HI-TEC has appointed a new Lifestyle Sales Manager, John Broughton. John has a wealth of experience in the Outdoor footwear market having previously worked for Hi-Tec in numerous positions including Outdoor Product Manager. He rejoins the brand after having been involved with the development of branded and private label lifestyle footwear for some of the UK’s major high street retailers.

A new look website (www.rfar.co.uk) recently launched by Burton McCall showcases the lightweight, functional and easy to use kit, officially recommended by the Duke Of Edinburgh’s Award.

Richard Simpson, world renowned sports climber, is set to join Accapi as an ambassador for ‘Nexus Energy’ products.  Richard is known as one of the world’s strongest sport climbers with exceptional ascents of well known and, in most cases, unrepeated iconic routes.

2010 will see Richard focusing on climbing with specific goals in speed alpinism and several targets to break.

Terra Nova Equipment are partnering with Grifone, a leading Spanish technical clothing brand, to launch a new clothing line for Autumn 2010 into the UK market.

Matt Moore, Head Of Sales at Terra Nova Equipment, explained: “In Grifone we have a brand that has high performance quality product and a heritage very similar to Terra Nova. We have been working hard with Grifone to offer a competitive range of products for mountain and active users. This is a great opportunity to continue the growth we have seen in 2009 into 2010 and beyond.”

Not only is Fjällräven celebrating 50 years of activity in 2010, the Swedish apparel and accessories brand is also set to become a serious player in the UK outdoor market.

Rosker Ltd, one of the UK’s leading distributors of specialist outdoor equipment, has welcomed Fjällräven into its portfolio of high quality outdoor brands.

Recent glowing reviews of Lowe Alpine’s new Triplepoint Dynamic garments are prompting speculation about the brand reclaiming its strong market position in apparel. Central to this is last January’s announcement that David Udberg was taking over as director of the clothing development team in Italy, in addition to his existing role directing the backpack team based in Kendal.

Montane’s ambitious task: raise £50K for Mountain Rescue through the sale of a special edition range of Montane clothing. With 66.6% of monies raised through the sale of each garment being donated to Mountain Rescue, Montane’s latest project is more than a token gesture.

Sunderland-based outdoor performance footwear manufacturer brasher has announced record sales for the second consecutive year.

Sales for 2009 are up 8% vs 2008, with growth driven by fabric boots such as Lithium GTX and brasher’s multi activity and lifestyle ranges.

The Kendal Outdoor Retail Show (KORS) has announced the first winners of its KORS Retail Expedition Award, an annual award supporting outstanding expeditions involving outdoor retail staff.

Helly Hansen has announced the appointment of an independent consultant to strengthen and enhance its lifestyle footwear distribution in the UK.

Dave Snowdon currently runs his own brand management company in the UK and joins Helly Hansen with extensive experience of working within the footwear industry. Dave has been associated with brands such as K-Swiss, Ugg Australia and Rockport.

The North Face has announced that Sales Director for the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region, Timo Schmidt-Eisenhart, has recently been promoted to the position of VP/General Manager of The North Face EMEA.

Following the promotion of Patrik Frisk to President of VF Outdoor & Action Sports EMEA, Schmidt-Eisenhart assumed his new position in December 2009.

Polartec and Unifi have announced a new partnership introducing performance fabrics made with REPREVE 100, which is made from 100 per cent post-consumer waste – clear plastic water bottles.

BASI [British Association of Snowsport Instructors] has launched a new service exclusive to its members with a customised travel insurance scheme, specifically designed to fulfil the needs of a BASI instructor. The new insurance package, available for purchase from December 2009, is the result of collaboration with the highly respected winter sports insurance specialist Dogtag and provides a tailor-made package of insurance cover for BASI instructors who will be travelling and teaching all year round.

Top SGB Outdoor contributor Tom Hutton has been announced as the winner of the Words & Pictures category in the 2009 Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild Awards for Excellence. His piece, a five-page feature about Ski Mountaineering in Norway’s Lyngen Alps, first appeared in a travel magazine.

