sportFACHHANDEL 03_2018 Leseprobe

3.2018 EOG | COVER STORY | 25
Antje von Dewitz
(Vaude)
Richard Leedham
(Berghaus)
Stefan Merkt
(Mammut)
Mark Held
(Secretary General)
Kullmann have resigned; young, well
trained and internationally influenced
managers are following up – and haven’t
simply changed the face of the committee
in recent years: Beside manufacturers and
brands, ingredient brands such as Gore-
Tex or Primaloft and retailers – since
last year even Internet pure players – are a
part of the game. The joint goal: Everyone
who earns money with outdoor should act
in concert, since the future’s challenges
can only be mastered by the growing,
but in comparison to other industries
still small companies, together. There
are the challenges of sustainability and
digitalisation, but also the competition to
Playstation & Co as well as to the large lobby
groups in Berlin and Brussels, London,
Paris, Vienna and Stockholm that have
something else in mind than tempting the
consumers for outdoor activities.
In Brussels the “It’s Great Out There
Coalition” was installed as a non-profit
organisation that leads a broad scope
campaign for the promotion of outdoor
activities. The #itsgreatoutthere campaign
is also the first large step the association is
taking directly towards the end-consumer.
Even non-EOG members as well as banks or
insureances can participate. EOG secretary
general Mark Held is also a part of the
board of directors of the Federation of
the European Sporting Goods Industry
(FESI), active in the European Union (EU) in
Brussels’ legislative processes and lobbying.
This includes questions on free trading, the
standardisation and security of products
as well as copyright issues. FESI represents
more than 1800 companies from all over
Europe with an annual revenue of over 65
billion Euros – due to the EOG secretary
general’s outstanding position the outdoor
branch hereby meanwhile has more than
just one foot in the door.
Via the European Outdoor Conservation
Association (EOCA) one supports environmental
protection projects worldwide.
Apart from the exhibition one hosts annual
networking meetings (“European Outdoor
Summit”) and with the “State of Trade” one
has developed an own market research instrument
with which one provides the own
members as well as the public with data that
simply wasn’t available before that. The respective
member company’s data is collected
and evaluated on a secure online platform.
The process is monitored by a notary, the
data is anonymised and evaluated by
professional market researchers.
The once adventurous and wondrous
tinkerers have become a booming
industry of the leisure time and sporting
goods industry over the last 20 years
– and the European Outdoor Group has
become a highly professional organisation
that consistently further develops itself
and propagates cohesion inside as well as
outside. But how do Mark Held and the
others manage to swear in the meanwhile
very heterogeneous members of the
organisation to joint goals without single
companies stepping out of line?
The answer could come from a school book:
Whereas a handshake there or a dialogue
here may have been enough in the past, one
now invests in complex, ideally transparent
and democratic processes. The most recent
example: the re-tendering of the “OutDoor”.
Initially all members were asked what
they expect of an exhibition in a complex
process. Following that a profile of requirements
was created with help of external
experts that interested applicant cities could
use for orientation. A pre-selection, also
accompanied by external experts, is now followed
by a vote via an online-server which’s
software and security has also already been
proven during political votes. >>>
105. ÖSFA WINTER
DI 20.02. – DO 22.02.2018
www.brandboxx.at
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