Mark Held, Secretary General, of the EOG commented, “As the industry itself changes, the European Outdoor Group has felt it necessary to restructure to ensure the appropriate flexibility to accommodate the requirements and demands of its growing membership and the industry itself.”

From the existing EOG Board, Albrecht von Dewitz of Vaude, announced his decision to step down from the Board. Rolf Schmid of the Mammut Sports Group, has stepped down as President and Claes Broqvist of Odlo, has stepped down as Vice President. Both Schmid and Broqvist will remain on the Board as ordinary members and this will aid continuity and ensure the EOG retains experience.

Additional changes are that Bernd Kullmann of Deuter has been elected as Vice President and Jean-Marc Pambet of Salomon and Eddy Codega of C.A.M.P. have formally joined the Board. Held further explained “With such a diverse membership base, we aim with the Board structure to cover as many nationalities, as many company types and as broad an experience base as possible. The objective being to have a Board that is truly representative of the membership.”

Eddy Codega has in addition also agreed to take over the role of Treasurer from Albrecht von Dewitz.

New President
With over 32 years experience working in the European outdoor industry, David Udberg, Managing Director, Lowe Alpine UK Ltd, has been voted in as the new President of the European Outdoor Group. Udberg has worked for Lowe Alpine for the past five years, previously holding international positions with The Mountain Boot Company/Mountain Range and Berghaus.

Udberg on accepting the Presidency commented, “I am honoured to have been selected as the new President of the European Outdoor Group. I would like to say a special thank you to our outgoing President, Rolf Schmid who has done an outstanding job of steering the group from its formation to where it is today. I am delighted that Rolf will remain as a Board member as his input and experience will be invaluable going forward. The EOG exists to serve the interests of its members and to provide a mechanism to promote the interests of the wider outdoor industry, my aim will be to ensure that we continue to fulfil expectations and ensure a successful future for the outdoor industry.”

Portfolio Responsibility
To ensure that the Board has maximum coverage, each member has agreed to take on a portfolio of responsibility, working on their individual areas with the Secretary General. The areas are as follows:

• EOG Strategy, Government Affairs and Trade Bodies – David Udberg
• Retail Community and Trade Fairs – Bernd Kullmann
• Market Research and Statistics – Claes Broqvist
• Sustainability – Jean-Marc Pambet
• Finance and Standards – Eddy Codega
• Marketing and Communications – Rolf Schmid

Assessing how the industry approaches the important area of Corporate Social Responsibility will be the common responsibility of the full board.

Notes to Editors:
The European Outdoor Group is an association set up to represent the common interests of the European outdoor industry.
Founded in 2003 the European Outdoor Group has 54 members, which include some of the largest brands in the world. The combined strength of the member brands, and a close cooperation with national outdoor associations, provides an extremely powerful force to represent the whole European outdoor industry in a constructive and positive manner.

Further information about the European Outdoor Group can be found on the website:
www.europeanoutdoorgroup.com
Or contact Vanessa Knowles, Tel: +44 1942 886402, vanessa.knowles@europeanoutdoorgroup.com

Mark Held, Secretary General, of the EOG commented, “As the industry itself changes, the European Outdoor Group has felt it necessary to restructure to ensure the appropriate flexibility to accommodate the requirements and demands of its growing membership and the industry itself.”

From the existing EOG Board, Albrecht von Dewitz of Vaude, announced his decision to step down from the Board. Rolf Schmid of the Mammut Sports Group, has stepped down as President and Claes Broqvist of Odlo, has stepped down as Vice President. Both Schmid and Broqvist will remain on the Board as ordinary members and this will aid continuity and ensure the EOG retains experience.

Additional changes are that Bernd Kullmann of Deuter has been elected as Vice President and Jean-Marc Pambet of Salomon and Eddy Codega of C.A.M.P. have formally joined the Board. Held further explained “With such a diverse membership base, we aim with the Board structure to cover as many nationalities, as many company types and as broad an experience base as possible. The objective being to have a Board that is truly representative of the membership.”

Eddy Codega has in addition also agreed to take over the role of Treasurer from Albrecht von Dewitz.

New President
With over 32 years experience working in the European outdoor industry, David Udberg, Managing Director, Lowe Alpine UK Ltd, has been voted in as the new President of the European Outdoor Group. Udberg has worked for Lowe Alpine for the past five years, previously holding international positions with The Mountain Boot Company/Mountain Range and Berghaus.

