It’s been another hectic month at SGB UK, with an increasing number of companies getting in contact, eager to get coverage in the magazine.

We’ve really packed this issue full of interesting news and features – a quick flick through should provide a taster of what’s to come. But make sure you find time to sit and enjoy it too!

Nike has announced a partnership with UEFA whereby it will provide the official match ball for the UEFA Cup and UEFA Super Cup competitions for the next three seasons.

“We’re delighted to partner with UEFA and to be providing our match ball technology for the UEFA Cup from the Quarter-Finals onwards for the next three years”, said Nike EMEA Sports Marketing Director Jonny Nye.“The final in Glasgow this year promises to be a special event and we’re confident this will be the start of a mutually beneficial agreement between ourselves and UEFA.”

PUMA, the UK’s fastest growing sportslifestyle brand, has announced the signing of Olly Barkley, to further boost the brand’s sports marketing portfolio ahead of this year’s World Cup. The contract will see Barkley play in PUMA boots as well as wearing PUMA sportslifestyle ranges off the pitch.

Veterans of the sports trade will have nostalgic memories of their annual autumnal visit to the trade shows in Bournemouth many years ago. The huge changes the trade has gone through brought about the demise of that event, however the wheel has turned full circle now that Allied Partners has re-established Bournemouth as a regular venue for not just an annual show, but for two of their three other seasonal shows throughout the year.

Corus, British Triathlon's premier sponsor, has announced the launch of the Corus Elite Series, a three race series, which will include an event on July 22nd in London’s Hyde Park, the triathlon site of the 2012 Olympics. The event will see the debut of a new ‘eliminator’ super-sprint race format.

Two Arsenal Soccer Schools,Grass Roots Soccer Schools & Premier Sports Coaching have opted to use Molten footballs and associated accessories for all their soccer training schools throughout Kent, Essex, and Surrey, as well as Gloucestershire,North Somerset, East and West Sussex,Wiltshire and Wales respectively.

Linebreak, a leading manufacturer of compression and temperature regulatory base layers, is launching its new Spring/Summer range.With new colour options in Men’s and Women’s ranges and new designs, it will build upon its strong reputation it has already established in the UK.

As more people are swimming to improve their fitness, swim kit specialist Aqua Sphere is launching a dedicated advice and training website which is aimed at helping swimmers and triathletes of all levels to improve their stroke, stamina and performance by delivering high-quality, professionally prepared swimming workouts.

Reus and Nairz leave Salewa

Mountaineering-supplier Salewa loses two managers at the end of May: marketing director Herwig Reus and business unit retail director Jürgen Nairz. Both Herwig and Nairz have only worked for the Italian company for a year and a half. Reus participated formerly in the buildingup of Adidas’ outdoor-department and worked for Deutsche Telekom in sports sponsoring, Nairz occupied a role responsible for the retail strategies of sports brands.

What would you say defines Puma as a brand?

PUMA inspires the individual to perform and be confident, be it on the sports field, or out on the street. Only the playful experience you get with PUMA can make you feel better about looking better.

Dunlop squash equipment has gone from strength to strength in recent years and the new 2007/8 - range of racquets delivers “another clear step change versus previous ranges” said the company. A major part of this step change is its new Aerogel construction, hailed as the next generation in racquet technology.

After running a three-month promotional teaser campaign featuring Roger Federer, which included him having a different bag to carry on court in each round of his latest Australian Open triumph,Wilson has officially unveiled the [K]Factor. In what was the biggest tennis product launch event ever staged by the brand, it introduced the new racket in Las Vegas at the beginning of March.

Building on its strong heritage in Squash, Prince is expanding the o3 racquet range – launched last season with the o3 Tour and o3 Silver- by introducing the new o3 Black racquet.

Karakal UK has added two new squash racquets to its already extensive range. The EVO 4 SL and PRO 3 SL, both with super light frames, have been selected by world leading players Vanessa Atkinson and Cameron Pilley as their racquets of choice after extensive test sessions.

Karakal sponsors world No. 1 squash player for 2006, Vanessa. She said: “The racquets have extraordinary power combined with excellent precision.”