The Outdoor Industries Association has confirmed the appointment of a new Board of Directors, following its conversion into a company limited by guarantee.  The Board has been appointed to fully represent the UK outdoor industries, with members from across the sector.

The Outward Bound Trust recently launched its new initiative ‘Generations’, a project reaching out to all those who have ever participated in an Outward Bound course since its beginning in 1941.

Equip Outdoor Technologies have announced an expansion of their sales team.
After four years in an internal sales office role supporting export sales, Jon Morgan will become Export Sales Representative responsible for developing sales in Europe. At the Alfreton head office the internal sales team is expanded by recruiting Matthew Clarke into the position of Sales Office Manager.

The renowned Highlander UK mountain marathon will benefit from partnering with Haglöfs for its 2010 edition, taking place on April 10-11. The Swedish outdoor brand will help encourage new entrants to this endruance race.

Polartec is working with Cumbria Tourism to create a series of cycling and walking routes  throughout the Lake District and Cumbria as part of the Adventure Capital project. 

Starting from Ambleside, Carlisle, Coniston, Keswick or Kirkby Stephen the routes will vary in difficulty to suit all abilities and with 10 routes for each town there are plenty of challenges to chose from.  The routes will be promoted via the Cumbria Tourism website; www.golakes.co.uk/polartec, and leaflets distributed in specialist outdoor retailers throughout the county.

Burton McCall has appointed Giles Polito as Director of brand development, succeeding Keith Rugg who will retire from the position at the end of the year.

The 16-strong team at Sunderland based outdoor footwear manufacturer, brasher, set out to make a difference to the environment at Durham Wildlife Trust recently.

As part of the company’s environmental policy, the brasher team worked to thin as many trees at the Trust’s Rainton Meadows site, helping to conserve the local environment and improve its appearance.

Result Performance has announced a new charitable association with the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) – saving critically endangered mammals in their wild habitat and benefiting the local people who share their environment.

The historic Raleigh head badge with Nottingham England inscribed on it returns to head Raleigh’s new corporate styling for 2010.

The new badge will be used by all Raleigh companies and licensees throughout the world as many of them still identify with the significance this emblem holds for the company’s longstanding manufacturing heritage.

Renowned sports climber Richard Simpson is joining the elite group which make up the Mountain Boot Company sponsored climbing team. Richard is known as one of the world’s strongest sport climbers with exceptional ascents of iconic routes such as ‘Action Direct’ 9a and a first ascent of ‘A Muerte’ 9a.

The EOG Association for Conservation is presenting the ‘stunning visual portrayal of Earth’ in the film ‘HOME’ by award-winning French aerial photographer Yann Arthus-Bertrand. 

Helly Hansen has announced two new appointments to assist with the continued development of the brand’s baselayer category. Baselayer is Helly Hansen’s biggest category across the globe and makes up a significant percentage of the global business to date.

AMG Group, owners of leading outdoor brands Vango, Force Ten and Lichfield and UK and Ireland distributors of Trangia, Wayfayrer and Rossignol, are strengthening their association with The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme for 2010.

Result Performance, the leading clothing supplier to the corporate, outdoor leisure, promotional and work wear markets launches its 2010, 15th Anniversary brochure in November.

The Result Clothing 2010 brochure comprises 300 pages featuring all 143 products in the Result Performance range.

Salomon SAS is carrying out a voluntary and precautionary recall of the toe pieces of the listed models of Salomon-branded ski bindings, Atomic-branded ski bindings and TECNOpro-branded ski bindings. The ski binding models subject to the recall were produced between July and October 2008 and sold in the 2008/2009 season. These bindings were manufactured by Salomon and share the same toe piece construction.

Coleman has appointed Rens Evers as Commercial Director for its Europe North division with full responsibility for all company activities in the UK, Ireland, Benelux and Nordic Countries. Reporting directly to Coleman EMEA President, Thomas Seifert, he will also be a member of the Coleman EMEA Management Team.

