OutDoor 2024: The highlights on Wednesday

🤝 People: Think Together 🤝

More than 70 elections are scheduled around the world in 2024, including the European elections from June 6 to 9. These elections will also have a significant influence on the future of the EU and the entire world in terms of sustainability. No question that this was also discussed at OutDoor: On the third day of the trade fair, a panel talk with Jan Lorch (CSO VAUDE), Tyler LaMotte (Product & Managing Director Patagonia EMEA), Mathias Basedow (Country Manager Germany/Austria Icebug, Sweden) and Dan Yates, Director of Partnerships and Initiatives Protect Our Winters Europe will take place as the grand finale.

The question is whether and how brands should get involved politically, especially in these times full of ecological and economic challenges. The tenor is clear: yes, they should. By no means through concrete election recommendations or political opinion making. But through education and training, mobilizing the community and calling on people to get out into nature more. Because experiencing nature always means understanding the importance of sustainability.

The takeaway from the talk and a strong appeal at the end: “Make sure to vote, as a community we can swing this.”

Fulfilling dreams and overcoming traumas — this is what unites the two stories that moved the audience today at OutDoor Cinema powered by EOFT. “Julie” and “The Mirage”, two short films that impressively demonstrate the extent to which movement and emotion merge.

Telling a story through movement alone? The audience can see how this works in the screening of “Julie”, a documentary about Julie Gautier. The apnoea diver, dancer, and filmmaker takes us on an emotional journey and provides deep insights into her life, her dreams, and her passion. As the daughter of a dancer and a spearfisherman, she lives in two worlds and combines them to create her own art form. “I fly in the water”, she enthuses and talks about one of her most important projects, “Ama”. In this dance under water, Julie tells her personal story without words, but full of emotion. For the audience, it is a captivating experience that leaves room for their own interpretations. For Julie, it is a way of coming to terms with a trauma from her past. "I wanted to share my biggest pain in this life with this film. For this is not too crude, I covered it with grace. To make it not too heavy, I plunged it into the water."

Afterwards, “The Mirage” is shown. The breathtaking story of Timothy Olson's 4,265-kilometre-long adventure takes viewers on a journey from Mexico to Canada. Two marathons a day, for 51 days, through deserts, forests and snow-capped mountains on the famous Pacific Crest Trail. "This is the biggest thing I have done in my life. I think physically and mentally it is the biggest you can go." Exercise is also a way for Olson to process. “Running really saved my life,” he recalls and talks about his fight against drugs and alcohol. “I didn't think I'd survive”. How did he reach his goal on the Pacific Crest Trail? His mantra is “be here now”, i.e. always be in the moment, always live in the moment. He also says that he tries to think as little as possible about the destination and the future.

And lo and behold: despite challenges such as weather conditions, snakes on the track, psychological challenges, forest fires and even an injured foot, he reaches his destination. His first words at the Canadian border? “Holy shit.”

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💚 Planet: Think Sustainable 💚

What are the brand new developments in sustainable materials? And how are they driving the transformation? Leonhard Nima, founder of Studio Nima, Efrat Friedland, founder of Materialscout and Revoltech CEO Lucas Fuhrmann provide insights from the development labs and best-practice examples such as running shoes that are made from a single, bio-based material (TPU) and do not require any adhesives at all. Material inventor Leonhard Nima then presented the other exciting innovations during his tour of the Material Lab exhibition.

At the presentation "EU Green Deal - Opportunities, Challenges and Prospects for the Outdoor Industry" at the OutDoor by ISPO event, Stefan Rosenkranz, CEO of the German Sporting Goods Industry Association, and Karin Ekberg, Managing Director Leadership and Sustainability, spoke about the impact of the European Green Deal on the outdoor industry. The EU's goal of becoming climate-neutral by 2050 poses enormous challenges for the industry. Stricter social and environmental requirements as well as complex obligations require a comprehensive understanding of the new guidelines. The management of supply chains is particularly challenging, as many companies have not yet mapped all levels of their suppliers.

Despite these hurdles, however, the Green Deal also opens up significant opportunities. Companies that adapt at an early stage can benefit from an improved market position and reputation. New products and materials offer potential for market development. In addition, better comparability and communication can be achieved through standardization. A strong foundation in sustainability and a proactive approach are crucial to remaining competitive in the long term.

We grabbed our headphones and set off on the third day of the well-attended guided tour of the Sustainability Hub. This year, the focus is on topics such as the EU Green Deal and carbon reduction, as well as natural materials and waste reduction.

Reducing waste is also at the top of VAUDE's agenda. In the Sustainability Hub, the brand is presenting the motto detachable. repairable. incredible. the brand is presenting a trolley whose innovative design means that all components can be easily replaced or repaired.

Retailer Globetrotter is committed to giving role models a stage when it comes to sustainability: In the New Horizons podcast, industry pioneers regularly have their say and provide food for thought and inspiration. Platforms such as Carbonfact and retraced, whose tools help to make products more sustainable.

💡 Product: Think New 💡

First meadow, then forest floor, a hill, followed by sand, gravel and scree - that's the Trailrunning Test Track in Hall A1 at OutDoor 2024. On the second day of the trade fair, you could even see professional trail runner Kimi Schreiber in action here: "I'm going to take a look at the whole thing and I'll open it up and I'll be happy if a few people join me".

Visitors to the trade show can try out trail running for three days, experience different terrains over the shortest possible distance and test the products under the most realistic conditions possible. The Trailrunning Test Track is also a great opportunity for brands - what better way to present their features and special characteristics than in such a unique test environment?

A hoverboard, diving goggles with lenses that resemble corals, bright/neon-colored shoe tops with an interchangeable base, a paddle with a hollow shaft full of holes and a headlamp - these products have one thing in common: they were designed and produced by five design students at Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences.

"What will outdoor sports look like in the year 2100, when we (have to) live in a new warm era?"

Annemarie Bauer, Benjamin Kolb, Jakob Schneider, Kilian Holland and Maria Reichelt had to ask themselves this question as part of their semester project.

The result? The students implemented exciting ideas in an innovative way using sustainable, degradable and future-oriented materials such as sunflower rubber.