A mammoth task faced the expert panel as the selection process began for the OutDoor Industry Awards a few days ago. 361 products – 45 more than last year – were entered for a chance to win this prestigious industry award. This year however, some changes were made. Not least of which was a tightening of the standards set by the panel of six international experts, plus a reduction in the number of awards.
“After eight successful years of the OutDoor Industry Awards, we felt it was time to make a few adjustments. We’ve made the decision process more transparent and therefore more accountable and are demonstrating more quality over quantity when it comes to the award winners. I think the expert panel has implemented this very well,” explains Stefan Reisinger, director of the OutDoor trade show at Messe Friedrichshafen.
The team of six judges, made up of industry and trade experts, outdoor journalists and athletes, spent two days together examining the entries. Naturally, some differences of opinion occurred and there were animated discussions about current trends and particular products. But in the end, the judges all agreed that the award winners represented the crème de la crème of this year’s new products in the outdoor sector.
“The past two days have been very interesting. It was also a huge challenge to judge each product individually. There were a total of 361 submissions and each one was examined by the team of six judges. I think we are all very pleased with the results and the chosen products,” said panel member and outdoor photographer Lars Schneider.
His panel colleague, the Swedish outdoor journalist, Ingalill Forslund, added: “It was very challenging, because there was such a wide range of products. All in all, I think we did a good job. I am proud of this year’s awards.”
The panel selected a total of 35 OutDoor Industry Awards, seven of which achieved the special Gold Award status. In comparison, last year 52 products were granted an award, eleven of which were Gold Awards.
The full results of the OutDoor Industry Awards, held this year for the first time in association with the German Designer Club (DDC), will be announced at the OutDoor trade show, which runs from July 10 to 13, 2014. As usual, the awards will be presented in a special exhibition in the East Foyer. On the first day of the trade fair, Thursday July 10, the winners of the seven Gold Awards will also be revealed at the official prize ceremony to be held at 5:30 pm in Hall A2.
At the close of the judging session, panel member and General Secretary of the European Outdoor Group, Mark Held, hinted which new trends and technologies might prove most important, “The development of hybrid materials is very exciting, with some interesting new innovations emerging. The trend towards ever-lighter backpacks continues to gather momentum. And there have been incredible developments when it comes to their carry systems. Additionally, there is also a move towards more sustainable, natural-based fibres, with some interesting technologies coming through.”
For more information: www.messe-friedrichshafen.de