Berghaus has confirmed that it will start selling products to consumers from its website in March 2010.  The online retail programme is part of a broader strategy and the company will continue to invest in and support customers in the UK.  Berghaus believes that the initiative will extend the appeal of the brand and play a part in developing the outdoor sector as a whole, and plans to work closely with retailers so that they can benefit from that. 

Accapi UK has assembled a team of leading sales and marketing professionals to elevate and establish the brand throughout the country and Ireland.

The Forum of Private Business (FPB) is helping small businesses cut adrift by the providers of credit card merchant services or struggling with the cost of processing card payments.

The FPB has joined forces with Accept Cards Ltd (ACL) in order to reduce the expense of taking card payments and the hassle of seeking out alternative providers.

Following its recent Queen's Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category, Snugpak received a visit from HRH Princess Anne in late October.

Supported by an extensive nationwide marketing and advertising campaign, the GORE-TEX products Experiential Rig Roadshow will tour the country over the coming months allowing consumers to experience the benefits of its technologies and learn about the incredible range of activities and brands that rely on GORE-TEX products. The tour is visiting six high-profile locations with a combined footfall in excess of 2.8 million with estimates that current advertising activity in print and outdoors will take the company's message to around 55% of its core audience.

After 16 years with leading outdoor performance footwear brand brasher, Sales Director Steve Fowler left the company in November.

Haglöfs has just completed a series of bespoke on the hill training courses for retail staff. Each participant was kitted out in Haglöfs gear and then took to the hills in the area just outside of Staveley, Cumbria to experience a whole variety of outdoor activities, from climbing and scrambling to rope techniques and pin point navigation.

Leading camping and accessories specialist Vango is celebrating after receiving not one but two esteemed industry awards at the Outdoor Trade Show (OTS) in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire recently.

The Outdoor Industries Association (OIA) recently published the second volume of Shaping the Future. This year's report focuses on buying trends and showcases the results of research that tested the opinions of 3,500 outdoor consumers across the United Kingdom.

Gelert, buoyed by an estimated 25 to 30% growth in 2009, has made a series of changes to its personnel. The company also recently opened its new distribution centre in Widnes, Cheshire, to support its head office in Porthmadog, North Wales. The personnel changes are to maintain the growth the brand is enjoying to 2010 and beyond.

The Fire Fighters Charity is looking for true adventurers who are bored of the typical sponsored charity activity, and who are looking for a challenge of a different kind. The challenge in question is an expedition to one of the most inaccessible places on earth; the Northern Pole of Inaccessibility - the Arctic Pole!

Foot specialist Anatom have been appointed as the exclusive UK distributors of the Plus 12 foot measuring product.

Designed to quickly and easily measure children's growing feet, the Plus 12 product is a small, easy to carry device which ensures the correct shoes are being worn. The Plus 12 product will automatically add 12mm on to the foot length, which is the extra space required to ensure a good fit and allow for healthy growth.

Technical sportswear brand Helly Hansen is investing in a large scale in-store soft fit programme, designed to increase the brand's presence and re-structure its specialist water and outdoor distribution. The campaign forms part of Helly Hansen's global objective to drive continued growth in its specialist areas of expertise.

HI-TEC has announced an impressive 8% increase in their European footwear sales for the first nine months of 2009.

Continued investment and dedication in particularly the Outdoor footwear market has maintained the positive momentum and growth for the company and a major contributing factor to their latest sales performance figures. Sales of the Outdoor category have increased by 23% whilst forward orders have experienced a healthy surge of 35% compared to the same period in 2008.

In recent months, STAG Buying Group has undertaken a major re-branding exercise with the launch of Freedom, STAG's outdoor buying group. The rebranding has culminated in the launch of the company's new web site, at www.freedombuyinggroup.com.

