This year’s OutDoor in Friedrichshafen (18 – 21 June 2017) is going to be different. Alongside pushing limits, reaching summits, breaking records, adrenalin and speed, the biggest European outdoor trade show will also focus on having fun and taking time to unwind. OutDoor’s very first HangOut platform is a fusion of outdoor lifestyle, BBQs, chill-out zone and product presentations.

HangOut is one of the new OutDoor Plus themes to feature at this year’s show. In partnership with the Scandinavian Outdoor Group (SOG), the trade fair’s outdoor exhibition area will be celebrating the happy-go-lucky side of life and creating a space devoted to al fresco joie de vivre. “Over the past few years, the outdoor marketplace has increasingly tapped into new segments and focused on introducing more and more people to activities outdoors. HangOut is a platform where people can meet up, inspire and encourage one another,” is how Stefan Reisinger, Head of OutDoor, Messe Friedrichshafen explains the new concept.

“These are aspects we had almost lost sight of in the past. Outdoor isn’t just about rushes of adrenalin or challenging adventures, but about enjoying the great outdoors – preferably with friends if possible,” comments Martin Kössler, one of HangOut’s initiators. And this is exactly HangOut’s point of departure. It’s all about outdoor life at a slower pace, minus stopwatches, wearables or power gels, but with plenty of relaxation, satisfaction and good food. So, outdoor cooking is naturally one of HangOut’s core components. Companies such as Light my Fire or Campfire Outdoors are presenting their products at HangOut and catering for visitors. Furthermore, at the Open-Air Grounds West, respected outdoor expedition chef Kieran Creevy is organising the first European Outdoor Cooking Championship, and offering visitors outdoor cooking workshops on all four days of the show. “Good food on tour can turn a bad day outdoors into a bearable one and a good day into an exceptional experience. Food lines the stomach before embarking on adventures, so it’s important that we perfect the way it’s cooked,” explains Kieran Creevy, drawing on experience gained from numerous expeditions.

There will be competitions open to all comers at the HangOut area with a high fun factor. Friedrichshafen OutDoor newcomer, Nordic Pocket Saw, is launching its fully manually-operated pocket chain saw with a four-day chainsaw competition. One of the company’s founders Oscar Strindhagen emphasises that: “As a small company new to the market, the HangOut area is just right. It’s a place to get to know new people, work in a relaxed space and for visitors to try out our saws on the spot.” Light My Fire is offering outdoor pyromaniacs the chance to start a fire with a fire lighter and wood chips. No problem at OutDoor. And anyone who finds that all too tiring, should seek out Tentipi adventure tents. This Swedish company will be looking for the outdoor visitor with the lowest pulse.

But HangOut can also be taken literally too: new to OutDoor, Grand Trunk (from the US) will be presenting the new Hang Out hammock in Friedrichshafen. Compact, lightweight and easy to hang up, it fits into any backpack and guarantees a place to retreat to on trail. Anyone wanting a tad more luxury might like to try out Amazonas hammocks with a friend.

There’s no danger that the business side of life might get a raw deal at OutDoor 2017.
Quite the contrary. While key deals may have traditionally been negotiated on golf courses in the UK, and in saunas in Scandinavia, major deals at OutDoor might in future be completed in the relaxed atmosphere of a HangOut – under starry skies and accompanied by good food of course.

INFO: OutDoor Show