WFSGI Reports on Successful Year at General Assembly 2022: New Services, Partners, and Members

• After a successful year, WFSGI emerges strongly from 2021
• WFSGI welcomed two (2) new staff, eight (8) members, and two (2) partners
• Ongoing projects and services evolving to the next stage and as a result of trends emerging from 2021, the WFSGI introduced upcoming projects and services

The World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI) is pleased to announce a successful closing of 2021 with a positive financial result, valuable new services, eight (8) new members and two (2) new partners joining the federation! WFSGI emerges strongly from 2021 and is ready for 2022.

General Assembly 2022 Review:

Opening remarks at the General Assembly 2022 were made by WFSGI Co-Chairs, Motoi Oyama, Chair and CEO, Representative Director ASICS Corp. and James Zheng, Executive Director and President of Anta Sports Products China, and WFSGI President & CEO, Robbert de Kock pointing out the successful results of 2021 but also mentioning the potentials of 2022:

The General Assembly covered several topics and active working areas, including the announcement of new Staff, Members and Partners, a proposal to change the WFSGI ByLaws, and ongoing and upcoming projects which are covered in detail in the sections below. The annual WFSGI committee reports provided by the Chair of each Committee was shared with the participants of the General Assembly 2022 beforehand and can be viewed on the WFSGI website (here). The reports provide a summary of 2021 and an update on the key activities that the committee is working on for 2022.

WFSGI President & CEO, together with WFSGI Treasurer, Martin Kuenzi, announced that despite the ongoing challenges related to the pandemic, WFSGI managed its finances well by reducing costs where possible and delivering new services, adding value and support to its members. As a result, the WFSGI achieved a positive result of just over CHF 60,000. 

WFSGI is Experiencing Growth   

1. WFSGI Welcomed New Staff – We are thrilled to announce that our team is growing: Michelle Smyth, msmyth@wfsgi.org, Head of Cycling since 17 January 2022 and Riccardo Pagiri, rpagiri@wfsgi.org, Project Coordinator since 1 January 2022

2. WFSGI Welcomed New Members – Even in an economically challenging state, the WFSGI proudly welcomed its new member who joined in 2021: 4iiii Innovations, , Champion Europe Srl, Cycleurope Sverige AB, LMK International d.o.o (PRIDE),

Mavic Group, Riese & Müller GmbH, Trend Power Technology Private Limited Taiwan Branch, Pivot Cycles

3. Start-Up Membership Category – In 2021, the WFSGI launched a new category for Start-Ups, aiming to keep WFSGI fresh and relevant. Over the course of one year, the WFSGI has been in discussions with many Start-Up companies.

4. WFSGI Welcomed New Partner – In 2021, the following companies have partnered with the WFSGI: RecallDesk, Siemens and Xener by ATEX Industries.

WFSGI is Evolving – Ongoing and Upcoming Projects: 

The WFSGI has recognized the need to evolve its service offering during the pandemic and as a result of trends emerging from 2021, the WFSGI introduced new and improved services in the following areas:

1. WFSGI & McKinsey Partnership – In 2021 the two companies partner together to present an inaugural Sporting Goods Industry Report called “Sporting Goods 2021: The Next Normal for an Industry in Flux”. In 2022, the companies released the second annual “Sporting Goods 2022: The New Normal is Here”. The report is available for download here.

The report covers five key themes that reflect the current state of play and influence 2022 and are analyzed in detail in the report: 

• The adjustment of consumer behaviour
• An acceleration in sustainability
• A closer connection between social media and commerce
• The reshaping of distribution channels
• An imperative for new supply chain strategies

2. International Sports Organizations Activities  

a. Uniform Support Programme – Successful in obtaining Accreditations for WFSGI members to support their athletes at the Beijing Winter Olympic Games. This involves providing administrative support concerning COVID compliance and accommodation and on the ground support to the 4^th NOC Uniform Support Programme in Beijing supporting 19 NOCs and their athletes

b. WFSGI Athletics Committee – The formation of this new committee is led by Spencer Nel (Chair, adidas), Craig Masback (Vice-Chair, NIKE), Ryan Montgomery (Vice-Chair, ASICS), and CJ Davis (Vice-Chair, PUMA). Committee engages with World Athletics on a range of topics relevant to the industry. In addition, Robbert de Kock acts as the Co-Chair of the World Athletics Footwear commission that shall change to a deeper collaboration between WFSGI and World Athletics.

