Ispo©
Watersports at the center of attention for sports retailers in China
Top US paddlesports retailer to speak at inaugural ISPO SHANGHAI 2015

Shanghai, Munich, San Francisco, 6 November, 2014
Darren Bush, president of Rutabaga Paddlesports in Madison, Wisconsin, has confirmed his participation as keynote speaker at the inaugural ISPO SHANGHAI 2015 tradeshow, 2-4 July, 2015. Watersports is now at the center of attention for expanding sports specialty retail in China and in the entire Asia-Pacific region served by ISPO SHANGHAI and ISPO BEIJING.

Bush is a watersports industry veteran, and long-time owner of Rutabaga, America’s leading multi-channel paddlesports retailer also operating Canoecopia, the World’s largest consumer sales event for the sport. In addition, Rutabaga provides tour services, rentals, paddle clinics and symposia as well as on-line product and knowledge sources. At ISPO SHANGHAI 2015 Bush will give his presentation about opportunities and challenges in paddlesports retailing, as well as an additional presentation of his personal – and highly successful – retail business philosophy. Bush may also participate in the very popular industry roundtables at ISPO ACADEMY.

Recruiting Darren Bush to participate at ISPO SHANGHAI was accomplished in response to a tidal wave of requests by Chinese sports retailers looking for additional sports categories to grow their existing business. Watersports in general and paddlesports in specific are widely considered poised for explosive growth along with the booming Chinese leisure and sports trends. Resolving issues of retailer training, availability of high-quality paddling equipment as well as access issues to bodies of water will be at the heart of ISPO-sponsored industry-wide discussions during its two annual tradehows in Beijing and Shanghai. Sophisticated retailer education provided through the highly acclaimed ISPO ACADEMY network has been a key to the growth of quality and volume of sports retailing in China since ISPO’s inaugural tradeshow there in 2005.

Additional information about ISPO SHANGHAI 2015 speaker Darren Bush can be obtained on www.rutabaga.com, www.canoecopia.com, and www.outdoorindustry.org, website of OIA where Bush serves on the Board of Directors.

ISPO BEIJING 2015 will take place, 28-31 January, 2015, at CNCC located at the Beijing Olympic Center. The inaugural ISPO SHANGHAI 2015 will be held 2-4 July, 2015, at SNIEC Shanghai-Pudong.

More information about the events is available at www.ispo.com.

Messe München International 

Messe München International is one of the world’s leading trade show companies. It manages around 40 trade shows for capital and consumer goods, and key high tech industries in Munich alone. Each year more than 30,000 exhibitors and around two million visitors take part in the events held at the Messe München exhibition center, the ICM – International Congress Center München, and in the MOC Veranstaltungscenter München. The leading international trade shows by Messe München International are all independently audited. In addition, Messe München International organizes trade shows in Asia, Russia, the Middle East and South Africa. With nine affiliates abroad – in Europe, Asia and in Africa – and over 60 foreign representatives actively serving over 90 countries, Messe München International has a worldwide business network. The Group also takes a pioneering role in regards to sustainability: It is the first trade show company to be awarded energy-efficiency certification by the technical inspection authorities TÜV SÜD.

About ISPO 

Under its ISPO brand Messe München International offers events and year-round services to the international sports business. The goal of the full-service provider is to offer its customers added value for successful positioning within the international competition. The provided services help customers increase their profitability as well as strengthen personal contacts and business relationships. The services currently include ISPO ACADEMY, ISPO AWARD, ISPO COMMUNITY, ISPO TEXTRENDS, ISPO BRANDNEW, ISPO CARD, ISPO JOBS and ISPO NEWS. As globally successful sports business platforms and multi-segment trade shows ISPO MUNICH, ISPO BEIJING and ISPO SHANGHAI offer a comprehensive overview of their respective markets.

By Dieter Tremp ©