JUNE 2017 £3.50 sportsTRADE LEISURE CYCLING NUTRITION insight FITNESS TECH OUTDOOR sports-insight.co.uk RETAIL TECHNOLOGY SPORTING LIFE DO YOUR AN ANGEL SWEAT, CUSTOMERS LOOKING GEARS, KNOW WHO OVER YOU HOPEFULLY TO TURN TO? P. 29 NO BLOOD P. 31 P. 39 BE PART OF THE FUTURE itscooler.asia/home Cover.indd 1 26/05/2017 11:06 flights-sport-insight2-orange.pdf 1 10/05/2017 17:13 INNOVATE YOUR DARTS RANGE VISION ULTRA AVAILABLE IN STANDARD NO2, NO6, KITE & VAPOR C M Y VISION ULTRA CM MY CY AVAILABLE IN CMY K STANDARD NO2 & NO6 For our full range of ORDER NOW! darts equipment go to Phone us on: +44 (0) 1279 410155 target-darts.co.uk Email us at: [email protected] 4 Editor: MARK HAYHURST WELCOME McColgan signs up with Polar Tel: 01206 508618 Email: [email protected] to this month's Sports Insight Polar has announced that British team, Eilish said: Advertising Manager: Double Olympian, Eilish “Monitoring and tracking KEITH MARSHALL McColgan, will be a sporting your data is crucial as an Tel: 01206 505947 ambassador for the brand. athlete, and no products are Fax: 01206 500243. The appointment of the more accurate and reliable Email: [email protected] than Polar. Having worn sports star comes at a Advertising Sales monumental time for Eilish, Polar products in the past, 21-23 Phoenix Court, Hawkins Rd, who represented Great Britain I’m particularly excited Colchester, Essex CO2 8JY in the 3,000M Steeplechase at about training with the new the London Olympics in 2012, Polar M430.” Group Advertising reached the final of the 5,000M Coached from overseas by Manager: SAM REUBIN Well that's that then (probably). at last summer’s Rio Olympic her mother, former World a perfect ambassador for the Group Editor: Without a crystal ball I Games and won bronze over Champion and Olympic silver Polar brand – a brilliant athlete CHARLOTTE SMITH can't say what happened in the 3,000M at the European Indoor medalist, Liz McColgan, Eilish whose gutsy, resilient approach Tel: 01206 508615 General Election this month but Championships in Belgrade. will also be making use of Polar to training and competition is a someone has hopefully formed a Eilish is currently training for Flow technology, ensuring all massive inspiration to other Publisher: MATTHEW TUDOR government by now (depending on the IAAF World Championships her data can be reviewed runners. We’re incredibly Art Director: CHRIS ASHWORTH when you read the magazine). in London this summer. remotely by her coaching team. excited to be working with her One thing I think that Taking time out from her Lucy Johnson, Marketing in such an exciting year for both Advertisement Art everyone can agree on though US training camp with the Director at Polar, said: “Eilish is Eilish and the Polar brand." Director: KEVIN DENNIS is the need to end the months Reproduction: of uncertainty that have been ACE PRE-PRESS. affecting the country. Tel: 01206 797541 Now we can, hopefully, push DW Group strengthens its business ahead with negotiations with the Photography: European Union with a clear and CLIQQ PHOTOGRAPHY www.cliqq.co.uk understood strategy on what we with new CEO appointment Twitter: @CliQQphoto want to achieve. The DW Group is our newly expanded senior team. and retail sectors most recently And Saucony's Jonathan Quint strengthening its business “Combining DW Sport's spending eight years as CEO of Accounts: SUE CARR. looks at who is after your vote. with the appointment of pedigree in retail and fitness with LA Fitness. Prior to that, he was Tel: 01206 505903 Don't worry it's not political! Martin Long as its new CEO. the experience and strength of the CEO of Game Group, the market Published by Maze Media (2000) He examines the issue of social Long led the successful Fitness First brand signals exciting leader in video game retailing, Limited, 21-23 Phoenix Court, media influencers and who exactly acquisition of Fitness First for the times ahead for the Group.” which grew to over 800 stores in Hawkins Rd, Colchester, Essex they are these days. DW Group in September 2016 and Long has extensive nine countries during his 13 years CO2 8JY And staying with the has now accepted the opportunity experience in both the fitness with the business. All contents © Maze Media (2000) digital theme Fiona Bugler asks to head up the Group. Limited. The views expressed in DW has a strong presence in this magazine are not necessarily whether the blog is dead or is it those of the publisher. Every effort transforming into something else? Sports Retail with over 90 sites is made to ensure the veracity and across the UK. With the Fitness integrity of the companies, persons, Things in politics can get products and services mentioned in extreme at times but Paul First business added to its gym this publication and details given portfolio, it is now the second are