3. Sustainability Activities

a. WFSGI Commitment to Climate Action – The Board of Directors approved a newly greed plan to join the UN Fashion Charter on Climate Action.
b. Centre for Sport and Human Rights – The WFSGI has continued to take part in the discussion of the Centre for Sport and Human Rights. In addition, the WFSGI is exploring how far this activity is requiring an alignment with the OECD’s work on social impacts of events, sponsored by the IOC.
c. FIFA Quality Programme – As part of the FIFA Quality Programme (FQP), the WFSGI Pledge is a tool to ensure that FIFA certified products are manufactured in compliance with the WFSGI Code of Conduct outlining internationally recognized labour standards and basic environmental requirements. The WFSGI Pledge remains free of charge for WFSGI Members.

4. Legal Committee Activities  

a. “Horizon Scanning” Legal Tracker – WFSGI launched the first edition of Horizon Scanning (easy-to-read overview of worldwide legal measures impacting the Sporting Goods Industry). The new newsletter is released on a quarterly basis.
b. “Digitization of Product Information” Working Group releases first Position Paper – The WFSGI working group created in 2021, aiming at finding concrete solutions to push for digital labelling and at sharing best practices among the sporting goods industry has launched its first position
c. WIPO – WFSGI has been granted the observer status in the meetings of the Assemblies of the Member States of WIPO (World Intellectual Property Organization) and of the Unions administered by WIPO. Both organizations have agreed to organize a joint webinar on services offered by WIPO and how they could benefit WFSGI members.

5. Trade Activities  

a. Enabling Trade – WFSGI was actively involved in the following trade topics: (i) Indonesian Apparel Safeguard Investigation, (ii) Russian Mandatory Labelling Requirement, (iii) Indian Mandatory Marking of Footwear, (iv) Kazakh Mandatory Labelling Requirement. In addition, the WFSGI has submitted a letter drafted by APICE to different missions to the WTO regarding the Brazilian sunset review investigation on anti-dumping duties on footwear imports from China.

6. WFSGI Magazine 2022 – The WFSGI released the annual magazine publication: “WFSGI Magazine 2022: The New Age of Disruption”.

7. Success Stories

a. Due to the reduction of the Brazilian Footwear Anti-dumping Duty, WFSGI helped save $4,910,856.
b. WFSGI Pledge from the FIFA Quality Programme has saved WFSGI members several hundred thousand dollars.
c. Due to the Labelling Database, WFSGI members have saved more than $200,000 per annum.
d. Due to the WFSGI Legal Committee activities, over 343,250 fake/counterfeit offering sites have been eliminated.
e. Over 1,000 Olympic Athletes and 93 National Olympic Committees have benefited from free competition clothes through the Uniform Support Programme and the WFSGI member brands.

Despite another year impacted by the pandemic, the WFSGI has emerged strongly from 2021. Although most of the WFSGI meetings have been virtual, the WFSGI was able to hold its first in-person event since the start of the pandemic, in September 2021 in Munich, Germany, World Cycling Forum 2021: “Capitalizing on the Current Bike Boom”. The WFSGI hopes that the situation is stabilizing and will allow for more in-person meetings and events in 2022!

Explore the Key Advantages of Becoming a WFSGI Member

• Enlarge your network: Meet key players of the sporting goods industry
• Get free or reduced entries to the sporting goods industry events
• Get free consulting in legal, trade, manufacturing, and CR topics
• Get free access to position papers and the projects database knowhow
• Be an active member: voice your opinion and vote to elect the board and committee chairs.

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