EOG confident of a successful future for outdoor sector
The European Outdoor Group (EOG) is in "good financial health" thanks to "prudent cost controls and budget management".
During its annual meeting, members heard it had taken measures to mitigate lost income due to the cancellation of events, with the support of trade show partner Messe Munich.
EOG’s board and executive team updated members on the progress of key initiatives, including work in retail, market research, CSR and sustainability, and the Single Use Plastics Project.
These have included a programme to support members affected by the covid-19 pandemic and liaison with partners to deal with immediate issues and plan for the longer term recovery. Throughout the crisis, the EOG has ensured that the outdoor sector has been represented to international policy makers, it said.
Mark Held was confirmed as EOG president for a second term; Matt Gowar (Equip) and Hans-Hermann Deters (Sport2000) were elected to the board during the meeting, while association treasurer Michel Gogniat (Ternua), Oliver Pabst (Mammut) and Mathias Zaggl (W.L. Gore & Associates) were re-elected for second terms. John Jansen (KEEN), Rainer Angstl (Sporthaus Schuster) and Ryan Gellert (Patagonia) stepped down.
Arne Strate, EOG general secretary, said: “As always, our annual assembly was a great opportunity to pause and reflect on the broad range of work that the EOG does. Of course, this year was different and unusual, but we were able to demonstrate to our members how we’ve been able to make good progress with core projects, while responding effectively to the pandemic.
“Everything that has happened during the last year has highlighted that, more than ever, collaboration is essential for addressing the most significant shared challenges that our industry faces. This is precisely why the EOG was founded and with the continued support of our members and external partners and stakeholders, I am confident that we can emerge from the pandemic and build a sustainable, successful future for the outdoor sector.”
The EOG will host a free webinar with details about its new Outdoor Retail Benchmark Report on Thursday 25 Feb (10:00 CET, 09:00 GMT).
Picture credit: UK-based footwear brand Inov-8