Bramwell International has taken over the distribution in the UK and Ireland of Gregory packs from ESC Outdoors, with immediate effect. Gregory adds to Bramwell's existing brand portfolio of Meindl footwear and Source hydration systems and sandals.

Anatom, the Edinburgh based distributor of specialist outdoor products, has expanded its product portfolio further and will be introducing the innovative KOR water bottle at the Outdoor Trade Show on stand 15.

The KOR water bottle, srp £29.95, features a "no-worry cap" is really easy to use and opens at the touch of a button then swivels back to stay out of the way as you drink.  

GoLite has gone live with its new-look website. The revitalised site provides the perfect platform for GoLite to launch its 2009 Fall / Winter collection of equipment and clothing to consumers.

CÀRN, is to attend this year's Outdoor Trade Show at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire. CÀRN will be located in Hall 2 on Stand Number 20 where retail buyers will be able to view the whole range of trail, trek and approach footwear as well as having the opportunity to talk to the CÀRN sales and management team.

 Following a very successful show at OutDoor in Friedrichshafen this summer, the EOG Association for Conservation is continuing to celebrate. Not only have new members joined from as far afield as India and Ukraine, but the Association has just welcomed its 50th member - and the numbers are still rising!

It may be relatively small, but the Kendal Outdoor Retail Show punches above its weight when it comes to visitor quality. The organisers of the show, which ran 11-13 August, report that visitor numbers were up on the previous year and exhibitors were delighted with the results.

Research from a recently published Camping Market Survey by Profile Outdoors confirms growth is likely to continue in the family camping market. The in-depth consumer survey reveals 30% of consumers who were surveyed intend to purchase a new tent in the next 12 months and of those, 76% expect to purchase a family tent.

Following a launch event mid-September, the National Skills Academy for the Outdoors is now open for business in Penrith, Cumbria.

This Christmas, over 17,000 walkers of all ages are expected to wrap up warm, get out and enjoy Britain at its most magical, on one of the hundreds of walks taking place around the country during the 10-day Ramblers Festival of Winter Walks with Nature Valley.

OutDoor 2009 in Friedrichshafen proved to be a record-breaker for raising funds to put towards conservation projects. Over €11,000 was raised from the fundraising sale alone, which was held on the EOG Association for Conservation stand each day of the show.   

This year, the UK 's biggest dedicated outdoor trade event, the Outdoor Trade Show will be hosting the inaugural OTS Novel Awards, recognising product innovation and technology.

Big Bear Sports has announced a UK distribution agreement with Mountainsmith, the outdoor backpack, camera pack and developer of innovative carrying solutions manufacturer based in Colorado, US.  The agreement will see Big Bear launching and distributing the Mountainsmith brand in the UK with immediate effect.  

SUGOI has appointed a new Vice President of Design and Development - Andrew Coutant. He joins SUGOI with a strong 20 year background in the outdoor and athletic industry.

Thorlo launched its lightweight Experia sock last season and says that the colourful range was an instant hit, gaining a Best Buy from Runner's World in June.

Granger's and Oxfam are celebrating success in their Fabric4Life initiative, with hundreds of outdoor garments donated and thousands of pounds generated for charity.

Snugpak has appointed Mark Pillinger as its sales account manager. Mark will be responsible for Snugpak's account management, customer service and opening of new accounts.

It's the biggest show of the year for the international outdoor industry, and this year's OutDoor produced many prize winners for innovation.

With many categories in its popular Industry Awards, we don't have the space to cover every winner here, but here's a round-up of a few winners and their innovative products.

P2i Ltd, the world leader in liquid-repellent nano-coating technology, has raised £4.1 million ($6.7 million), from new and existing shareholders, to support its accelerating commercialisation and international growth.

GoLite's brand new collection for 2010 will be constructed using over 50% Environmentally Preferred Materials (EPM's). Each product within the range will also be subject to the new GoLite Index, which allows consumers to easily see the sustainability of the item.

