Essen. It was the FIBO of great emotions: of radiant smiles, results and business at a record high, but also of considerable sadness. It was a time for saying goodbye but also for celebrating. From next year onwards FIBO, which had been a guest in Essen since 1991, will be held in Cologne. The reason is that demand for space continues to rise unbroken.

This was again evident at this year's FIBO which took place in the completely booked-out Essen Exhibition Centre reaching new records. With 65,800 visitors (previous year: 58,100) organiser Reed Exhibitions again recorded a healthy plus of 13.2 percent. A total of 612 exhibitors from 35 countries (previous year: 581 - up 5.3 percent) showcased the latest trends, products and training and therapy types from the fitness, wellness and health market. With these figures, FIBO exceeded even the high expectations expressed before the show.

"21 years ago we came to Essen as an offbeat fitness and bodybuilding event, today we are leaving as the leading inter¬natio¬nal trade show for fitness, wellness and health: that is a development we also owe to the extraordinarily good cooperation and partnership with the entire Messe Essen team", said Reed CEO Hans-Joachim Erbel, expressing regret at the move which he described as inevitable. In Essen, meeting FIBO's space requirements, which are currently increasing as well as set to rise further in the long term, would not have been possible.

Since 2005, FIBO has seen a steep upward development: with exhibitor numbers increasing by 70 percent, visitor numbers by 60 percent and booked stand area by 40 percent. As a first step, FIBO will start out in 2013 with an additional 15,000 m² to increase its stand area.

More trade visitors - more international participation - strong domestic demand
"More trade visitors, a noticeable increase in international participation and an encouragingly strong domestic market - these were the reasons for yet another increase in the number of studio operators and visitors from the health sector", said FIBO Director Olaf Tomscheit with visible satisfaction. 65 percent of visitors to FIBO are trade visitors, almost one in three of whom come from abroad (previous year: 30%).

FIBO's mainstay consists of the fitness studios which recorded a marked growth in business both nationally and internationally. In addition to fitness studio operators, FIBO also attracts a growing number of trade visitors from the health professions. More than 100 of the total of 612 companies are meanwhile represented at FIBO with certified products or services for various subsectors of the health market. FIBOmed and the FIBOmed series of seminars which was organised for the first time met with a correspondingly strong response.

One in three trade visitors are meanwhile interested in training equipment and equipment for practices in the physiotherapy and medicine segment. Volker Dellinger, Head of Sales Germany with proxomed, confirms this: "Physicians, clinics and health-oriented fitness studios: we were very successful at FIBO in reaching our target group. Visitors came with concrete investment projects, and we did good business."

This statement corresponds to the figures recorded at FIBO by the independent trade show market research bureau Wissler & Partner. They found that, very similar to the previous year, 61 percent of companies polled in a representative survey expect the demand for fitness and health services to rise strongly or at least slightly (previous year: 60%). Willingness to invest in new equipment or training equipment is correspondingly high. Almost every second company came with concrete investment projects and already placed orders at FIBO.

But business was also good for those exhibitors who target fitness fans directly. Every second private visitor did some shopping at FIBO, one in three spent more than 100 Euro.

The next FIBO will take place in Cologne from 11 to 14 April 2013.

Photo Material and press pictures of the winners of the FIBO INNOVATION AWARD 2012

Press Pictures FIBO 2012

Exhibitors' comments:

"Our company also chose FIBO for product training for 220 employees from Europe, the Middle East and Africa before the trade show. We are particularly pleased with the very high number of international customers at our stand: half of them come from abroad. Remarkable: We never had such big crouds from the UK and Spain."
Stefan Geier, Marketing Manager, DACHI Life Fitness Europe GmbH

"FIBO 2012 even exceeded our high expectations: we recorded a marked increase in visitor numbers, both in terms of trade customers such as physiotherapists, personal trainers, specialist distributors and of end consumers. FIBO was also the perfect place for staging the world premiere of our Vitality Nights programme - we had a super response."
Felix Artzt, Managing Director, Artzt GmbH

"Physicians, clinics and health-oriented fitness studios: we were very successful at FIBO in reaching our target group. There was strong interest in our complete solution ‘competence centrum Medical Fitness' which we presented for the first time. Visitors came with concrete investment projects, and we did good business."
Volker Dellinger, Head of Sales Germany, proxomed

