Tuesday 30th January at 11.00 – 12.00hrs, Room B52, East Entrance, ISPO

With the help of its membership and other outdoor companies (you don’t need to be a member to join the project), the European Outdoor Group (EOG) has published the most authoritative report on the market that has ever existed. The feedback received from current partners has all been very positive.

This report is a very useful business tool and, whilst the detailed data remains confidential between the participants, some key percentages have been published to support media, retailers and other industry partners. Communications and Marketing Associate Mathias Basedow commented, “The figure of around 10 billion Euros, which pops up again and again, was our first estimate of the total market size before the expert meeting. That this group have been able to confirm that this that we were close is great, but of course the only way you will be able verify this is by participating and getting the report.”

The current published figures are for 2010, the report for 2011 will be ready for the OutDoor Show in July to make it even more beneficial for decision makers. This shortens the period to join the project meaning that applications can only be accepted up to the end of February. If brands are interested in joining the next survey the EOG is offering a special Question and Answer Session.

Mathias Basedow added, “With Petzl joining, we now have one of the few missing international key players with us, but we hope to encourage, for this second edition, many more medium-sized brands to become involved. As the report is broken down by country as well as product category it is important that we encourage locally successful brands, of high relevance in European markets, to participate, and we will therefore have this informal Question and Answer Session at ISPO. Interested brands will get a feeling for the report, but we will not be sharing the detailed figures nor will we publish new figures. This is a brand-focused event and therefore our research partners will join us to help address any possible concerns. We will also explain fully the confidential data supply process, which involves a notary. Some interested brands did not realise that even the EOG itself is not able to gain access to the figures before they are converted to anonymous data by the notary.”

Based on the actual data supplied by 80 key companies, the ‘European Outdoor Group – State of the Trade 2010’ report delivered hard sales figures on markets and products to the participating companies and key percentages to the whole industry.

The research is a long-term project, it’s not too late for brands to join in, find out how they supply the data confidentially, and benefit as well. The Market Research Q&A Session is the ideal opportunity to learn more and get involved.

The EOG reserves the right to decline requests for participation if, for whatever reasons, it is considered that a brand’s involvement would not be in the wider interests of the project.

Graphs and earlier releases on this topic are available at http://www.europeanoutdoorgroup.com/news-press/press-materials  and can be used providing that copyright is attributed correctly to the European Outdoor Group.

Press contact:

Mathias Basedow

mathias.basedow@europeanoutdoorgroup.com

T: +44 7585951741

Peter Metcalf, who currently assumes this responsibility, will remain president and CEO of Black Diamond, Inc. while Gellert will move on from his current position as vice president of Black Diamond supply chain management. Gellert began his career at Black Diamond Equipment in 1998 and quickly ascended the ranks to project leader and managing director of Black Diamond Asia from 2005 to 2010.

“Ryan’s appointment marks the culmination of an important objective our company set out to achieve since becoming public in May 2010,” said Warren Kanders, executive chairman of Black Diamond. “The creation of this new position will allow Peter to keep his fingers on the pulse of the Black Diamond brand while at the same time focusing on the organization’s most compelling strategic initiatives which are currently apparel and acquisitions.”

Metcalf announced the pending split of his role at a companywide meeting in February 2011, after which Black Diamond Equipment began the search for a highly qualified individual to fortify the top of the organization and provide focused leadership for the Black Diamond Equipment brand.

“Ryan has been fully committed to our team for over ten years and has proven himself as a highly effective leader,” said Peter Metcalf, president and CEO of Black Diamond. “These qualities, along with a deep connection to the values and ethos of Black Diamond, will be a tremendous asset as this brand enters its next stage of growth.”

Gellert will focus globally on all brand functions and will become only the second person to manage and lead Black Diamond Equipment since its inception in 1989 and only the third person in the 54 year heritage of the business, dating back to Chouinard Equipment.

“The vibrant energy, human capital and technological innovation at Black Diamond Equipment, combined with its commitment to being the world’s leading active outdoor equipment and lifestyle companies, is truly inspiring,” said Gellert. “I am both thrilled and honored to undertake this challenge and advance this brand in the increasingly competitive global marketplace.”

