The leading professional organisation of the sports and leisure industry and the European action sports association have decided to join forces and pool their expertise to create a strategic alliance.
Stronger together to face the crisis
The UNION sport & cycle – EUROSIMA partnership stems from an irrefutable observation: together, our organisations are stronger when it comes to representing and supporting our companies and defending our shared interests, especially through the current crisis we are all facing.
Our member companies, the clear winners in this strategic alliance
Starting immediately this year, companies in the Action Sports industry and who are EUROSIMA members now enjoy a EUROSIMA-UNION sport & cycle double membership. In this spirit of tight collaboration, EUROSIMA President Jean-Louis Rodrigues has already joined the UNION sport & cycle Board of Administration.
Each entity will keep its own sovereignty, independence and activities, but both have agreed to pool their services and expertise and to work together on common projects.
The objective is twofold:
- Providing better service to members of both associations
- Having a stronger voice and increased influence when dealing with public institutions
National expertise and representation for EUROSIMA members
With this partnership, UNION sport & cycle has committed to representing and defending the interests of EUROSIMA members when dealing with national-level institutions, with whom they have established strong ties.
The association has also committed to providing members with specific expertise and support:
- Legal advice and assistance
- Assistance with regulations and norms
- Providing regular research on sports practices and consumption trends
Representation in a dynamic sector and territory for UNION sport & cycle members
This partnership will allow UNION sport & cycle to have better representation in the field of outdoor sports. Jean-Louis Rodrigues will lead the new sector-specific commission, entirely dedicated to outdoor sports and which will be open to all interested members.
This will also provide UNION sport & cycle with a stronger foothold in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region. EUROSIMA events will provide key opportunities to unite the sports ecosystem at a regional level.
UNION sport & cycle has stated its desire to develop regional delegations in order to get closer to its members: thanks to EUROSIMA, fieldwork and local presence will be ensured in Nouvelle Aquitaine.
Joint projects already under way
EUROSIMA and UNION sport & cycle have already launched some significant shared projects: application of the no-waste law in favour of a circular economy (which namely establishes the creation of a sports and leisure articles supply and production chain with increased manufacturer responsibility), or efforts to jump-start economic activity, namely through the French government-initiated France Relance plan.
“This alliance is a genuine opportunity for UNION sport & cycle members, who will be able to access new expertise and set roots in a dynamic territory.
Together, we will have more strength to rise from this crisis and anticipate future mutations in our industry.”
Jérôme Valentin, UNION sport & cycle President
“It is a vital initiative to face the key challenges and transformations in outdoor sports. Bringing out two associations closer will allow us to share and maximise both our span of action and our influence over the entire national territory.”
Jean-Louis Rodrigues, EUROSIMA President
About UNION sport & cycle
UNION sport & cycle is the leading professional organisation in the sports and leisure industry. It brings together 1400 businesses, which represent 3000 sales points, 500 brands and over 2000 sports entities as well as 80,000 employees and 12 billion euros in combined turnover.
Its main mission is to officially represent all industrial and commercial businesses in the industry of sports, leisure, cycle and mobility articles and equipment.
About EUROSIMA
Created in 1999, EUROSIMA is the European Action Sports manufacturers’ association.
In 2011, it was officially recognised by the French government as a benchmark entity for supporting and developing competitiveness Action Sports in Europe.
Active within a European market that represents nearly 13 billion euros, EUROSIMA focuses on 4 key areas; uniting boardsports players by encouraging networking; promoting the industry, its territories, its businesses, its players and its innovative products; providing training and encouraging the development of skills and talent within the industry; and developing projects to boost the industry.
Today, EUROSIMA has over 180 member companies, which represent nearly 4000 employees.
