Friedrichshafen - The quantum leap made by nature sport in the last two decades is reflected in the impressive development of the OutDoor in Friedrichshafen over the same period. In 1994, its first year, the trade fair for the outdoor industry had 213 exhibitors and 5,500 visitors and was primarily carried by the German market.
In the meantime, the influence of the event, which has since moved to new fairgrounds, is now felt throughout the world. Lake Constance has become the place where the international outdoor industry presents its roadmap for the new season. More than 900 exhibitors from 39 countries, including the global market leaders, will present at the 20th OutDoor, which will be held from 11 to 14 July, 2013.
"In times in which business models, consumer habits and the economic climate are changing like they are, the OutDoor is an important event on many levels”, said Mark Held, Managing Director of the European Outdoor Group (EOG), in emphasising the importance of the flagship trade show. "It represents the ideal platform for the newest products, industry ideas and marketing initiatives, and helps exhibitors as well as visitors to prepare themselves for the challenges of the future.”
At the 2013 Outdoor, established exhibitors will be represented, presenting their products and innovations across 85,000 square metres of exhibition space. "We are very proud of the level of participation by the outdoor world at the show in Friedrichshafen and have created a strong forum with conditions custom-made for the industry. As a cornerstone of sporting goods retail, we give the outdoor industry our complete attention”, stressed Klaus Wellmann, CEO of Messe Friedrichshafen. After long break, outdoor water sports will again be part of the programme in July. "We are pleased to have experts like Wavecrest, Mega-Sports-Robson, Blue + White, Kober + Moll and Prijon on board for the OutDoor 2013, where they will be presenting at a joint exhibition space. The lake at the fairgrounds will also be available to our guests as a natural testing ground”, announced project leader Stefan Reisinger.
Even though focus of the OutDoor is always on future challenges, the 20th edition of the trade fair will also be an occasion to look back at the past two decades of its history. The 2013 OutDoor will include an extensive special exhibition in the upper level of the East Foyer about the product developments of the last twenty years. In addition, as part of the OutDoor Fashion Show, selected outfits from the past will briefly return to the catwalk to remind us of some historic products, which some people may consider worthy of cult status, while others might regard them as fashion crimes from the past. "This birthday is an important moment for both the OutDoor as a trade fair, as well as the outdoor industry as a whole. Throughout the history of the OutDoor, we have seen a lot of changes and our industry has developed very positively during this time”, said EOG President David Udberg. "Although we are all looking to the future in these economically difficult times, we also want to be able to reflect and celebrate the success of the OutDoor over the past 20 years. As Europeans, we can proud of the four days in July in which the Lake Constance region becomes the world’s outdoor capital, welcoming brands, retailers, manufacturers and journalists from all over the world.”
The OutDoor will also be a must thanks to its accompanying programme of events: Presentations and information exchange will be the focus of the OutDoor Conferences, held in cooperation with the European Outdoor Group. At the conferences, international experts will speak on topics like changes in retailing, sustainability, bluesign and apparel trends. The OutDoor Industry Award 2013 will be awarded to the best product innovations, a comprehensive overview of the current tent market is available in Rothaus Hall A1 and Hall A2, and in the East Foyer the OutDoor Fashion Show will show off the new collections from Adidas, Trespass, Pearl Izumi, Scott, Gröbel and Zweibrüder. Top-notch sport will be on display at the German Bouldercup in the West Foyer and at the Gore Trail Running Parcours in the West Open Air Grounds and on Saturday, 13 July, the legendary OutDoor Party will let loose.
The OutDoor 2013 will be open from Thursday, 11 July until Sunday, 14 July, to trade visitors only (Thursday to Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
