News from Messe Friedrichshafen, the German partner of Asia Outdoor Show: On July 14, the four-day 2013 European Outdoor Show came to a close by Lake Constance. This year, there were 913 exhibitors from 42 countries (2012: 907); 21,465 trade visitors from 93 countries (2012: 21,730); and 1,049 media representatives from 31 countries (2012: 1,019) attending the event. Mark Held, Secretary General of the European Outdoor Group, summarized at the closing of the show: “With the ever-changing economic situation, the 2013 European Outdoor Show also faced some uncertainties earlier on; but in the end, it turned out that weather remains the main factor influencing the outdoor industry compared to others. The outdoor industry has withstood the adverse effects of the overall economy in the first half of this year, and the future outlook remains optimistic, with the market expected to continue growing.”
Klaus Wellmann, President of Messe Friedrichshafen GmbH, was very satisfied with this year’s show. On the final day, he commented: “The pleasant weather during the outdoor show put everyone in high spirits, whether inside the halls, on the outdoor plaza, or in the camping area. The unique character of the European Outdoor Show was once again on full display.” Stefan Reisinger, Managing Director of the European Outdoor Show, added: “The European Outdoor Show has once again proven to be the best global business platform for the outdoor industry.” This year, the internationalization level of the European Outdoor Show was further enhanced: exhibitor and visitor numbers from outside Europe, especially from countries such as Chile, the United States, India, and Indonesia, saw significant increases.
Trend chart of exhibitor and visitor numbers at the European Outdoor Show over the past 20 years
The 2013 European Outdoor Show was not only about looking to the future, but also a great opportunity to reflect on the past. Reisinger said: “Over the past 20 years, the European Outdoor Show has grown alongside the outdoor industry. To celebrate this 20th anniversary, we set up several special retrospective exhibitions on site.” “The European Outdoor Show reminds us of the nature of the outdoor industry — it’s one big family where we learn from, support, compete with, and collaborate with each other. Friedrichshafen is the best choice for this outdoor family, and the annual gathering by Lake Constance is always something the outdoor community looks forward to,” praised David Udberg, President of the European Outdoor Group.
After many years, water sports equipment made a comeback at the 2013 European Outdoor Show. Rostock, the person in charge of the canoeing section, said: “Visitors were happy to see water sports equipment return to the show. The water sports equipment testing held on the lake west of the exhibition hall was very popular with attendees. Our goal is to have more people see the paddles in motion. We’re pleased to see the attention from both the media and visitors toward water sports gear. I think we’ll be back next year.”
This year, exhibitors, media, and visitors gave high praise for the show. According to the professional visitor satisfaction survey conducted on-site: 88% of visitors considered the show a success, and 90% said they would attend the next edition. Regarding the current economic situation of the outdoor industry, 44% believed it was strengthening, while 34% thought it was relatively stable. The 2014 European Outdoor Show will be held from July 10–13, 2014.
For more information and photos, please visit the official website of the European Outdoor Showwww.outdoor-show.com .