"Especially the first two trade show days were top for us. We did excellent business and are extremely happy with the visitor quality. German studio operators and physiotherapists in particular came with concrete investment projects. The FIBOmed concept touches a chord: We also definitely notice the trend among studios to orientate themselves towards the themes of health, prevention, older users."
Thomas Lampert, Managing Director, HUR Deutschland GmbH

"Once again we had a very good response to our products. Many trade visitors came to our stand. We are also very confident regarding the future and go to Cologne with a good feeling."
Achim Schnell, Management, SCHNELL Trainingsgeräte GmbH

"At FIBO 2012 we were present in two halls with two stands and met precisely our target groups there. We are very satisfied with outlet sales, and our new collection was also enthusiastically accepted."
Matthias Orth, Managing Director, Scoretex GmbH, Venice Beach

"The trade visitor days in particular were a highlight for us, and we were able to welcome many experienced athletes at our stand. Being here is a must - no doubt about that. After all, FIBO is a get-together of the industry's opinion-makers. We are very satisfied with FIBO 2012, but we are also looking forward to the fresh breeze and the new setting in Cologne next year."
Marco Schubert, Managing Director, nike instructor club (Flexi-Sportswear GmbH)

"Before the start of the trade show we already registered strong demand for FIBO tickets in our branch offices. At FIBO itself, business was non-stop, thanks also to the support from our brands like Puma, Adidas or Esprit Sports. We never had a year as successful as this at the trade show. Many customers from abroad, from Israel, China or Japan, for instance, placed purchasing orders with us. It was a good and successful finish in Essen. We will be happy to be back at FIBO next year in Cologne."
Burkhard Lobenstein, Managing Director, Intersport Lobenstein (in cooperation with Intersport Borgmann, Intersport Profimarkt and Intersport Deutschland)

"FIBO 2012: a highlight of the trade show season, just like every year. Once again, we at Triumph were thrilled with the broad mix of visitors and the positive response and look forward to Cologne next year."
Janine Berger, Rheinsport Agentur für Sportmarketing for Triumph International AG

"We are presenting ourselves at FIBO for the second time, and that's a good thing! FIBO has been the absolutely perfect place for us to enter the world market and to now strengthen and expand our business contacts. We had studio operators from all parts of the world at our stand and right up to the last day of the trade show were able to generate new orders, from Japan, India, Brazil, Tunisia, Kuwait, Dubai, South Africa, China - to name but a few!"
Alessandro Pontani, Marketing & Product Manager Queenax

"This year's FIBO was again an extremely successful one for us. Precor's new stand concept was very well received, and the party at the Precor stand on Thursday night was a resounding success as well. In general, we recorded a noticeable increase in visitors at the trade show. We are already looking forward to next year's FIBO in Cologne."
Thomas Wedekind, Business Director Precor

"At FIBO 2012, milon presented a product and service portfolio featuring ambitious additions to a specialist public, and we are extremely satisfied with the enthusiastic response received from our customers and the resulting record sales generated at the trade show. Once again we succeeded in demonstrating that milon industries' guiding principle is the long-term business success of our operators. Winning the FIBO Design Award for our new mechanic milcanic series once more proved that milon is among the industry's leading innovators. At this point, we are already looking forward to again meeting our customers' high expectations in Cologne next year."
Richard Hauser, CEO milon industries

"This year our stand and show concept was oriented towards consumers and instructors as well as towards studio operators who are our primary customer group. FIBO certainly offers an ideal environment both for presenting our course programmes and consulting concept and for strengthening our brand. As a company located just outside Cologne we are already looking forward very much to again doing good business at FIBO 2013."
Jens Bonerz, Head of Marketing and PR, LES MILLS Germany GmbH

"This year's visitor record once again showed the enormous influence FIBO has on the international fitness market. We are therefore very pleased that Reebok was represented there with a stand of its own. Especially the fantastic performance of our team which was strengthened by the coaches, be they CrossFit coaches or Reebok presenters, contributed to our presence as a fitness expert being very much noticed. The lively exchange with trade visitors and the feedback from customers confirmed our conviction that our range of products precisely meets current trends. Our new stand concept developed as part of our ‘The Sport of Fitness Has Arrived' brand campaign proved very popular."
Jeremy Bauer, Marketing Director Reebok Market Central

Press Contact:

Dr. Mike Seidensticker
Press Spokesman
+49 211 90191-128
mike.seidensticker@reedexpo.de

Nadine Lente
Press Officer
+49 211 90191-191
nadine.lente@reedexpo.de

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