Of the total 316 entries submitted from 27 different countries from around the world, the panel of experts judged 52 products to be worthy of the award. Eleven of those prize-winners even took home one of the coveted GOLD awards for their outstanding achievements in the fields of design and innovation. All the award-winning products are on display in the Foyer Ost (East Foyer) during the OutDoor Show.

This year, the OutDoor INDUSTRY AWARD was hosted by Messe Friedrichshafen and conceived and organized by iF International Forum Design GmbH, Hannover, for the eighth time. Stefan Reisinger, the OutDoor division manager and a member of the Messe Friedrichshafen Management Board, summed it up this way: "The judges were very impressed with the high quality of the entries and the large number of real innovations. As the organizers of the OutDoor INDUSTRY AWARD, this makes us very happy, of course; after all, it is proof positive that the level of this competition is very high.”

The panel of experts included Felix Bächli (Bächli Bergsport AG, Nänikon/Switzerland), Laurence Guyon (Escalade Mag, Sermano/France), Mark Held (European Outdoor Group, Zug/Switzerland), Alix von Melle (expedition mountaineer, Munich/Germany), Graham Thompson (Trail Magazine, Peterborough/Great Britain) and Frank Wacker (Outdoor Magazin, Stuttgart/Germany).

Entries were accepted in the following categories: Apparel/Helmets/Shoes, Backpacks/Travel luggage, Mountain-climbing equipment, Camping equipment, Sleeping bags, Accessories, Products with high ecological and sustainable value and Material innovations.

During the judging session, the panel of experts placed a particular focus on such evaluation criteria as the degree of innovation, design quality, workmanship, choice of materials, environmental compatibility, sustainability, functionality, utility, safety and trendsetting character and brand value/branding.

Click here to view list of prize-winners. 

OutDoor