Udberg on accepting the Presidency commented, “I am honoured to have been selected as the new President of the European Outdoor Group. I would like to say a special thank you to our outgoing President, Rolf Schmid who has done an outstanding job of steering the group from its formation to where it is today. I am delighted that Rolf will remain as a Board member as his input and experience will be invaluable going forward. The EOG exists to serve the interests of its members and to provide a mechanism to promote the interests of the wider outdoor industry, my aim will be to ensure that we continue to fulfil expectations and ensure a successful future for the outdoor industry.”

Portfolio Responsibility
To ensure that the Board has maximum coverage, each member has agreed to take on a portfolio of responsibility, working on their individual areas with the Secretary General. The areas are as follows:

• EOG Strategy, Government Affairs and Trade Bodies – David Udberg
• Retail Community and Trade Fairs – Bernd Kullmann
• Market Research and Statistics – Claes Broqvist
• Sustainability – Jean-Marc Pambet
• Finance and Standards – Eddy Codega
• Marketing and Communications – Rolf Schmid

Assessing how the industry approaches the important area of Corporate Social Responsibility will be the common responsibility of the full board.

Research like this can never provide definitive answers to the challenges being faced by an industry but it does provide an extremely useful insight into consumer attitudes in these two markets.

<strong>Germany</strong>
The research reveals a strong association between outdoor pursuits and health and fitness. The increased focus on wellbeing has made outdoor recreation more important as a means of retreating from the chaos and pace of people’s everyday lives. 94% of those surveyed said the outdoor environment allows them to escape the everyday pressures of life, while 96% said they enjoy being at one with nature.

The frequency of activity amongst those being surveyed was high, with 39% saying that they participate a minimum of four times a month and a further 28% saying two or three times a month. For vacation trends Germany shows a split in thinking, with 43% stating that they intend to stay within their own country, while 45% will continue to travel into other countries. On a positive note, outdoor enthusiasts remain resilient with 86% of those surveyed intending to spend either ‘more’ or ‘about the same’ as last year on outdoor related travel and accommodation.

Switzerland
Many of the findings for Switzerland are in line with those of Germany, with 91% of those surveyed agreeing that the outdoors allows them to escape everyday pressures of life and 98% stating that they enjoy being at one with nature.

The figures differ when you look at commitment to participation in Switzerland which is much higher at over half 52% participating in outdoor sports more than 4 times a month and a further 26% 2 or 3 times a month.

When it comes to vacations the Swiss are said to be the largest spenders per head of population in Europe. Just over half (52%) said that they intend to spend more of their outdoor activity or holiday at home, while 34% were undecided.

A reassuring 84% of those surveyed said that they expect to spend either ‘more’ or ‘about the same’ as last year on product. Quality came out as the top reason for purchasing for 98% of respondents and 96% of those surveyed confirmed that past experience influenced their purchases.

Future growth in the outdoor sector is well supported by favourable trends in participation, lifestyle and demographics for both Switzerland and Germany. All indications bode extremely well for the industry as we head into a new decade.

Notes to Editors:
The European Outdoor Group is an association set up to represent the common interests of the European outdoor industry.
Founded in 2003 the European Outdoor Group has 54 members, which include some of the largest brands in the world. The combined strength of the member brands, and a close cooperation with national outdoor associations, provides an extremely powerful force to represent the whole European outdoor industry in a constructive and positive manner.

Further information about the European Outdoor Group can be found on the website:
www.europeanoutdoorgroup.com
Or contact Vanessa Knowles, Tel: +44 1942 886402, vanessa.knowles@europeanoutdoorgroup.com

Research like this can never provide definitive answers to the challenges being faced by an industry but it does provide an extremely useful insight into consumer attitudes in these two markets.

Germany
The research reveals a strong association between outdoor pursuits and health and fitness. The increased focus on wellbeing has made outdoor recreation more important as a means of retreating from the chaos and pace of people’s everyday lives. 94% of those surveyed said the outdoor environment allows them to escape the everyday pressures of life, while 96% said they enjoy being at one with nature.

The frequency of activity amongst those being surveyed was high, with 39% saying that they participate a minimum of four times a month and a further 28% saying two or three times a month. For vacation trends Germany shows a split in thinking, with 43% stating that they intend to stay within their own country, while 45% will continue to travel into other countries.

