European Trade Groups Partner to Market Snow Sports to Youth

With the aim of better promoting snow sports activities for children, the International Ski Federation (FIS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI) and the Federation of the European Sporting Goods Industry (FESI).

The agreement will focus specifically on the FIS Bring Children to the Snow campaign, which aims to increase youth participation in snow sports worldwide. By working together with WFSGI and FESI, the activities under Bring Children to the Snow, namely FIS SnowKidz and the World Snow Day will be able to offer participants a wider array of activities with equipment more readily available at events.

As part of the MOU, both WFSGI and FESI will encourage their members to donate winter sports products and services for World Snow Day and FIS SnowKidz events. This will enable children, who otherwise may not have equipment of their own, to test a snow sport for little or no cost.

Goods that will be donated will include protective gear, skis, ski bindings, textiles and various services to ensure that the equipment is fitted and used properly by beginners.

“We are pleased to enter into the strategic partnership with WFSGI and FESI,” said FIS Marketing Manager Marcel Looze. “The support of both parties will hugely benefit the participants in the Bring Children to the Snow activities and ultimately help all reach our goal of getting more children engaged in snow sports.”

”We are extremely happy to collaborate with FIS and to support children to make their first experience in the snow sport. Our joined action will further contribute to maintain and develop the interest to snow sports for young children and families, said Robbert de Kock, Secretary General of WFSGI.

“The promotion of skiing is at the core of our activities”, indicated M. Alberto Bichi, Secretary General of FESI “and I am pleased to see that practically all our ski members have responded favourably to delivering junior skis and ski binding free of charges to shortlisted events.” “it is certainly a positive sign to see that competing brands set aside their commercial interests when it comes to promoting ski for our children”.

There will be a short presentation of the event to the sporting goods industry at the Snow Ice and Rock Summit at ISPO Munich (hall A6) on Monday, January 27, 2014 at 12:45.

By press release