The European Outdoor Group (EOG) has voted to keep Outdoor – the continent's largest outdoor trade show – in Messe Friedrichshafen on the shores of Lake Constance for another five years from 2009 to 2013.
“We are of course absolutely delighted with this result,” Messe Friedrichshafen CEO Klaus Wellmann said on behalf of the trade show team and the entire city, which sits on the shore of Lake Constance.
Over the past few weeks, the decision had been very eagerly awaited by all those participating. Forty-seven EOG members elgible to vote on the issue cast ballotrs.
Since 1994 Messe Friedrichshafen has positioned OutDoor as the “summit for the outdoor industry” and one of Europes leading exhibitions.
The contract renewal comes amid rapid growth of Friedrichshafen, which has made a name for itself as an important trade show venue nd the home of major global companies like ZF and MTU. Three hotel projects in Friedrichshafen and the surrounding region are in the planning stages or approaching ground breaking. In addition, the trade show grounds are getting a new entrance area, two new halls, extra parking spots and a new access road. By the Outdoor 2009, 85,000 square meters of additional exhibition space will be available.
Finally, the city has embarked on a plan to improve air access via more flights to Friedrichshafen Airport on Lake Constance, to Zurich about 70 kilometers away and to nearby Memmingen Airport at the gateway to the Alps.
Show drew nearly 17,000 last year, on par with ORWM
Attendance at Outdoor – the European version of Outdoor Retailer – has tripled since its start in 1994. The number of registrations for this summer's show, Outdoor 2008, is higher than ever before at this time of the year.
Outdoor 2007 drew 731 exhibitors from 39 countries, up 8 percent from the prior year. Attendance grew 9 percent to 16,900 from 70 countries. The event drew 805 journalists from 26 countries, more than twice what Outdoor Retailer draws. This year's show is scheduled to take place July 17-20.
The European Outdoor Group (EOG) was formally established in January 2003 by a group of 19 of the world's largest outdoor brands. The association is based in Switzerland.