On a positive note, outdoor enthusiasts remain resilient with 86% of those surveyed intending to spend either ‘more’ or ‘about the same’ as last year on outdoor related travel and accommodation.

Switzerland
Many of the findings for Switzerland are in line with those of Germany, with 91% of those surveyed agreeing that the outdoors allows them to escape everyday pressures of life and 98% stating that they enjoy being at one with nature.

The figures differ when you look at commitment to participation in Switzerland which is much higher at over half 52% participating in outdoor sports more than 4 times a month and a further 26% 2 or 3 times a month.

When it comes to vacations the Swiss are said to be the largest spenders per head of population in Europe. Just over half (52%) said that they intend to spend more of their outdoor activity or holiday at home, while 34% were undecided.

A reassuring 84% of those surveyed said that they expect to spend either ‘more’ or ‘about the same’ as last year on product. Quality came out as the top reason for purchasing for 98% of respondents and 96% of those surveyed confirmed that past experience influenced their purchases.

Future growth in the outdoor sector is well supported by favourable trends in participation, lifestyle and demographics for both Switzerland and Germany. All indications bode extremely well for the industry as we head into a new decade.

Continuing the breakfast workshop series, started at OutDoor last summer, the SWG brings you a reason to get up on a cold winter’s morning: the Sustainability Breakfast Open Meeting. This will be a fantastic opportunity for everyone to update themselves; the breakfast will give an overview of the SWG workplan and US driven Eco Index, a look at the resources available through the website, as well as provide two major industry speakers.

This is an important and highly topical Sustainability Workshop where speakers will cover carbon footprinting, organic fibres, materials and business resources. The Workshop will take place from 8.00am on the Monday morning of ispo, the 8th February, in Room Turmblick in Restaurant Am Turm. The Workshop will offer an opportunity for the industry to get involved, hear the latest developments, and the SWG are also inviting key industry professionals along to ensure that the event is of benefit to all in the industry.

Dr Klaus Radunsky, co-convenor ISO 14067, and head of Unit of the Emission Trading Registry Department of the Umweltbundesamt GmbH (Federal Environment Agency) in Austria, will provide the latest update on ISO 14067 in his presentation entitled ‘ISO 14067 ‘Carbon Footprint of Products’ From Vision to Reality”.

Andy Salm, program director Organic Exchange Europe will give an overview of the work undertaken by the Organic Exchange and highlight some of the newer areas of work as they broaden their scope into all sustainable fibres and textiles. In his presentation ‘The Sustainability Imperative – New Challenges in building textile Value Chains’ Andy will discuss how brands and retailers are now scrutinising their entire textile supply chains from both a social and environmental point of view and how this scrutiny is moving right back to fibre production, whether it is natural or man made. This implies developing a greater knowledge of the supply chains and converting them to value chains, where there are sustainable benefits for all involved.

The SWG will give an update on the work currently being undertaken by both themselves and the US Eco Working Group and will provide the audience with a new business resource that will allow them to find new sustainable information easily.

This meeting is for all sizes of companies, small and large alike and is FREE for anyone attending ispo. All you have to do is register to attend so that ispo security will allow you into the show early.

And, maybe best of all, as you’re expected to get up so early, the SWG thought they’d better provide you with breakfast, which The North Face® have very kindly agreed to sponsor.

To register simply email your name and company to info@europeanoutdoorsustainability.org

The work of the SWG is NOT exclusive to members of the European Outdoor Group; it is operating on an open source basis and welcomes involvement from all areas of the supply chain.

Notes to Editors:
The European Outdoor Group is an association set up to represent the common interests of the European outdoor industry.
Founded in 2003 the European Outdoor Group has 52 members, which include some of the largest brands in the world. The combined strength of the member brands, and a close cooperation with national outdoor associations, provides an extremely powerful force to represent the whole European outdoor industry in a constructive and positive manner.

Further information about the European Outdoor Group can be found on the website:
www.europeanoutdoorgroup.com
Or contact Vanessa Knowles, Tel: +44 1942 886402, vanessa.knowles@europeanoutdoorgroup.com

The Sustainability Working Group (SWG) was established at an open meeting at the OutDoor fair in Friedrichshafen, Germany in 2008. The Steering Group of the SWG is currently made up of representatives from adidas, Vaude, Mammut, W L Gore, Salomon, Haglöfs, The North Face, Deuter, Globetrotter, Petzl, Bever Zwerfsport and the European Outdoor Group.

