Hiking, hunting, sport shooting… a high demand market focused on hobbies and leisure
• Germans spend nearly four billion euros on hiking equipment
• From “gunsmiths' exhibition” to a world pilot show
• All about hunting, sport shooting, outdoor and safety
Traditional outdoor activities are experiencing a boom. In March, the specialist trade will inquire at IWA & OutdoorClassics 2011 on the latest products from around the globe for the next season. "The IWA & Outdoor ¬ Classics is not an event for the general public, but a specialized exhibition reserved exclusively for international trade operators in various market segments, including the hunting and outdoor sector", explains Thomas Preutenborbeck, project manager for IWA. The world pilot exhibition for hunting and shooting weapons, as well as for outdoor and security products, will take place from 11 to 14 March 2011 in the Nuremberg Exhibition Center.
As is tradition, the IWA & OutdoorClassics not only offers the global offer of the sectors concerned, but also presents the trends of the moment. In Germany, for example, hiking has become a popular leisure activity, far from the cliché of an out-of-fashion "poor man's pastime". A current study by the Deutscher Wanderverband (German Hiking Association) shows that 56 percent of Germans enjoy walking, 15 percent even regularly. Considering the demographic development (the age group between 45 and 54 years is the one who practices it the most), in the next few years hiking will be even more appreciated, this is the result of the "Basic survey on hiking as leisure and holiday market ".
Another aspect underlined by the study: you walk all year round, even in winter almost a quarter of hikers dedicate themselves to it. In this, hiking differs from other outdoor sports that are practiced only seasonally: "Special winter excursions are a promising market segment with potential for development". Already today, over 370 million day trips a year are undertaken and the Germans invest around 3,7 billion euros each year in the hobby of hiking, of which 2011 billion only in the right equipment. The manufacturers of this equipment present their proposal at the IWA & OutdoorClassics XNUMX and it must be taken into account that the product sectors of hiking, outdoor and hunting often intersect: "The right equipment contributes in a decisive way to enjoy adventure in nature. Good binoculars, for example, are important for both the walker and the hunter, ”explains Guido Welk, PR manager of the show.
The products range from binoculars, flashlights, water bottles, compasses, pocket knives and backpacks to footwear and clothing. “Tyrolean leather breeches are part of the traditional costumes, however as hiking clothing they have long been a thing of the past, as well as heavy mountain boots”, comments Preutenborbeck. "Nowadays, shoes and clothing must be as light and multifunctional as possible". Breathable and water resistant membranes have long been standard, a state of the art hiking clothing has to offer more, such as integrated protection from UV rays and tick bites. High-tech is important in all sectors, for example in pocket flashlights, in which the LEDs controlled by a microchip allow for a robustness and duration never achieved with the usual light bulbs.
IWA & OutdoorClassics: much more than just weapons for a long time
The IWA & OutdoorClassics was born more than 30 years ago as an exhibition of products from the specialized trade and arms crafts. Over time it has evolved into an indispensable exhibition for armories, to which the main gunsmiths of the entire globe present their products. In addition to the extension from national craftsmanship to international industry, the thematic orientation of the fair has also steadily expanded over the past three decades. According to Jürgen Triebel, president of the VDB (German Association of Shotgun Manufacturers and Arms Dealers), in this "continuous growth in product variety" lies one of the secrets of the success of the IWA & OutdoorClassics, on the occasion of the which every year more than 1.000 exhibitors and more than 30.000 professional visitors from over 100 countries arrive in Nuremberg.
“Hunting and shooting weapons form in a certain sense the nucleus around which numerous other market segments are grouped,” says Preutenborbeck. Like hiking, many of these leisure activities take place outdoors, so that in many respects there is interference with regard to needs and target groups. Typical examples are the field target with compressed air rifle, which is not practiced in a shooting range but on the field, as well as archery. In the case of the arch there are in turn points of intersection with living history, the hobby of the Middle Ages and hunting. “Bow and arrow hunting is prohibited in Germany, while in many other countries it is a very normal sport. Currently in this sector there is even a trend that goes back to hunting with the medieval longbow ”, explains Welk. By virtue of the international setting of the show, the product range is not limited to the German market, but reflects the interests of all target groups from around the globe.