Hybrid.Care, KEEN's international  corporate giving program, has announced that their recent fundraising initiative held at the KEEN booth during Friedrichshafen's Outdoor show (16-19th July) has generated €3300 to be shared between two of their European charitable causes. Funds will be shared amongst the Surfrider Foundation Europe and CNGEI Sezione di Vicenza - an Italian youth organisation who have built a school run exclusively on wind and solar power that brings together schools and different organisations to educate them on transforming their operations to run sustainably.  

Wenger has re-committed itself to its roots as an active outdoor brand by announcing a return to their original and natural brand position.

The Mountain Boot Company is adding another prestigious line to its portfolio of leading outdoor brands. This new brand of footbeds has been co-developed by the MBC specifically for the outdoor market.

Legendary broadcaster and DJ David ‘Kid' Jensen has became an Ambassador for The Outward Bound Trust, the UK's leading provider of experiential learning in the outdoors. David will help the Trust to continue its work in inspiring young people to fulfill their potential through challenging outdoor experiences, raising self-esteem and preparing them to face the future with confidence.

Italian outdoor brand Ferrino is now back in the UK after several years absence. Next year the brand celebrates its 140th birthday, an important event in a long tradition of producing fine outdoor equipment,which makes it the perfect time to reintroduce this important brand to the UK market.

C.A.M.P. has written a new page into its history by integrating the CAMP and CASSIN brands into a single company.

At Friedrichshafen 2009 Merrell will be introducing a highly innovative new Business 2 Business website which will allow all accounts to log on and buy products on line.  The service is aimed at customers, sales representatives and distributors making it a modern day and extremely effective business tool.

Montane has announced the creation of Pro Store, rolling out from Spring Summer 2010. The invite-only retail accreditation scheme is designed to make a broader range of Montane products available through a geographically distinct network of retailers and a small number of online retailers, capitalising on the constantly growing demand for Montane products.

A team of volunteers from Berghaus recently spent two days at Glen Nevis helping the John Muir Trust in its vital work conserving the Highlands of Scotland at one of the country's most scenic glens. 

Following several years of sustained growth, Trekmates has made two senior level appointments; Sue Smedley-Roberts as Director of Brand Development and John Blundell as Director of Sales. The appointments come as the company embarks on an aggressive growth and expansion strategy which aims to bolster its business in core markets, while expanding into new territories. 

June saw Patagonia launch a revamped Footprint Chronicles website with a new format that expands on the company's social practices. The Footprint Chronicles is an interactive mini website that reveals to consumers the good and the bad involved in manufacturing outdoor clothing such as fleeces and rain shells.

Smurfit Kappa has developed a UK first with ‘SKuffguard', a soft non-abrasive liner for corrugated board which protects products from being scuffed, scratched or damaged in the supply chain.

Ian Ambler, Target Dry's Sales Manager for the last 15 years has recently retired. With a total of 40 years' experience in the outdoor clothing market, Ian has played a key role in Target Dry's expansion and success. An absolute professional, Ian has won the respect and in many cases the friendship, of customer and colleague alike.

Although still in the thick of the 2009 season, early signs indicate that the new Coleman ranges introduced for 2009 are performing exceptionally well.

Committed to reinforcing its river heritage Teva has signed up three professional kayakers to its UK athlete list. The list of inspirational athletes include Daz Clarkson, one of the country's leading expedition kayakers, professional kayak surfer Chris Harvey and world-class competitive kayaker Matt Cook.

Whitby & Co have announced they will be distributing a select range of Wenger watches in the UK suitable for the outdoor market.

Result Performance recently supported Keswick Mountain Festivalby providing more than 30 fully embroidered soft shell jackets to dedicated walkers, organisers and festival volunteers.

British travel and outdoor clothing specialists Craghoppers have announced record sales in the first quarter of 2009.

Outwell has been chosen to supply special edition tents to the organisers of the Girlguiding UK Centenary Camp in 2010.  It will be the largest camp ever staged by the organisation.