Further information about the Sustainability Working Group can be found on the website:
www.europeanoutdoorsustainability.org
Or contact Vanessa Knowles, Tel: +44 1942 886402, vanessa.knowles@europeanoutdoorgroup.com

Continuing the breakfast workshop series, started at OutDoor last summer, the SWG brings you a reason to get up on a cold winter’s morning: the Sustainability Breakfast Open Meeting. This will be a fantastic opportunity for everyone to update themselves; the breakfast will give an overview of the SWG workplan and US driven Eco Index, a look at the resources available through the website, as well as provide two major industry speakers.

This is an important and highly topical Sustainability Workshop where speakers will cover carbon footprinting, organic fibres, materials and business resources. The Workshop will take place from 8.00am on the Monday morning of ispo, the 8th February, in Room Turmblick in Restaurant Am Turm. The Workshop will offer an opportunity for the industry to get involved, hear the latest developments, and the SWG are also inviting key industry professionals along to ensure that the event is of benefit to all in the industry.

Dr Klaus Radunsky, co-convenor ISO 14067, and head of Unit of the Emission Trading Registry Department of the Umweltbundesamt GmbH (Federal Environment Agency) in Austria, will provide the latest update on ISO 14067 in his presentation entitled ‘ISO 14067 ‘Carbon Footprint of Products’ From Vision to Reality”.

Andy Salm, program director Organic Exchange Europe will give an overview of the work undertaken by the Organic Exchange and highlight some of the newer areas of work as they broaden their scope into all sustainable fibres and textiles. In his presentation ‘The Sustainability Imperative – New Challenges in building textile Value Chains’ Andy will discuss how brands and retailers are now scrutinising their entire textile supply chains from both a social and environmental point of view and how this scrutiny is moving right back to fibre production, whether it is natural or man made. This implies developing a greater knowledge of the supply chains and converting them to value chains, where there are sustainable benefits for all involved.

The SWG will give an update on the work currently being undertaken by both themselves and the US Eco Working Group and will provide the audience with a new business resource that will allow them to find new sustainable information easily.

This meeting is for all sizes of companies, small and large alike and is FREE for anyone attending ispo. All you have to do is register to attend so that ispo security will allow you into the show early.

And, maybe best of all, as you’re expected to get up so early, the SWG thought they’d better provide you with breakfast, which The North Face® have very kindly agreed to sponsor.

To register simply email your name and company to info@europeanoutdoorsustainability.org

At the Steering Group meeting of the Sustainability Working Group (part of the European Outdoor Group) in November, Cortney McDermott (CSR & Sustainability Manager, The North Face EMEA) was re-elected as Chair of the Steering Group. Cortney has been a strong leader for the Group since it first started in 2008; she commented, ‘I am delighted that the whole Group has shown confidence and support of the work that I have been doing; as a team we are working well together, and without the Group’s support I wouldn’t be able to do the work necessary. During 2010 the Steering Group and the various committees working under our guidance will start bringing sustainable solutions to the industry that can be utilised by small and large companies alike. This is a fantastic collaborative industry initiative and we encourage more companies and individuals to become involved.’

At a vote just prior to Christmas the Steering Group also voted on the Vice Chairs of the Steering Group, retaining Anne Girard, Petzl and voting in a new replacement Vice Chair for Kilian Hochrein. Saskia Preenen, from Salomon has accepted the position of Vice Chair. Kilian Hochrein will continue as Chair of the Standards and Regulations Committee, a sub committee of the Sustainability Working Group and will now be able to concentrate on the progression of the work being undertaken in the area of standards, regulations and labels.

Saskia brings different skills to the position of Vice-Chair including a global overview of the product creation process and project management experience to bring real time solutions. On hearing that she had been voted in to the position of Vice-Chair Saskia commented ‘I am eager to take on the additional responsibility within the Steering Group, because I firmly believe in the work we are doing. The Sustainability Working Group can do so much more for the outdoor industry than as a single company and by working together we can make a difference.’