believed to be accurate at the Sherratt examines another time of going to press. However, no sector that embraces it. largest operator of gyms in the UK. responsibility or liability whatsoever He looks at the rise of extreme Long said: “I'm delighted to can be accepted for any consequence be leading the DW Group. or repercussion of responding events and the influence that it is to any information or advice having one the running market. “I will be ably supported given or inferred. No part of this by Scott Best who will head up publication may be copied, broadcast, So let's all take a deep breath, DW Group new CEO Martin Long with Dave interpreted, or stored, in any form, Fitness, and Matthew Sharpe who keep calm and carry on. Whelan, Matthew Sharpe and Scott Best. for any purpose, without the written will continue to head up Retail, plus permission of the publisher. Sports Insight has a current ABC certified circulation of 5,352 (audit period July IN PARTNERSHIP WITH 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016). The Audit Bureau of Circulations (ABC) is an The official publication of the Federation of Sports and Play Associations independent audit watchdog that verifies magazines’ circulation figures, providing accurate and comparable data for advertisers. ABC Certification demonstrates a media owner’s integrity, in their willingness to be audited and to conform to industry standards. UK/ROW subscription: £25/£42.50 for one year (10 issues). @SportsInsightUK Welcome.indd 1 26/05/2017 14:32 TR015 / TR025 TRIDRI® HEXOFLAGE™ PERFORMANCE T-SHIRT AVAILABLE IN 8 COLOURS RE- BRAND- ABLE CLAIM YOUR SAMPLE NOW! THROUGH OUR DISTRIBUTOR RALAWISE AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY FROM SIMPLY LIKE RALAWISE ON FACEBOOK! WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/RALAWISEUK AND COMMENT ‘TR015/TR025’ TEL: 0800 212 180 50 TR015/TR025 TRIDRI® HEXOFLAGETM PERFORMANCE EMAIL: [email protected] T-SHIRTS TO GIVEAWAY! FIRST COME FIRST SERVED. IRELAND TEL: 1 800 599 599 COLOURS AND SIZES SENT AT RANDOM. TERMS AND CONDITIONS APPLY. IRELAND EMAIL: [email protected] RAL13119 TriDri Sports Insight Advert v9.indd 1 23/05/2017 15:57 NEWS All the very latest in the sports industry... Tough first quarter for ASICS Mason joins NEW ASICS EMEA has announced ASICS apparel PrettyGreen a tough first quarter but within the markets. BALANCE achieved a strong growth in Later in the SIGNS UP emerging markets and its year, ASICS will own retail stores. launch a new VERTUE AS AN After more than doubling creative brand sales between 2010-2015, in campaign to AMBASSADOR 2016 ASICS made the strategic introduce refreshing New Balance has appointed decision to streamline the brand expressions personal trainer and yoga distribution of iconic running across multiple teacher Shona Vertue as its shoe models - including the consumer touch- newest ambassador in the GEL-NIMBUS, GEL-KAYANO, points to further Following the UK and Ireland. GT-2000 and GT-1000 - across connect with a announcement of the Virgin Having worked with New EMEA in order to provide a broader audience and enhance have strengthened the senior Media Twenty’s Plenty more diverse collection across its brand presentation in the management team and are Balance as part of its ‘My brief, Sport, Entertainment its distribution network. marketplace. This strategy will heavily investing in the brand Toughest Opponent’ & Wellbeing Agency The long-term aim is to coincide with the opening of new presentation. PrettyGreen is expanding campaign in 2016, Shona answer the changing needs of flagship retail stores at premium “There has been a short- its Sports Division with the has now been signed up with the consumer by providing a locations in London (Regent term impact in 2017, but the appointment of Dan Mason the brand on a longer term greater variety of products Street), Berlin (Kurfürstendamm) brand is now well positioned to as senior account executive. ambassador deal that will that are suited to a broader and Paris (Les Halles). Each store grow sustainably and we expect Mason (pictured) joins from see her champion the New spectrum of consumers to will feature the new global retail to report sales growth by the end sports and entertainment Balance performance, ensure healthy growth for concept, showcasing the brand’s of the year. communications agency Clifford lifestyle and women’s ASICS and its accounts. full collection and providing “I’m particularly pleased to French where he worked on studio collection. ASICS strategy has had an a more consumer centric see the development of apparel NFL UK and Euro 2016. As part of her impact on short term growth with environment including the across the region, a key growth His hire follows the ambassadorship, Vertue consolidated net sales of -7 per addition of community spaces.