Following the opening of their new UK/Ireland HQ in Staveley, Cumbria, Haglöfs have made two new appointments.

Leading manufacturer and distributor of outdoor brands AMG Group has appointed Scott Beveridge as the group's new Creative Manager.

"I can only think the above poorly constructed and researched article was written to provoke. Over the many years we have operated in this sector we have collaborated with hundreds of charities to design and operate safe and enjoyable challenges for their fundraisers.  As a result we have built up an enviable reputation due to our professionalism, friendly and flexible approach, competitive pricing and safety record.

Unveiling at OutDoor 2009, TEKO's new sock collection for 2010 utilises numerous technology processes to create three collections using different fabric constructions, tekoPOLY, tekoMERINO and tekoCOTTON.

The UK's leading outdoor performance footwear manufacturer, brasher has announced a unique, revolutionary programme of sales support to help ‘Premier Stockists' with effective sell through of its Spring/Summer 2010 range.

TEKO, the ultimate eco-friendly performance socks, was launched into the UK market last February and is now the country's fastest growing sock brand. Within a year TEKO has received some amazing accolades that include the Outdoor Writers and Photographers Guild award for innovation, TGO magazine's highest recognition "best in test" and being voted 1st in Country Walking magazine's Three Season sock test.

The Outdoor Industries Association (OIA) has announced details of a major membership drive, linked to a suite of enhanced benefits and services. Recognising that the economic climate is particularly challenging at the moment, the OIA is introducing a ‘pay what you can' scheme for members that renew for 2009/10. In addition, a introductory flat rate subscription of £100 has been confirmed for organisations who decide to sign up as new members this year.

Apparel and footwear manufacturer Helly Hansen has opted for Atomium, a software application which will help support their team of international sales agents, distributors and marketing staff, and also help the company reduce its reliance on paper resources for sales materials.

Montane has appointed Keith Hutcheon as Product Director. Well known in the outdoor industry as an accomplished and respected design professional, having been Head of Design at Mountain Equipment for the past four years, Keith is one of the top outdoor clothing designers in Europe. In addition to this, being a very active outdoor enthusiast, Keith is able to draw on direct experience for design inspiration.

Etón's brilliant line of radios, aimed in part at the outdoor market, have hit the UK and are being distributed here by Nevada Distribution.

Distributors Anatom have added Jean Parker, aka JP, to their staff; Jean will be heading up the sales team for the Life is good brand within the UK and Ireland. Life is good has been distributed by Anatom since 2007.

Staff from Craigdon Mountain Sports in Aberdeen recently found themselves halfway up a snow-clad mountain with Andy Cave, having won a competition run by Lowe Alpine.

GoLite, pioneers of the lite-weight revolution for the outdoors, have had a spectacular start to 2009 experiencing a 93% global increase in sales in Q1 compared to Q1 in 2008.

Calling all adventurous retail staff - the Kendal Outdoor Retail Show (KORS) organisers are announcing the KORS Retail Expedition Award, an annual award supporting outstanding expeditions involving outdoor retail staff.

Snugpak, the leading British manufacturer of high quality sleeping bags has received a Queen's Award for Enterprise in the International Trade category.

Whitby & Co have made a very good start to the year - and they've also been busy making strategic personnel changes which include the promotion of Marketing Manager Garry Woodhouse to the new position of Sales and Marketing Director.

The Mountain Boot Co Ltd recently concluded its year end proceedings. Following a significant period of growth during 2008, where overall business grew by 16%, the company achieved a number of significant milestones, including hitting its five-year  sales target set by Deuter of  doubling sales in the  UK market - inside three years!

Regatta is now sponsoring a primetime TV programme on ITV in the shape of Countrywise, presented by Paul Heiney. The presenter explores Britain's countryside and meets the people who make it special. It will combine items presented by Heiney with features drawn from ITV's regions and it will explore the breadth of Britain's countryside, from its crumbliest coastline and happiest valley, to its secret tunnels, rescued gardens and haunted hills.

