YOUR FORUM FOR PLAY, SPORTS UND LEISURE AREAS
The FSB. International Trade Fair for Amenity Areas, Sports and Pool Facilities is on the path to success.. Already now the national and international sector players have registered for the event. About 90 percent of the exhibition space is already booked. In total, companies from over 45 countries are expected in Cologne from 22 to 25 October. It is not least the further conceptual development of the world's leading trade fair for amenity areas, sports and pool facilities that makes a key contribution to its success. Thus this year for the first time the trade fair is being held parallel to the aquanale, the international fair for Sauna.Pool.Ambience. The benefits are obvious: Not only decision-makers from municipalities and clubs, but also the numerous visitors from abroad will thus have more time for their visit. Moreover, thanks to the new concept there will be more scope for the exchange of information. At the same time, a specialist supporting programme will deal with current sector issues, which are of particular interest for municipalities and clubs, in more detail.
Playground@Landscape: What is new at the FSB 2013?
Katharina C. Hamma: This year the FSB, the International Trade Fair for Amenity Areas, Sports and Pool Facilities, will follow a different schedule for the first time. The trade fair is open over four days. With the new and extended duration of the fair, we can better reach the municipal target groups and spread the thematic orientation of the municipal themes over several days. The FSB from 22 to 25 October 2013 is open on the fair days Tuesday to Thursday from 10 am to 6 pm, and on Friday from 10 am to 4 pm. This means we are filling four municipal working days and addressing the target groups precisely. A business trip authorisation is greatly simplified by the new orientation of the specialist supporting programme towards the questions and requests for information of municipal decision-makers, planners or functionaries in sports clubs. With this thematic change and together with new partners such as the Association of Towns and Communities (DStGB), the North Rhine-Westphalian Federation of German Landscape Architects (BDLA NRW), Gardens and Parks Heads Conference (GALK), the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) and the IAKS Germany (International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities). It is important to both us and our partners to demonstrate the strength and thematic diversity of the FSB and to stabilise and develop it as a municipal information platform.
With the FSB’s new schedule, we have succeeded in particular in boosting the synergies in the target groups of municipal pool operators and operators of recreational and leisure pools too. Because in 2013 for the first time the FSB has the same sequence as the parallel aquanale trade fair. Furthermore, in the hall plan we have relocated the “Public Pool Facilities” area of the FSB to Hall 10.1 in order to anchor this synergy even more firmly in the overall concept. The grouping of the pool area of the two fairs in Hall 10 will also have something to offer in conceptual terms. Six exciting theme worlds, which fill the swimming pool and sauna area, will be visible for the first time thanks to clear structuring. Companies, which previously offered products and services in the Public Pool Facilities area and the private pool construction area now benefit from this close proximity. And for professional visitors too, this will result in expanded communication and business possibilities in the pool area. In spatial terms, they profit from short distances thanks to two well-structured trade fair halls, professionally from the complementary themes worlds and from the congress platform positioned centrally in the hall – the 5th Cologne swimming pool and wellness FORUM.
In terms of content, the FSB of course has much more to offer. With an exciting and contemporary information offer, the IAKS as the ideal sponsor of the FSB invites visitors from over 110 countries and informs the profession about the themes of sustainability, mass sports structure, inclusive design, barrier-freedom, technologies for the construction and management of sports facilities and pitch systems for football stadiums, while correspondingly inviting them to Cologne in October via holistic visitor and congress marketing. The social highlight will in turn be the presentation of the IOC/IAKS Award, the IPC/IAKS Distinction and the IOC/IPC/IAKS young and upcoming talent award. Moreover, more than 120 submissions from all over the world have so far been registered. We are all very much looking forward to see who will be taking the coveted architecture prizes home with them this October.
All these points show: In tandem with our national and international partners, we have further developed the FSB conceptually in order to make the trade fair more attractive both for exhibitors and visitors and to once again position Cologne as an innovative fair location for sport, play and leisure trade fairs. The numbers prove it: we have done so successfully.
Playground@Landscape: What awaits visiting professionals specifically regarding the open space, playground and leisure worlds?
Katharina C. Hamma: First and foremost, a large number of new exhibitors, a good participation of Federal Association of Playground Equipment and Leisure Facility Manufacturers (BSFH) member companies and, of course, the leading national and international players. In the open space area, the FSB cooperates with STADT und RAUM for the open space and landscape planning segment as well as with the Federal Association of Playground Equipment and Leisure Facility Manufacturers (BSFH) for the playground equipment and playground planning segments. The registered firms in this area include Atlantics, Conlastic, Conradi & Kaiser, DSGN Concepts, Eibach, Emsland Kinderland, espas, EWA Beckmann, Falco, FHS Holztechnik, Fritz Müller, Granuflex, Hags MB Spielidee, Hahn Kunststoffe, Huck Seiltechnik, Kindt, Kukuk, merry-go-round, ODM, Polyfix, Proludic, Quappen, Saysu, Seilfabrik Ullmann, Sik Holz, SMB Seilspielgeräte Berlin, Spielart, Spielbau, SOR, Tapper & Hollmann, Tiptiptap and VeloPa.
With the FSB being the future trade fair for leisure world, visitors can, of course, look forward to numerous innovations. Outdoor fitness will be an especially exciting theme, since here new products have been developed specifically for open spaces as spaces for movement. Thanks to the large variety of human activities in urban (open) spaces along with changed leisure behaviour, new forms of sport are in demand, which can be well integrated in the individual sporting activities.
