OutDoor has declared a new attendance record for its upcoming 18th edition. Dedicated to the outdoor industry, the German trade show is expecting the arrival of 890 exhibitors when it opens its doors on July 14th, which is a 3% increase from last year.

All brands in the sector have confirmed their presence, including Columbia, Salewa, Eider, The North Face, Jack Wolfskin and Mammut. The fair will be divided as usual between different styles and sports, such as rock-climbing, hikings or shoes, with 700 stands spread across two halls. One hall will contain all of the big Scandinavian brands such as Bergans of Norway, Haglöfs and North.

For this edition, Messe Friedrichshafen, the fair’s organiser, has decided to put more emphasis on two things: lightness and children’s fashion. If before people used to buy their children clothes cheaper and unpractical clothes, Kay Steinbach (Yeti CEO) notes that there has been a radical change in consumer buying behaviour. She calls this the “Mini Me” phenomenon, suggesting that people are using more and more the same standards and attention to detail and quality when buying clothes to their children and for themselves. “As of 2012, we are going to offer an outdoor and ski collection optimised for children, using the same criteria that we have for our adult products”, explained Corinna Umbach, Schöffel’s marketing director.

The fair will also hold three daily catwalk shows in order to present today’s trends. Prizes will be given at the Outdoor Industry Awards ceremony, rewarding the best and most innovative products, as well as the “outdoor celebrity” of the year.