HI-TEC has revealed an impressive 12.5% increase in its 2008 UK Outdoor footwear sales. The brand's continued growth and investment in the Outdoor market maintains positive momentum for 2009 with their forward sales orders increased by over 65% compared to the same period in 2008. 

According to the OutDoor show's organisers, outdoor and cycling industry manufacturers appear determined to defy the current economic crisis. In fact, they say, never have so many companies made advance bookings of exhibition space for each of the world-leading trade shows, OutDoor (July 16 - 19, 2009) and EUROBIKE (September 2 - 5, 2009).

Verle Forest, a spectacular old growth forest 50km northeast of Gothenberg, Sweden, has been saved from imminent logging and will be preserved for future generations, thanks to a grant from the EOG Association for Conservation and tireless fundraising on the part of A Click for the Forest - an organisation created to buy threatened native woodland and forest in Sweden. The final grant was secured on Friday 13th March, just days before the cut-off date.

Whitby and Co has won a major award from Helle Knives for being their top international distributor in 2008.  Sales of Helle in the UK have increased by 350% from the year 2007 to 2008, a tremendous figure in its own right, but doubly so when you find that this figure doesn't take into account that Whitby actually only took on the distribution of Helle half way through the year, in June 2008.

Cleaning and proofing specialists Granger's is simplifying outdoor footwear care by launching a new ‘do-it-all' product.

Far from reducing its on-page presence, Asolo is running a media campaign this Spring that features double-page adverts across multiple outdoor titles in the UK and Ireland.

Foot specialist company Anatom has announced the latest dates for its series of Anatom Academy training courses. Aimed at footwear retailers and shop staff the Spring and Autumn workshops will take place throughout May and September across the UK .

Haglöfs officially opened its new UK/Ireland office and showroom mid-March in Staveley, Cumbria.

The end of March saw the OS Outdoor Show take over Birmingham's NEC - well, part of it, at least. The show, aimed at outdoors consumers, is packed with interesting things to do and see, plus plenty of outdoor products alongside tourist information on places to go and enjoy across the British Isles and further afield.

The North Face's Base Camp Duffel has been awarded the prestigious Editor's Choice Gold Award by Backpacker magazine. The Base Camp Duffel was introduced in 1979 and celebrates its 30th birthday in 2009. It is The North Face's classic, bomber expedition duffel.

Louise Ramsay has been appointed Director of the Outdoor Industries Association, taking up the reins early March.

The brand new OTS 2009 website is now live and contains all the essential information you need to know about the show. From travel to accommodation you don't need to look any further to ensure a productive trip to the UK 's biggest outdoor trade event. Register for the event online and have tickets delivered straight to your door, so you don't waste any time filing in registration forms when you arrive at the event.

Burton McCall is adding a new range to its portfolio of premium outdoor accessory brands - Pacific Outdoor Equipment (www.pacoutdoor.com), a US-based manufacturer of technically superior, eco-conscious, lightweight sleeping mats.

Staff at outdoor gear company Berghaus are mourning the loss of their colleague Lisa Marriner (née Smith), who died in February at the age of 37.

A Cumbria-based outdoor activities business has been awarded Academy Provider status by the National Skills Academy for Sport and Active Leisure. As Academy Provider, JEM Training will play an important role in delivering the skills required by the outdoor sector.

Lowe Alpine UK's MD David Udberg says that last year the subsidiary saw its most profitable results for 10 years driven by a combination of solid growth and effective cost control. The company has recently gained ISO9001 accreditation plus a regional environmental accolade through the Cumbria Business Environment Network (CBEN) award. Udberg says that improvement will not rest there, with further ISO management standards likely to be pursued going forward.