Greeted with a blaze of sunshine as we pulled up outside Zoggs towers, both Roger Bourne and I were suitably excited about meeting with the brand’s team. Kim Blondell, international marketing manager, warmly greeted us at reception before leading us full of intrigue up the winding staircase and into the ultra modern, product filled meeting room for an exclusive trade chat with all the key players.

The remarkable story of the sports goods industry in Eastern Europe and Central Asia was told again this winter at ispo Russia

Held from February 19th to the 22nd around 250 national and international brands from 21 countries presented a ‘multi-faceted’ selection of products from the winter sports, outdoor, team sports, sports style, board sports and running markets at this year’s ispo Russia in Moscow.

HE could not understand why we wanted him to go to the Chelsea Show. “Flowers and sport” he said, “where is the tie up?” But it was to the ninth Sports Merchandise Exhibition at Chelsea Football Club rather than the Flower Show at the grounds of Chelsea Hospital that he was invited and here he gives his impressions and wonders if you should have been there too. And, as ever, he does not mince his words where he sees room for improvement

Lotto Sport Italia, the leading Italian company in the manufacture and distribution of sporting footwear, clothing and accessories, has signed a new sponsorship agreement for 18 football teams taking part in the Clericus Cup – the first championship of its kind for priests and trainee priests/seminarians.

What would you say defines Reebok Fitness as a brand?

Innovative, inspirational, design led, individualistic. Reebok is the No 1 fitness brand globally and has been a leader in creating new fitness concepts from the Step in the 80's to core training in the 90's and total body conditioning in the naughtiest!

Diabetes is a hormone disorder affecting around “2million people in the UK today” reported Diabetes UK in March 2007,with the increasing incidence attributed by many experts to the growing obesity problem in children and adults.

ASICS has introduced what it is claimed to be the first shoe to specifically accommodate the troublesome effect of diabetes. The ASICS GELCardio incorporates features that help protect against foot injuries to which diabetics are specifically prone.

Tunturi has launched the BodyShaper, a versatile multigym designed for an efficient full body workout at home. Delivered pre-assembled, it is compact and foldable for easy storage, has stunning looks and offers exercises for all major muscle groups. And being designed for home use, it is also quiet, thanks to an ingenious flexible rod resistance system.

In keeping with its reputation for innovative design and technology in goalkeeping gloves, the new uhlsport range for Fall/Winter 2007 is no exception with the introduction of the Cerberus concept. This family of gloves incorporates new distinctive styling and cut, the company told SGB UK.

With the nation’s obsession about getting in shape and looking great, you’d presume that going to the gym and eating healthily would be the perfect solution. However, little do people realise what is actually in their sports drink. Enter Taut – claimed to be the first clean sports drink! Unlike all other sports and energy drinks, Taut contains no artificial sweeteners, flavorings, colours and preservatives and is specially engineered to give your body all the replenishment it needs, without giving it the junk that it definitely doesn’t, said the company.

Tectonic has launched two new table tennis tables just in time for Easter: the Tectonic 50 indoor and outdoor models.

With an RRP (including delivery) of £199 on the indoor model and £275 on the outdoor version, these tables will give customers a better quality table than currently available at the same price point.

The net and post set which is supplied with the table is integrated into the carriage and permanently attached to the table to save time at each set up.

The snowsport industry’s annual trade show – renamed Slide for 2007 – ended said Rare Management on a high note following a successful three days at Manchester’s G-Mex Centre. “A buoyant marketplace was evident with retailers and brands writing above expectation business, which helped to create a great vibe. “Vibe… the first thing I noticed upon entering the building was a serious lack of it. Having not long returned from the buzzing halls of ispo, I was shocked to walk into something which were it not for the high quality products on show, would have more resembled a boot fair on a rainy day in February

It is easy if you put away emotions and look carefully at the purpose of the show and then see to what extent it has or has not achieved it.

Trade shows have two objectives. From the supplier doing the showing, there is a profit motive.Hold on a minute.What about those who attend the show? Yes, that’s right. They too have a profit motive.

When Ebenezer Scrooge sat on his high chair at his slanting desk with quill, ink and an enormous ledger it would have been perfectly reasonable for funds paid into a bank to take a few days to reach another account, particularly if it was at another branch or even more so another bank altogether because one was obviously relying on carrier pigeons in those days.