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Intersport prepares for Q1 show
Intersport is expecting its next trade event, for 2011, Quarter 1, to be the biggest buying show the group has ever staged in the UK. The Q1 show takes place at the group’s UK headquarters at Cranmore Park, Solihull, on June 30-July 1.
With a broad focus on ‘Footwear and textiles’, Intersport will also be introducing its own lines in table tennis, fitness, darts, running shoes and apparel, alongside the offerings of 41 suppliers. At the time of writing, 80 of Intersport’s 84-strong membership had confirmed their attendance.
“The show comes at a particularly important moment for the Intersport brand in the UK,” says Barry Mellis, Intersport’s UK general manager. “It is a time when our membership has increased dramatically, since the recent integration with Allied Partners, and with members still joining. It is also a time when Intersport has invested much more heavily in consumer advertising and marketing, in co-operation with our leading suppliers, to raise our own brand profile and increase consumer recognition.”
Adds Susan Herbert, Intersport’s marketing and communications manager: “This is my first show and I am particularly pleased to have arrived at the launch of a new and ambitious sales and marketing strategy that, I believe, will give us much greater market penetration and help build our reputation as a leading consumer brand here in the UK.”
Exhibiting brands include adidas, Asics, K-Swiss, Nike, Puma, Reebok, Speedo, Umbro, Under Armour and Unicorn.
Back to basics: Former England manager Graham Taylor has called for more investment into grass roots football from the professional game. Speaking at the recent Grass Roots Football LIVE event at the NEC, at the Precision Training Fitness and Conditioning Zone, Taylor said: “Where did David Beckham and Wayne Rooney start? It was at grass roots level. It is very expensive to run a junior team ... the Premier league has had a major effect on what the kids of today expect from their teams."
