My feet have barely touched the ground since taking over as editor of SGB UK and the year ahead looks set to be a very exciting one indeed! The sports industry has such a positive vibe - I feel quite revitalised by the stories of success I have heard, and already the desire to be more active has taken hold.

Following a groundswell of opinion from key brands, it has been decided that the time is right to establish a national sports trade show purely for the independent retailer.

Word is an event will be held at Cranmore Park, Solihull on June 22. A plethora of key brands have signed up, including Reebok and Puma, with adidas and Nike exhibiting under the same roof for the first time in many years.

The new offices of the Warringtonbased UK headquarters of international performance footwear and apparel manufacturer ASICS, were officially opened last month by Mayoress Linda Dirri, together with a host of local sports stars.

Sugoi Performance Apparel is pleased to announce the appointment of Robijins B.V. as its new sales agency for the Benelux markets.As one of the leading importers and wholesalers in the outdoor sports products market, Robijins will be responsible for the initial sales to and servicing of traditional sports, triathlon and running outlets in the Benelux.

Reporting a 20% increase in turnover, British running apparel brand Ron Hill has exceeded its sales forecast for the half-year period to 31st October.Until this massive surge in sales, the company had been experiencing modest single figure growth for the last three years.

In other news, following last month's release of results from Sport England's Active People Survey,which reported that swimming is the second most popular participation activity in England, two of the top names in the industry have announced an exciting three-year partnership agreement. STA (The Swimming Teachers' Association) and Aquasphere UK will work together to promote the benefits of swimming for health and fitness.

A new study of the strength of interest in international football across China by Warwick Business School shows that not only is the England team shirt the most popular football shirt across China, England is also by far Chinese football fan's most favoured international team beating Brazil,Argentina and Germany.

A new range of self-fit mouth guards from OPRO called the OPROshield, will be available online and at leading retailers in the first quarter of 2007. This is the first time since the company started over ten years ago that it has entered this marketplace, due to its prior concerns about the fit, comfort and protection levels of non-custom fit mouth guards.

The product placement skills of the UK team at swim brand Aqua Sphere have gone from to strength. The brands Kaiman goggles, which deliver 180° wide angled vision,were used by contestants on the recent series of Channel 4's Celebrity Big brother to protect their eyes during a trial. This unusual use for the goggles follows last year's product placement on ITV's popular show I'm a Celebrity, get Me Out of Here! Contestants wore Seal masks and Kaiman goggles during Bush Tucker Trials.

Hilly Clothing has signed an agreement with Dampire to distribute its highly popular DRYZONE shoe dryer, to the specialist running and general sports stores.DRYZONE dries without heat, power, or effort and is simple, hygienic and very effective said the company.

Saucony has seen a sharp increase in sales across the country, thanks to its current UK advertising push in support of the brand's multi-million pound global ProGrid launch. ProGrid, a development of the company's much acclaimed Grid protection is designed to noticeably improve the cushioning qualities in its premium range of running shoes.

The London Marathon 2007 is fast approaching and Ardblair Sports Importers are to donate 250 pairs of X-Socks to the people who have signed up to run the London Marathon as part of Marie Curie Cancer Care's Daffodil Team.

Last year the Daffodil Team rose in excess of £265,000 towards the vital work of Marie Curie Cancer Care, and hope that the 2007 team can raise even more.

Event owners England Squash have concluded a five-year agreement with the internationalSPORTgroup, which will guarantee the future of the British Open Squash Championships as one of the world's leading events until 2012. This new agreement follows a three-year deal struck between the parties in August 2005, which led to successful staging of the 'Wimbledon of Squash' in Manchester in October the same year and the University of Nottingham in September 2006.

Nordic Walking has taken a significant step in developing its position in the market by securing a deal with one of the leading running stores in the country, Up and Running, to carry Exel Nordic walking poles. Commenting on the arrangement, Francis Mitchell of Nordic walking UK, Exel's sole distributor said: “This agreement with Up and Running goes a long way in underpinning Nordic Walking's fastgrowing appeal as a recreational physical activity.”He added: “Nordic Walking is simple to master.

Leading manufacturer of technologically advanced sports underwear, ODLO is reaping the rewards of an intensive marketing campaign in the UK and Ireland.

One of the ranges in its collection benefiting most from promotional activity is the “evolution warm” underwear for men and women, which, whilst contoured to fit snugly, offers a sense of freedom of movement.

