"Creating a Trade Fair that Generates Value and Inspires"

The Who is Who of the outdoor industry meets at the 30 June to 3 July 2019 for the first time at the OutDoor by ISPO in Munich. The change of location goes hand in hand with a change of concept. Outdoor bag specialist Ortlieb will also be exhibiting. Managing Director Jürgen Siegwarth welcomes the new ideas in the "3 questions to" interview and says that it is important for his company to be there - also to further develop the outdoor concept: "With the help of Messe München, we as a brand and association member would like to expand this concept and thus open up new horizons."

ISPO.com: Mr. Siegwarth, "Ever new horizons" is the motto of the new OutDoor by ISPO. What does that mean for you?

Jürgen Siegwarth: First of all, we are looking forward to the new location and are proud that we will continue to have the leading trade fair for the outdoor industry in Germany.

I think the new motto reflects very well what Ortlieb is all about. We have the ambition to reinvent ourselves every day, because that is the approach with which we develop products. And that must also be the intention of the trade fair and the European Outdoor Group and its member companies. We have to create a trade fair that generates real benefits, but also inspires beyond the trade fair itself.

The term outdoor has so far been very narrowly defined within the industry. With the help of Messe München, as a brand and member of the association, we would now like to expand this concept and thus open up new horizons. Ultimately, outdoor cannot be a fixed term, because every one of us and every consumer has his or her own definition of outdoor.

What is clear is that the boundaries between the individual activities are blurring and dissolving. Multisport is certainly the keyword here, consumers no longer commit themselves to just hiking or climbing. Many are interested and are always looking for new experiences, so that today a via ferrata is taken, tomorrow a tour is made with the e-bike and the day after tomorrow canyoning is on the program. The bike segment is and will remain our core competence, but of course the trend towards the fusion of outdoor and urban is also making the outdoor theme increasingly important for us. The bicycle is also becoming increasingly relevant as a means of transport in urban space.

The multisport approach will be driven even further by the differentiation of the types of game, such as the focus categories relevant to us, Active Traveling, Micro-Adventures and Bike-Packing.

Why is it important for you to be an exhibitor at OutDoor by ISPO?

For our current core areas of outdoor and bike, we have two leading trade fairs that are relevant to us. One of them is OutDoor by ISPO. Here we present our innovations and take the opportunity to present our brand accordingly. The trade fair has been regarded as a trend mirror ever since, and is experiencing a boost in the direction of digitalization as a result of Messe München as a location, which is also made accessible to a broad public throughout the year.

We present ourselves shoulder to shoulder with other important brands and thus reflect the market. At the moment, the trade fairs relevant to us are undergoing a process of change: away from the previous trade fair and towards an event, which has to be seen much more from a marketing point of view. That's why it's important for us as the Ortlieb brand to be present at OutDoor by ISPO.

In addition, the trade fair offers an important platform for networking. Pure B2B trade fairs have the clear advantage that the trade has the chance to get an overview of the new products and services in peace. Of course, this also means more time for more intensive discussions.

The consumer is moving more into the foreground again. The industry agrees on this. How is this implemented at Ortlieb?

We have always focused on the consumer, for whom we develop our products in order to protect and keep dry what is important to them.

I think that the high value of our customer service with its own repair service alone shows that we have a clear focus on the consumer. Sustainability is also an increasingly important issue for consumers. As everything at Ortlieb is "made in Germany", we are certainly well positioned in this area. The extensive and numerous feedback that we receive through the various channels is also taken into account and incorporated into the development and optimisation of products.

At the same time, we are naturally trying to expand our offerings, such as our new e-commerce concept, in such a way that the partnership relationship with the specialist trade still benefits from it. Nevertheless, the end consumer and his needs must have priority here as well.

Hartmut Ortlieb founded the Ortlieb Sportartikel GmbH in Nuremberg in 1982. Since 1997 the company has been based in Heilsbronn in central Franconia. Ortlieb focuses on quality "made in Germany": The market leader in waterproof bicycle bags produces exclusively at the company headquarters in Heilsbronn. The range now comprises more than 500 individual products.

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