Playground@Landscape: Can you already offer any insights into the programme of lectures? P@L , BSFH / Stadt und Raum.
Katharina C. Hamma: Here we are in preparatory discussions together with our partner associations. In addition to our cooperation partner STADT und RAUM, which will present its “theme world” for the first time in Hall 2.2, we have also managed to welcome on board other well-known organisations and clubs.
Within the framework of the lecture and workshop area, for which STADT und RAUM is responsible, the topics range from mobility through urban planning, multigenerational spaces and urban green spaces to the award and presentation of the “Deutscher Spielraum Preis 2013” playground prize, which is also dedicated to the theme “movement and space”. We are very much looking forward to seeing which play areas the jury of specialists will designate this year as model and exemplary areas. A very exciting addition this year will be the PlanerFORUM in Hall 2.2. The programme includes short “best practice” talks as well as discussions about topics such as “space and movement”, “garden and therapy”, “living environment and mobility”, “design for all”, “movement spaces for the young" and "safety in playgrounds".
This year the BSFH will also be establishing new focuses in its work. Alongside the already well-known topics of playground safety and playground inspection, the BSFH has gained two reputable partners, which are strongly networked in municipalities. Together with the German Association of Towns and Communities, they will examine the topic of “movement”. The focus is on day care centres, schools, urban spaces and senior citizens. We can look forward with particular enthusiasm to the best practice lectures to be given by well-known landscape architects, which will take place in cooperation with the BDLA on 24.10.2013.
Furthermore, on the occasion of the FSB the GALK will meet in Cologne and use the event as a communication platform. We are certain that over the coming months even more exciting topics and partnerships will emerge, which will make the trip to Cologne even more worthwhile four our target visitor groups. A tip: it is always worth casting a glance over our FSB homepage, because there you will find all the important and new information about the FSB 2013.
Playground@Landscape: Which other programme points stand out at the trade fair?
Katharina C. Hamma: The IAKS, our ideal sponsor, will be the knowledge platform for sports facilities and management on all four days. Here visitors will find information about such topics as sustainability, mass sports infrastructure, inclusion, safety aspects of football stadiums, football pitch systems, sport and leisure structures as well as development aid projects and new technologies for the construction of sport and leisure facilities. Around 800 national and international experts are expected – Cologne will therefore carry an exciting dialogue about the future of sports facilities into the world. Last but not least, we also have the topic “urban open spaces for outdoor activities” and the main topic of the FSB 2013, “movement spaces” in our trade fair programme.
Alongside the IAKS, the DOSB, FIFA, the BSI and other partner associations of the FSB will offer fascinating topics, always directed towards the target group of decision-makers in sports clubs, municipalities and planning offices.
Playground@Landscape: Keyword - municipal decision-makers: FSB focuses more on municipalities and clubs – How?
Katharina C. Hamma: This is being done by means of the topics in the supporting programme, which are oriented towards the three main focuses of the FSB. Together with the various partners such as the BSFH, STADT und Raum or the GALK, we want to reach the planning level and the municipal decision-making level and create an important information advantage with contemporary themes. The key focuses here are on demographic change and the associated planning and design processes in municipalities. We will also be tackling the subject of movement spaces, covering all areas: starting from the day care centre through the school and town as movement spaces to spaces for senior citizens. Subjects which require planning processes and political decisions. Important for municipalities and planners. But in the area of sport and public swimming pools too, our partners in the supporting programme will answer questions in detail, offer solutions and provide bases for discussion. Together with the joint marketing of the themes by our partner associations with the framework of visitor marketing, we will also use invitation campaigns to offer a wide range of possibilities for preparation and travel planning for the FSB. Low-cost travel packages for rail, air and accommodation support these activities. This year the FSB is the no. 1 knowledge and communication platform for municipal decision-makers in Germany.
Playground@Landscape: Keyword – Internationality. That is what the FSB stands for! How does the development of the FSB look in terms of foreign producers?
Katharina C. Hamma: Well, the FSB continues to become more international, and that is very positive for the different sectors. Equally, however, German companies are returning to the FSB, since they are aware of the importance to the market of this international event. Moreover, different countries are participating, such as Russia, Italy or Spain. This participation is being organised in collaboration with the sports clubs. Traditionally, the FSB is also the regular trade fair of the FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, which will also be presenting about 20 of its internationally renowned partners at the FSB this year in the “FIBA village”. In recent years, the development of the FSB has impressively shown that there is only one main trade fair location in Europe for these exciting and multifaceted theme worlds, namely Cologne!
The FSB’s history of success is and the interim findings of a study of the brand process of the City of Cologne from October 2012 equally demonstrate that: companies appreciate Cologne to a high degree as a location for trade fairs, conventions and congresses. In all respects, there are good grades for this - from the supporting programme in the city through the central location to the trade fair grounds themselves.
And beyond the clamour of the trade fair, Cologne has a lot to offer, which is why the FSB can be ideally combined with a diverse cultural programme. In addition to the world-famous city landmarks, such as Cologne Cathedral, there are many other main attractions like the Chocolate Museum, the German Sport and Olympics Museum and Cologne Zoo, all of them always worth visiting!
Playground@Landscape: Are you more a play or sports person? What do you do personally to keep fit?
Katharina C. Hamma: I would say both. When I play, for example, golf in my spare time, then that involves both sport and play, so playing a game helps me to keep fit.
The interview was conducted by Thomas R. Müller (Playground@Landscape)
