Industry News


Spotlight on the outdoor industry N


early 200 delegates descended on the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate for the OIA’s annual Conference and AGM in March.


This year’s conference kicked off with a series of outdoor activities in-cluding a 10k trail run, mountain biking and indoor rock climbing sessions as well as a low level walk around a local reservoir in the surrounding National Park.


Caravanning Club then proceeded to deliver a presentation which outlined the Club’s activities regarding research and marketing in an effort to grow participation within the outdoors market. International ambassador for Diabetes and


CEO Andrew Denton (pictured above) presented


the introduction to the AGM, before handing over to retiring Chairman, Stephen Newlands who reviewed the financial year. Newly elected Chairman, Robert Louden MBE, Director General of The Camping and


Inkingabout the lakes?


service with a difference, when George Fisher opens a tattoo room within its store. The Keswick-based specialist


O


retailer already provides a monthly Hill Walking Clinic with a resident podiatrist who can diagnose and treat on site. The success of this service has prompted George Fisher to expand its offering, linked to its desire to attract customers across all demographics. “One in three young adults has a tattoo, and the


trend is only going to get bigger”, says George Fisher director Andy Airey. “It’s estimated that one in five of the UK population is tattooed and this figure rises to one in three for young adults. Recent research indicates we’ll reach ‘peak tattoo’ around 2025, so we wanted to get ahead of the curve here in Keswick”. The company has hired mobile tattoo artist John


Winkham, who will run the clinic on the first Saturday of every month. “You could have a stunning replica of your favourite Lakeland Fell or peak, or even a replica of the iconic George Fisher climber,” says Airey.


ne of the UK’s major outdoor shops will be offering walkers a


renowned mountaineer, Jerry Gore, gave delegates an entertaining insight into expedition climbing.The underlying message was about the worldwide im- pact of diabetes for which he is helping to build awareness.Visit www.Action4Diabetics.org On the first evening of the conference, the winners of the UK Outdoor Industry Awards were announced with Frio’s Zipper Cooling Wallet chosen as overall ‘Product of the Year’. Visit www.outdoorindustriesassociation.co.uk/awards The second day started with Andrew Denton


presenting an ‘Annual Update’ and an overview of OIA activities and highlights during 2015.


Sport England’s CEO Jennie Price, delivered an


impactful presentation ‘From Insight to Action – a new strategy for community sport in England’. Jennie stressed the importance of creating a healthier nation by encouraging greater participation in sport at an earlier age and reminding delegates that brands can play an important part in growing the market and making a profit at the same time. The second keynote presentation on Thursday was


delivered by Deuter brand ambassador, Bernd Kullmann (pictured right) who gave a humorous insight into the highs and lows of his personal climbing life and the efforts and product innovations that he was able to introduce at Deuter. A series of


workshop sessions were held in the afternoon with diverse topics ranging from social media to outdoor industry training, the development of business strategies to the provision of facilities and equipment for people with disabilities.


Scottish rewildingproject wins €30,000 grant


T


he European Outdoor Conservation Association project (EOCA) “Trees for Life” has been awarded a €30,000 funding grant – enabling a wild forest to be restored in Scotland.


Messe Friedrichshafen, which supported the application, announced that the rewilding project had won the EOCA Alpine vote. After going through rigorous selection criteria, the project was put into an online vote, together with three other internationally important projects. Nearly 18,000 votes were cast and Trees for Life was declared the winner on 23rd March. The project will use the grant to plant over 50,000 trees and enable volunteers to get involved in conservation activities, designed to rewild an area of the Scottish Highlands near Loch Ness.


4 •www.sgboutdoor.co.uk


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