The work of the SWG is NOT exclusive to members of the European Outdoor Group; it is operating on an open source basis and welcomes involvement from all areas of the value chain.
To get involved go to: www.europeanoutdoorsustainability.org

At the Steering Group meeting of the Sustainability Working Group (part of the European Outdoor Group) in November, Cortney McDermott (CSR & Sustainability Manager, The North Face EMEA) was re-elected as Chair of the Steering Group. Cortney has been a strong leader for the Group since it first started in 2008; she commented, ‘I am delighted that the whole Group has shown confidence and support of the work that I have been doing; as a team we are working well together, and without the Group’s support I wouldn’t be able to do the work necessary. During 2010 the Steering Group and the various committees working under our guidance will start bringing sustainable solutions to the industry that can be utilised by small and large companies alike. This is a fantastic collaborative industry initiative and we encourage more companies and individuals to become involved.’

At a vote just prior to Christmas the Steering Group also voted on the Vice Chairs of the Steering Group, retaining Anne Girard, Petzl and voting in a new replacement Vice Chair for Kilian Hochrein. Saskia Preenen, from Salomon has accepted the position of Vice Chair. Kilian Hochrein will continue as Chair of the Standards and Regulations Committee, a sub committee of the Sustainability Working Group and will now be able to concentrate on the progression of the work being undertaken in the area of standards, regulations and labels.

Saskia brings different skills to the position of Vice-Chair including a global overview of the product creation process and project management experience to bring real time solutions. On hearing that she had been voted in to the position of Vice-Chair Saskia commented ‘I am eager to take on the additional responsibility within the Steering Group, because I firmly believe in the work we are doing. The Sustainability Working Group can do so much more for the outdoor industry than as a single company and by working together we can make a difference.’

The work of the SWG is NOT exclusive to members of the European Outdoor Group; it is operating on an open source basis and welcomes involvement from all areas of the value chain.

Notes to Editors:
The European Outdoor Group is an association set up to represent the common interests of the European outdoor industry. Founded in 2003 the European Outdoor Group has 52 members, which include some of the largest brands in the world. The combined strength of the member brands, and a close cooperation with national outdoor associations, provides an extremely powerful force to represent the whole European outdoor industry in a constructive and positive manner.

Further information about the European Outdoor Group can be found on the website:
www.europeanoutdoorgroup.com
Or contact Vanessa Knowles, Tel: +44 1942 886402, vanessa.knowles@europeanoutdoorgroup.com

The Sustainability Working Group (SWG) was established at an open meeting at the OutDoor fair in Friedrichshafen, Germany in 2008. The Steering Group of the SWG is currently made up of representatives from adidas, Vaude, Mammut, W L Gore, Salomon, Haglöfs, The North Face, Deuter, Globetrotter, Petzl, Bever Zwerfsport and the European Outdoor Group.

This decision is a huge disappointment to the European Footwear Alliance (which includes the European Outdoor Group, FESI and EBFC) which has invested considerable time, energy and resources to the campaign, as well as to many EU Member States and to retailers and consumer groups throughout the continent.

Although the Member States voted at the level of the European Commission’s Anti-dumping Advisory Committee to reject the proposal, unfortunately a number of Member States changed their position on the issue and are now voting in favour of the Commission’s proposal. It is unclear from these Member States as to the reasons for the u-turn.

The Commission has been trying to reassure Member States that it will look for no further extension of the duties once this 15 month period expires, however this promise is clearly dubious given that an Expiry Review is initiated at the behest of complaining parties and therefore it is almost inevitable that one will be entered into once the 15 months is set to end.

The duties will be renewed – at the same levels as before – in the New Year and will continue until early April 2011, whereupon another Expiry Review might reasonably be expected to begin.

This story will be covered in more detail in the next issue of OutdoorNews available at ispo.

The European Outdoor Group’s, Sustainability Working Group is part of Defra’s Steering Group, working with them to provide a voice for and to the industry. Here we excerpt an article from textiles (issue 4 2009, published by The Textile Institute) covering the latest update on the Sustainable Clothing Roadmap including the latest report on the “Maximising Reuse and Recycling of UK Clothing and Textiles” study and we also provide Part 2, “Reducing the Environmental Impacts of Clothes Cleaning”.

Full article Sustainable Clothing Roadmap – Industry Initiative Part 1

Full article Sustainable Clothing Roadmap – Industry Initiative Part 2

Publications and other background information are available for the industry to use via the Sustainable Clothing Roadmap website