Having established a platform for the international sports equipment and fashion sector in 2005, ispo Russia has developed into to the most important sports equipment event for Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia in less than two years, generating a new impetus for the region. The stage is now set for the show’s return from 19-22 February 2007 at the Crocus Expo Centre in Moscow

Working closely with biomechanical experts Quintic Consultancy and a team of sponsored World-class badminton and squash professionals, leading British sports footwear company, HI-TEC, set out on a journey over 18 months ago to research and develop the world's best indoor performance shoes. Becci Knowles met with court category manager, Jason Larke to find out more…

I was really quite excited about meeting Bob. So much so in fact, that no provision was made on the telephone for how we might even recognise each other in the dimly lit restaurant. For you see, this is the first time that Molten has ever spoken to the press, and SGB UK is delighted to be telling the story.

The brand that defined the beanie back in the late 90's continues to influence the international headwear market. Back with a bang in 2006, Redeye’s winter 2007 collection pushes further ahead with iconic new designs. Price positioning is also said to be spot on, with excellent margin potential.

Designed for high impact, strenuous sports, the Tri-Action Extreme sports bra from Triumph International is packed with functional features that prevent abrasion at pressure points and ensure perfect support and comfort, claims the company. High-tech fabrics such as Coolmax and Tactel/Micro were chosen for their feel-good qualities plus their ability to wick moisture away from the skin, thus keeping the body cool, fresh and dry whilst neutralising odours.

Fashionable, comfortable, innovative, stylish, fresh and ultra-feminine, the ACTIVE RUN T-shirt from Odlo is made of highly breathable Polyester Lycra. As well as being produced in this strikingly attractive ornamental flower print, it is also available in single colours.

Sports eyewear brand Sinner is putting the spotlight on ski helmets with a strong new line for next winter that combines product quality and great margin opportunities. The brand's reputation for strong volume sales built on performance and value continues, offering high quality products at competitive prices. Sinner's performance and children's goggles have seen a renewed emphasis - key products for next winter include the adult Reload and Runner goggles, plus the Groove for kids.

Warm, practical headwear has always been a priority for the people of the Alps. Pipolaki traces its roots back to 1816 and has forged a formidable reputation for quality and style. For winter 2007 Pipolaki continues to lead the field in warm, bright, contemporary styles for men, women and children. Key technologies include Windstopper fabrics and antibacterial treatments for comfort.

Adidas has unveiled the TUNiT 2 football boot. It is the most technologically advanced boot ever made by adidas and builds on the success of the fully customizable TUNiT 1. The TNiT 2 boot (pronounced Tune-it) allows players to change their boots to suit their game, the pitch and the seasons.

Olympic Minister Tessa Jowell officially opened a new athletics facility for the country's Olympic medallists this month. The Lee Valley Athletics Centre in North London will improve training opportunities in the run-up to the 2012 Games and provide a new home for Enfield and Haringey Athletics Club.

Give me some background on the company. Who are you? Where are you? How long have you been running?

Skins was formed over four years ago in Australia, and operates out of Sydney. Since then, following an extensive research and development programme, the Skins brand has evolved into the undisputed market leader in the compression/therapeutic garment product category.

Not only is swimming a great form of general exercise, it can also be therapeutic for particular conditions and injuries. Just swimming a few lengths can involve most of the major muscle groups and by swimming at your own pace, you become master of your own keep-fit destiny too! The other big advantage of swimming is that water supports your weight and takes the stress off your joints, so you can put your body through a good workout without your knees, hips or spine paying the price.

For those that are not already familiar with it, the Snowsport Industries of Great Britain (SIGB) is the trade association for skiing and snowboarding. Led by a 14-strong committee, the SIGB currently has 215 member organisations from the retail, supplier and travel sectors of the industry. Some exciting changes to its annual trade show, all of which are designed to reflect the constantly evolving business needs of new and existing exhibitors and visitors have been announced. SGB UK explains all...

A New Year, a new start. Out with the old and in with the new. There was a time when every sports retailer was anxious to stock the latest branded official football shirt and have it on sale as soon as it was released. Often to the annoyance of parents, but usually to the delight of their offspring, the changes came all too quickly.

We’ve all got our problems: the undertaker across the road regrets the lack of opportunity for repeat business – what’s the statistic? It’s something like five times easier to get repeat business than a new customer. Short of digging a few up it’s not a statistic that applies to him but on the plus side, one assumes, he doesn’t get any bring backs.