kailas, shared the background of this public welfare initiative, earning enthusiastic applause. Additionally, Mr. Mayer from Messe Friedrichshafen GmbH unveiled the new logo for Asia Outdoor. The new logo is clean, neat, easily recognizable, and more practical. 2015 marks the 10th anniversary of Asia Outdoor, and with the launch of the new logo, the exhibition will launch a series of “10th Anniversary” themed activities.
On-site supporting events were vibrant, with new running and water sports zones added
Asia Outdoor not only provides a trade platform for the outdoor industry but also hosts a variety of supporting events. This year, Asia Outdoor specifically set up a running zone and a water sports zone, covering themes such as running, kayaking, and diving—both leading outdoor trends and spreading popular outdoor styles.
Among them, the running zone attracted numerous visitors. Over the four-day exhibition, the running zone was bustling, with at least 10,000 visitors. “Many brands in the running zone, such as Asics, Columbia, Tecnica, The North Face, Salomon, Suunto, Northland, Li-Ning Adventure, Odlo, Smartwool, Skins, and Camelbak, showcased their running products on-site and expressed interest in expanding their booth space next year,” said Yan Wei, General Manager of Runner’s Gear and partner of the running zone.
The second Purple Mountain Fluorescent Run, sponsored by Nobel, and co-organized by Nanjing Ningfei and Sanfo Outdoor, was successfully held on the evening of the third day of the exhibition (July 25) at Nanjing Zhongshan Sports Park, with over 600 participants (2013: approximately 300 people). Attendees described it as a highly enjoyable event during Asia Outdoor and expressed their intention to participate again next year. Partners such as Ningfei, Sanfo, and Nobel have confirmed plans to make the event even bigger and better next year.
An on-site visitor satisfaction survey also confirmed the success of this exhibition: 91% of visitors expressed satisfaction with the event, and 93% confirmed they would return to Nanjing for the next edition.
Coincidentally, the dates for Asia Outdoor 2015 remain the same as this year—July 23–26. The exhibition will be divided into 4 halls, covering a total area of 54,000 square meters. For more information, please visit the Asia Outdoor official website at www.asian-outdoor.com or follow the WeChat public account “Asia Outdoor.”