As part of the communications programme that global trade show ispo has been focussing on in the UK, the continued development of its customer service for exhibitors has been highlighted as a vital focal point. While ispo has a superb and highly efficient Munich-based team and online exhibitor area that reflects the success and ongoing growth of the global sports trade show, for UK customers having a fully dedicated and home-based exhibitor support service is essential. Consequently a UK based customer service specialist has joined the team as Exhibitor Service Manager, working alongside Communications Manager Lauren Fox who runs the UK and Ireland Information Centre.

Top outdoor recreation digital map provider Memory-Map has launched its groundbreaking Digital Map Shop [DMS], which enables users to easily select and download bespoke areas of mapping for their PC, laptop or Pocket PC.

Bridgedale, the technical sock brand, has won Gold in the walk Reader Awards for the fifth consecutive year, named Best Walking Sock.

Craghoppers have announced another record year, achieving over 30 per cent increase in turnover. All divisions within the company have performed extremely well with wholesale opening 75 new key accounts. In addition to this, they also saw a huge growth of 60 per cent in export, with Germany doing particularly well.

Murray Macintyre has been promoted to Country Manager for Silva Ltd in the UK. Murray joined Silva Ltd in 2001 bringing with him over 20 years experience in sales and distribution within the leisure market.

There are many indications that the 16th edition of the leading international trade show for nature sports is on course for continued growth. Thanks to the expansion of the facilities, OutDoor 2009 (16-19 July) will have the honour of introducing a new foyer, conference rooms and additional press centre, and two new halls have been added to provide a total of 85,000 square meters of exhibition space. With over 600 exhibitors registered for the event (a 13 per cent increase) from 39 countries, OutDoor 2009 has reported a record demand compared to this time in 2008.

In 2008 TEKO reduced the size of it's packaging by 50 per cent and now the brand has taken further steps to make their recycled and recyclable packaging even more energy and resource efficient by reducing the ink used by up to four times and subsequently reducing the ink drying time by the same margin.

The Outdoor Industries Association (OIA) has announced that it will be headline sponsor of the 2009 Innovation for Extremes conference (Innov_ex 09), which will take place at Lancaster University Management School on May 6. The OIA will work closely with founders and organisers Mike Parsons and Mary Rose to deliver an event that has immediate and long-term relevance to association members and the industry as a whole. This year, the over-riding theme of the event will be ‘eco-innovation in the context of recession', reflecting the challenges that companies face in the current economic climate.

Berghaus has made three key promotions as it embarks on the next stage of its global growth strategy. Michael Lockett has been appointed to the position of vice president Asia Pacific, Sarah Wilson has been confirmed as marketing director and Tina Payne will assume the role of human resources director. All three roles are new and take immediate effect.

Leading manufacturer Victorinox has worked with the Duke of Edinburgh Awards to create a tool that young people can depend on in emergencies.

Outwell, a leading innovator in the family camping market, is working in partnership with National Family Week, a new national initiative to celebrate family life in the UK.

The winter summit of Makalu (8463m) - until now it has never been trodden by the human foot during the harsh winter season. At 2pm on Monday 9th February 2009 The North Face global athlete Simone Moro, together with his team-mate Denis Urubko, reached the summit and realised the dreams of so many. The winter crown of the Himalayas, Makalu is a true giant in stature (at 8463m it is the fifth highest mountain in the world), in beauty, and in the minds and imaginations of the best high altitude alpinists of the world.

Global Sports and Outdoor brand HI-TEC continues to increase their commitment and investment within the Outdoor footwear market with the announcement of two brand new Global Product Manager positions.

Bridgedale Outdoor has invested in a team of three staff trainers who will be hitting the road to educate shop staff in Bridgedale stockists about the company's technical outdoor socks.

Coleman UK  has tied up new wholesaler partnerships with Grove Products, Highlander and Unipart Leisure. These new partners will become valued additions to their existing major wholesaler network which includes Dalesman International, County Hardware, Maceoins, Decco and Toolbank. With a combined customer base of over 2,000 doors, Coleman and their wholesale partners will further extend the reach and availability of the Coleman, Campingaz and Sevylor brands across the UK and Ireland.