A focus on the product and service needs of “Outdoor women” was the central theme of the OutDoor show 2006. The branch wanted to highlight the great business potential to be found by tailoring their offering effectively. The European OutDoor trade fair came to an end on Wednesday with an extremely positive result and a slight increase in visitors. A total of 15,511 trade visitors (2005: 15,137 trade visitors) from 65 nations did not let the outdoor-sports event at Lake Constance pass them by. The 13th OutDoor presented itself afresh in a larger and more international format than in previous years. A total of 675 exhibitors (up 4 percent), a 77 percent foreign contingent and a 9 percent increase in occupied exhibition area allowed the trade fair to record an extremely positive result in 2006.
“The mood in the branch is excellent,” states Rolf G. Schmid, President of the European Outdoor Group (EOG) and Chief Executive of the Mammut Sports Group, speaking together with EOG Director Mark Held and delighted at how well the trade fair went. “Selling is really fun again,” adds Rolf G. Schmid, who also noted the distinctly positive mood amongst his customers.
“With its strong charisma, its unique atmosphere and its almost total portrayal of the market, the OutDoor has developed into one of the most important platforms for presentation and new products for the internationally aligned Outdoor branch,” concluded Trade Fair Director Rolf Mohne at the end of the trade fair. “Weve received many very positive reactions both from the industry and from the trade visitors.”
With its extensive range of products and services the OutDoor is the branch rendezvous for the outdoor trade from all around the world. The trade visitors come to Friedrichshafen from all five continents, i.e. from a total of 65 different countries. The international orientation of the key European trade fair for the outdoor branch is whats known as a “big point” in the trade fair business. OutDoor Project Manager Stefan Reisinger: “77 percent of exhibitors and almost 60 percent of the trade visitors are from abroad. And these are figures that have doubled since the first OutDoor in 1994.”
In ten trade fair halls and on the open-air site the branch presented everything that goes to make up the Outdoor: the scope of the special trade fair also included a supporting programme complete with the OutDoor Party, a climbing wall, the Tent City with all types and all brands, the Outdoor Fashion Show and lectures on current topics. The “OutDoor Woman” special show put on by the EHI Retail Institute met with a particularly great interest.
The trade fair was a real cavalcade of innovation-with a total of 138 world premiers showing why it is the trendsetter in the branch. Furthermore, the OutDoor is also a big media event-with 682 day journalists and specialist journalists from 27 countries, the trade fair again recorded a strong growth especially from Europe and the USA.
Survey of trade visitors
An opinion poll of trade visitors conducted by an independent survey institute underlines the OutDoors success:
It is interesting to ask how the specialist retail trade sees the economical situation in the outdoor branch: 95% of those surveyed feel the branch will continue to grow or that sales will at least remain at a constantly high level. For 92 percent of trade fair visitors polled, the visit to the trade fair had been worthwhile in every respect. Asked about their overall impression, 86 percent of those surveyed answered “good” and “very good” and 89 percent stated they will visit the next OutDoor from the 19th to the 22nd of July 2007.
