For the Press

Final Report spoga horse spring: the sector's international meeting place at the highest level

The positive assessment given by many exhibitors was also confirmed by the visitor survey. 80 percent of the trade visitors surveyed are involved in purchasing and procurement decisions to a decisive extent or share decision-making responsibility in that area. Over 60 percent of all spoga horse visitors hold management positions at their respective companies. Almost 75 percent of those surveyed announced that they also intended visiting the next spoga horse in autumn.

BSI: very promising start to 2010
According to the Federal Association of the German Sport Goods Industry (Bundesverband der Deutschen Sportartikel-Industrie - BSI), the honorary sponsor of spoga horse, spoga horse spring has once again confirmed its status as an important order-placing instrument for the coming season and the equestrian sport trade's autumn business. "spoga horse spring was able to generate key impulses especially for export business, so that for many companies international business has got off to a very promising start", said Tilman Meyer zu Erpen, Vice President of the BSI. "For 2010 the equestrian sport article suppliers are counting on market stabilization."

Fresh combined fashion the trend-setter
Thanks to numerous innovations presented by the suppliers, spoga horse spring 2010 was once again the trend barometer for the equestrian sport articles sector in all product areas for horse and rider. The manufacturers are placing their faith in high-quality materials and first-class workmanship, because quality products are in demand. The new collections from the equestrian sports outfitters even feature powerful double combinations: on the one hand they are banking on the trendy appeal of two-tone arrangements in trousers, jackets and overcoats. On the other, the colouring used is consistent and matches rugs, saddle pads, fly masks and similar articles. Grey and blue tones combined with strikingly bold colour dashes in red, pink or green are the trend-setters. High-tech functional fibres and innovative material textures ensure an optimal temperature balance.

The exhibitors' innovations and new products repertoire at the fair extended across the whole article range from head to foot. The youngest generation of riding helmets for example is more comfortable, lighter and yet still safer. Extremely stable shells conceal an air-conditioned interior. The material is anti-allergic, removable and washable. Riding boots score not only with their shock-absorbing soles, but can also be perfectly adjusted to different riders' calf circumferences. In the saddles area, in particular new technologies were presented at spoga horse, which distribute the pressure exerted downwards by the rider's weight evenly and in the most efficient way across the horse's back. In addition the suppliers also had imaginative new products and innovations on offer such as hoof picks with LED illumination, multi-functional snaffle bits, special cooling boots, cleaning agents for horses' legs or new equestrian nutritional products.

Exciting themes on the Red Sofa
In the Centre of Expertise for Equestrian Sports specialist retailers were provided with information and know-how. At the open job exchange exhibitors at spoga horse were able to list their current job and continuation training offers. On the "Red Sofa" experts from the industry and trade faced up to the questions put to them by "Equitrends" sector trade magazine. Among the topics discussed were the latest approach taken by the German Equestrian Sports Federation (Reiterliche Vereinigung FN) on the theme of doping, future trends in equestrian sports as well as the new "saddle assessment supplementary qualification".

At spoga horse "Reitsport-Markt" trade magazine awarded a prize to the "best equestrian sport retailer"For the first time, there was also a prize this year for the "best newcomer - best new store opening". A specialist jury made up of well-known sector experts had assessed the participating businesses according to criteria such as product range, quality of advice, presentation or promotions/marketing. In the end the winner's cup for the best specialist retailer of 2009 was presented to "Kastanien Hof" from Hamburg. The prize for the best new store opening in 2009 went to "Reitsport Frölich" from Weiterstadt near Darmstadt.

spoga horse spring 2010 in figures:
At spoga horse spring a total of 223 (spring 2009: 257) companies from 23 (26) countries participated, 65% (69%) of them from abroad. They included 73 (77) exhibitors and 2 (2) additionally represented companies from Germany along with 145 (174) exhibitors and 3 (4) additionally represented companies from abroad. Including estimates for the last day of the fair, spoga horse spring attracted 4,150 (4.100) trade visitors from 44 countries. The foreign share was 54% (51%).*

The next dates:
spoga horse autumn, 5th to 7th September 2010, parallel to “spoga+gafa” spoga horse spring, 5th to 7th February 2011

* All figures have been compiled according to the guidelines set by the Society for Voluntary Control of Fair and Exhibition Statistics (Gesellschaft zur Freiwilligen Kontrolle - FKM) and are subject to control by an auditor.

Note for editorial officers:
You can find the logo and current photos in our image database on the Internet (http://www.spogahorse.com) in the press section.
Voucher copy kindly requested

Downloads attached to this press release:

final report File type: pdf Size: 56 KByte