Highlights in the supporting program
In addition to the huge range of products displayed on the stands, the show will offer the professional public an attractive side program with, for example, specialist lectures and eminent guests of biathlon and entertainment at the VDB / JSM stand, the Archery Shooting Range and a indoor practice range for archery and archery. Another highlight will be the “Look Showcase”, which will provide specialist retailers with ideas for promoting sales. “It is not enough to simply arrange the goods on the shelves and give them only the price tag,” explains Maggy Spindler, editor of the magazine Waffenmarkt-Intern / Messermarkt-Intern. “A shopping atmosphere is increasingly important to sell successfully”. Under the motto “Look 'N See”, at IWA & OutdoorClassics, operators will see examples of impressive achievements for advertising purposes in an attractive showcase catwalk. The presentation will offer ideas to turn the purchase into a real adventure. In 2011 the action will be integrated for the first time by the theme of shop furnishing and an additional workstation.
LawEnforcement @ IWA:
equipment and information for professionals
A constantly growing segment within IWA & OutdoorClassics is the Law Enforcement sector. On the occasion of the exhibition, the European Conference of Police Instructors, organized in collaboration with the PiD eV (Police Instructors in Germany), and the Conference of the German Higher Police Institute of Münster on the theme "Weapons and equipment". The conferences will be complemented by an informative demonstration program to be held in the Demonstration Area. This combination of trade fair and police conferences is even predestined, as “manufacturers of equipment for special intervention forces and security forces from all over the world are presenting their novelties in Nuremberg,” Welk explains.
IWA & OutdoorClassics will further expand this product category. In fact, both in the sphere of the authorities and in the civil sphere of personal security, there continues to be a growing demand. The first results of the "Violence against police officers" study by the Kriminologisches Forschungsinstitut Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony Criminological Research Institute), dating back to the summer of 2010, showed that, in the last five years, violence against police officers it has clearly increased, the more important it becomes to improve the protective equipment. Almost a third of the IWA & OutdoorClassics 2010 audience was particularly interested in the subject of Law Enforcement, about a quarter wished for an even broader proposal on safety. “For six years the 'LawEnforcement @ IWA' it is an important forum for international police units and private security institutions ”, this is the assessment of Preutenborbeck. “We will take into account the visitors' requests and orient the IWA & OutdoorClassics product range to the needs of the future”.
IWA & OutdoorClassics: for specialists only!
The specialized exhibition concentrates innovations and trends in all the product sectors represented: in addition to weapons and ammunition, the exhibitors will present a complete range of products related to outdoor activities, in particular hunting and sport shooting, shooting with l arch, hiking and animal watching. The fair also informs about new hobbies and related equipment, attractive ideas and the most suitable gifts. Authorities purchasing managers will find a full range of service weapons and safety accessories: from bulletproof vests, protective shields, functional clothing, holsters and ammunition to personal protection items.
The IWA & OutdoorClassics is reserved exclusively for a professional audience. Access to minors under the age of 18 is not permitted. The IWA & OutdoorClassics entrance cards will be issued exclusively to visitors belonging to the specialized trade, to public bodies and institutions with specific sectoral activities, as well as to private civil security institutions. The right of access to the fair must be documented in advance. Employees of public bodies must produce a certificate from the management of their department.
IWA & OutdoorClassics on the internet: https://www.iwa.info/
Press and media contact:
Guido Welk, Beate Sierl
+49 (0) 9 11. 86 06-82 48
Fax +49 (0) 9 11. 86 06-86 40
[email protected]
This press release, other press material and photographs can be found in the section dedicated to the press at: www.iwa.info/press
The most up-to-date information of the companies on their respective products is available on the page: https://www.ask-iwa.info/
—- As received published —–