343 – a new record number of entries for the OutDoor Industry Award – one of the most important design prizes for innovation in the outdoor industry. Following a two-day panel session in Friedrichshafen, the judges have chosen this year’s OutDoor Industry Award winners. A total of 37 products were selected to receive an award. The judges were so impressed by eight of them that they were given a Gold Award for outstanding innovation.

OutDoor, the leading international industry trade show in Friedrichshafen welcomes over 960 exhibitors from 40 countries and 20,000 plus trade visitors every year. As such, the OutDoor Industry Award enjoys widespread recognition among experts. This year, the six judges of the OutDoor Industry Award expert panel carefully evaluated and selected winning products and technologies that set new benchmarks for
innovation and design, but also for other values such as sustainability and workmanship. During the digital pre-selection round, a group of twelve judges went through the submitted entries with a fine toothcomb and chose 243 products to be tried, tested and evaluated during the hands-on panel meeting at Lake Constance.

Mark Held, General Secretary of the European Outdoor Group (EOG) and member of the panel shared his impressions on the two days of judging: “There was a key change to this year’s process with the introduction of an online pre-selection round. This also proved to be super useful in terms of pre-information and provided a more detailed route into the in-person judging sessions. Each year I find it quite exciting to see what expertise judges bring to the process. This year, there was a broad range of experience from ultra-technical fibre and textile knowledge to 8,000m mountaineering. You could feel that it was going to be a technical session by seeing how quickly the groups got
into discussing the details of the entered products.”

In addition to the EOG general secretary, the panel included Boris Gnielka, Editor Testing/Technology Outdoor magazine (Germany), Natasha Bloemhard, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Salt magazine (Holland), Bastian Wagner, Department Manager Outdoor and Mountain Sports Sport Gruner Constance, designer Ke Hai Truong and alpinist Tamara Lunger.

Once again, Messe Friedrichshafen invited the German Designer Club (DDC) to help facilitate the award evaluation. “This is our third year with the OutDoor Award. I find it exciting to see how it has developed during this time. I’m particularly excited to see that Messe Friedrichshafen has introduced a new category for start-ups that gives young talent the opportunity to present itself to a wider audience at the OutDoor,” said
Niko Gültig, designer and spokesman of the DDC board. The products winning an OutDoor Award or Gold Award will be kept under wraps for a few more days before they are announced. On July 13, the first day of the OutDoor show, the winning OutDoor Award products will be revealed and displayed in the Messe Friedrichshafen Foyer East. At 17.30 there will be an official prize ceremony to announce those among
them which are further distinguished by a Gold Award.

INFO: OutDoor 2016