EOCA Conservation at ISPO: Fundraising and Forwards to the Future
Looking forwards to a cold and snowy ISPO in Munich at the end of the week, there is much news from the European Outdoor Conservation Association to melt even the largest icicles. The Conservation Fundraiser is back with fundraising efforts around the show, a Happy Hour and the launch of EOCA’s new focus are helping to shape a busy few days to come.

Thanks to the generosity of EOCA’s members, the Conservation Fundraiser will be boasting its largest number of items yet – with offerings of hammocks to skiwear, mugs to climbing harnesses and everything in between. KEEN Footwear has donated 60 pairs of walking boots, which will be available throughout the show from the EOCA stand in West entrance.

Bergans of Norway will again be running its ReDesign programme on its stand (A2/102) from Sunday to Tuesday of the show – take your old outdoor gear for repair and watch Bergans produce their ReDesigns live on the stand: small products made from old textiles or leftover materials. Klean Kanteen’s mugs complete with reusable straws are back by popular demand – filled with free freshly brewed coffee, espresso or cappuccino if you take them to their booth (A4/421)! All proceeds for this and the events above will be going into EOCA’s 2019 spring projects which will be chosen by the public and members at the end of March.

Finally, EOCA will be hosting a Happy Hour on its stand on Monday night from 18.00-19.00 to launch its new two year focus on the clean up and reduction of everyday single-use plastic: Plastic Free: Mountain to Sea. All members, visitors and members of the press welcome to attend and find out more.

Tanya Bascombe, Joint General Manager of EOCA said, “As ever, there is a lot going on at ISPO and it is thanks to the generosity of our members that the money we raise each show keeps growing. We have been planning our new focus for over a year now, so we are very excited about how it will be received and the opportunities that will be presented as a result. Getting the whole industry to work together on this vital global conservation issue, being a stronger advocate within and for the sector whilst at the same time standing up and getting involved will really set EOCA and its members on an international stage”.

Notes:
The European Outdoor Conservation Association is an initiative from the European outdoor industry with the objective of protecting the wild areas it cares so passionately about.

Designed to harness the incredible power of the outdoor industry and to raise money to donate to grassroots conservation groups, the European Outdoor Conservation Association is funded by membership and other fundraising activities within the outdoor industry. 100% of membership fees go to the support of projects. Membership is open to anyone that can demonstrate an involvement in the European outdoor industry.

From January 2015, a select group of ‘Sustaining Members’ have pledged their support to EOCA by committing to fund the sustainable growth of the organisation with an extra €10,000 per year for the next three years, over and above their annual membership fee. This money will be used to finance the running of the Association and support its sustainable growth, also enabling a move to 2 funding rounds per year.

The seven EOCA Sustaining Members are: OutDoor (Messe Friedrichshafen), Pertex, KEEN Footwear, Nikwax, ISPO (Messe München), Patagonia and the European Outdoor Group (EOG), which is also the Founder Member of the Association.

To find out more about the Association please go to: www.outdoorconservation.eu

Contacts:
General Manager: Tanya Bascombe or Catherine Savidge (Job share)
Tel: +44 1539 727 255
Email: Tanya@outdoorconservation.eu or Catherine@outdoorconservation.eu