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SGB Sports
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ispo appoints new UK
Why STAG?
team member
As part of the communications programme that global trade show ispo has
SGB spoke to one of STAG's newest
been focussing on in the UK, the continued development of its customer
members to find out why they
service for exhibitors has been highlighted as a vital focal point. While ispo
has a superb and highly efficient Munich-based team and online exhibitor
chose the group after reviewing
area that reflects the success and ongoing growth of the global sports
trade show, for UK customers having a fully dedicated and home-based
their options for a year before
exhibitor support service is essential. Consequently a UK based customer
joining.
service specialist has joined the team as Exhibitor Service Manager, working
alongside Communications Manager Lauren Fox who runs the UK and
Ireland Information Centre.
There are unquestionable benefits to joining a buying group, but it's also true to An avid skier and ski instructor, Valentin Ramser studied Sports and Event
say that it's not for every retailer. Careful consideration is vital when considering Management in Austria, before joining Frankfurt outdoor retailer, Sine, on
such a move, as Lesley Maynard, owner and manager of In Training, located in the shop floor and working his way up to a Customer Service role. Most
Haslemere, Surrey, discovered. recently Ramser has been a project trainee on ispo winter, helping look
Signing on the dotted line was something both Lesley and the previous owner after exhibitors on the newcomer areas at the show and assisting with the
of In Training had considered, as she explained: "I thought about joining STAG outdoor and ski awards.
for a year. The previous owner had also looked at STAG a year or two before, and Ramser will be the contact point for all exhibitor information before and
she'd gone through and worked out the benefits for her and decided not to go during show attendance.
ahead for whatever reason. Then I looked at STAG and thought about the
reasons to go with them, and there were more reasons to join than not to."
Lesley explained the key reasons for her joining: "The decisive reasons were
the negotiated discounts, and the fantastic card rates. As a shop we've been
ispo china winter
with the same bank for 25 years and the bank still can't match the card rates
that we get now with STAG."
09 sets
Growth is also key to Lesley's thinking, with an expanded supplier base
available to her through STAG. They already stock key brands like Nike, Asics
attendance
and K Swiss, but membership brings many more brands and products within
reach of the independent. "We can now make our offering to the customer even record
better with STAG," Lesley enthused. "Ward Robertson and the team have a lot of The recent ispo China exhibition, held between
brand and market knowledge, along with years of experience – I plan to learn all February 19 and 21, attracted over 13,500 sports
I can from that to help and improve the business." trade professionals, a 17 per cent rise on last year's
Life can be pretty tough for any retailer, particularly at the moment, but figure. The event enjoyed a synergistic relationship
Lesley is feeling a greater benefit than simply financial from her new STAG with Alpitec China and offered a complete range
membership. She added: "I feel part of the family now, with more confidence of wintersports products, a fifth China Outdoor
now we've signed up to STAG. As an independent, you can feel a bit isolated, Retailing Conference, and the fourth Asia Pacific Snow Conference.
but with STAG we have a big group behind us. I'm looking forward to attending In total, ispo china winter 09 covered 25,000 square meters and five halls
their shows and meeting the other retailers. of the exhibition center with products by Chinese and international brands.
"The personal touch really helped – Ward Robertson visited me in person on As a tradeshow platform
several occasions and answered every question I had. He didn't pull any with a clear focus on
punches with his advice either, nothing was sugar-coated. It's better than just benefitting the sporting
getting a letter in the post, or an email asking if you'd like to join." goods retailer, ispo china
winter 09 once again offered
a very diverse program of side
events, featuring congresses,
workshops, and fashion
shows.
Manfred Wutzlhofer,
President and CEO of Messe München International: “This fifth edition of
ispo in China was a true success and once again reflects the rapid
development of the sporting goods industry in the entire Asia-Pacific Rim.
We are proud and happy to return to China each year to support this
powerful market and everybody involved in it. With a new visitor record,
ispo china winter 09 has met our expectations.”
10 SGB SPORTS MARCH 2009
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