Gellert earned a J.D. at the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law in 2005. During his time in law school, Gellert studied European Union Law and Chinese Law and Legal Institutions at East China University of Politics and Law in Shanghai, China. His prior education includes a B.S.B.A in Finance from the University of North Carolina – Charlotte and an M.B.A. from Florida Institute of Technology. Gellert is an avid backcountry snowboarder and an active climber for over 15 years, having climbed in Asia, Europe, North America, Australia, the Middle East and South Africa.

About Black Diamond, Inc.

Black Diamond, Inc. is a global leader in the design, manufacturing and marketing of innovative active outdoor performance products for climbing, mountaineering, backpacking, skiing and other active outdoor recreation activities for a wide range of year-round use. The Company’s principal brands, Black Diamond® and Gregory™, are iconic in the active outdoor industry and linked intrinsically with the modern history of these sports. Black Diamond is synonymous with performance, innovation, durability and safety that the climbing, mountaineering, skiing and backpacking communities rely on and embrace in their active lifestyle. Headquartered in Salt Lake City at the base of the Wasatch Mountains, the Company’s products are created and tested on some of the best alpine peaks, crags and trails in the world. These close connections to the Black Diamond lifestyle enhance the authenticity of the Company’s brands, inspire product innovation and strengthen customer loyalty. The Company’s products are sold by leading specialty retailers in the U.S. and 40 countries around the world. For additional information, please visit the Company’s websites at www.blackdiamond-inc.com, www.blackdiamondequipment.com, or www.gregorypacks.com.

Black Diamond Equipment hires Tim Bantle to lead new apparel initiative

Room B52, East Entrance, ISPO*

The EOG’s Sustainability Working Group is please to announce a short presentation at ISPO from the new Material Traceability Working Group (MTWG). Traceability is the focus, as it is the key for brands to be able to make claims about their products and to be able to tell customers and NGOs how and where their products are manufactured. This new Group will be composed of different ‘task forces’ that are composed of experts and or interested stakeholders in specific material supply chains. Initially, the plan is to launch a Down Task Force to establish traceability systems for down and feather supply chains and a Content Claims Standard Task Force to expose the work the Textile Exchange has done with the CCS to a broader audience.

“There has been a steady trend for the supply chain to become more complicated and lacking in transparency over the past two decades. The process of creating products which are compatible with the values shared by most of us will not be easy. However, though it may take time, we have to start to co-operate to find and implement possible solutions. Making sure the supply chain is easier to trace is one of the industry’s key tasks in the upcoming decade and we therefore encourage all brands to join the meeting.”  comments EOG secretary general Mark Held.

The MTWG will be composed of different ‘task forces’ that are composed of experts and or interested stakeholders in specific material supply chains.  Initially,  the plan is to launch a Down Task Force to establish traceability systems for down and feather supply chains and a Content Claims Standard Task Force to expose the work the Textile Exchange has done with the CCS to a broader audience, and to finalise the standard and implement it in various supply chains.

The MTWG, Chaired by Steve Richardson from Patagonia and Vice-Chaired by Anne Gillespie from Textile Exchange will have a short presentation followed by a discussion on Tuesday 31st January, at 12.30, in Room B52, anyone interested in the subject is welcome to attend.

*Please note that you do require ISPO tickets for admission to events and you should ensure that you make your own arrangements for these to avoid disappointment.

The EOG website is online again and you are very welcome to explore the developments.

One of the biggest changes is the availability of German and French versions plus the increased focus on information exchange in the sector.

Marketing and communications associate Mathias Basedow advises, “While the Outdoor Market becomes more and more truly European, a lot of information still stays quite regional. We will try to change this and are encouraging our members to add the site to their news distribution routes – so the industry itself and the mainly national orientated media have easy access to unedited Industry News. One of the next planned extensions is a list of European trade media and job platforms. There’s still a long way to go, but I think we are on the right track.”
Visit the site now and find out more – comments and suggestions to improve content and presentation are very welcome: admin@europeanoutdoorgroup.com