Monday, 06 February 2017 09:18

Outdoor industry giants join forces to launch the It’s Great Out There Coalition

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A dozen of Europe’s biggest outdoor companies have joined forces to launch a major initiative to encourage the public to get more active.

Led by the European Outdoor Group (EOG), details of the It’s Great Out There (IGOT) Coalition have been revealed at ISPO MUNICH. A Brussels based International Non Profit Association (INPA), the coalition is an unprecedented collaboration of major outdoor companies and will be dedicated to inspiring people to get more active through outdoor participation. The organisation will be funded by membership fees and the launch event featured 12 Founding Members that have made financial commitments to the IGOT Coalition.

IGOT Coalition Founding Members 002

The new It’s Great Out There Coalition will build on the success of the EOG’s #ItsGreatOutThere (#IGOT) campaign, which was launched in 2015. Initially a social media project, #IGOT reached millions of people across Europe with positive messages about outdoor activities during its first year. #IGOT played a core role in the European Commission’s #BeActive campaign and in the inaugural European Week of Sport (EWOS), helping to improve the outdoor sector’s profile and influence among policy makers in Europe.

During 2016, #IGOT graduated from a social media initiative to one that involved real events that took people into the outdoors. Using case studies from those events, the outdoor sector once again played a core role in #BeActive and EWOS. The EOG will continue to be an official EWOS partner in 2017, helping to shape the week and ensuring that the outdoors is a key element. Meanwhile, the EOG is now also officially enlisted in the Transparency Register of the European Commission and is entitled to directly request meetings with policy makers in Brussels.

John Jansen, EOG President, comments: “It’s Great Out There is probably the EOG’s most important project and its success is essential for the long-term health of our industry. Creating the IGOT Coalition is a vital step and will allow our industry to take work in this area to a new level entirely. As a non-profit organisation, the coalition will have the freedom to fundraise, support grass roots activities and campaign on behalf of the whole industry.

“We have exceeded expectations in securing 12 Founding Members and are very grateful for their fantastic support. This launch sends a very strong signal to the rest of the industry – and to European policy makers – that the outdoor sector is very committed to this project. We will embark on a sustained programme to get more citizens more active and the level of backing that the coalition has already received demonstrates that outdoor businesses are prepared to back up words with financial support. I urge other companies to join the IGOT Coalition and help us transform what is already a major campaign into a huge movement that can changes lives across Europe and inspire generations to embrace the outdoors.”

The #IGOT Coalition has been founded in response to the inactivity epidemic that is facing Europe. The organisation will:

Be the outdoor sector’s voice in Brussels, working with policy makers to direct attention and funding towards the promotion of outdoor activities

Lead campaigning activity across Europe to encourage more citizens to engage in outdoor activities

Provide funding support to grass roots events and initiatives that meet the objectives of the coalition.

The #IGOT Coalition will be based in Brussels and it will be funded by membership fees, which will all be channelled into the organisation’s activities. The 12 Founding Members have provided the financial support to set up the coalition and for the initial running of the organisation. All outdoor companies are welcome to join the coalition and additional Founding Members will be accepted until the end of February. For more details, contact Arne Strate on +44 (0) 7585 951741 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The new It’s Great Out There website is now live at www.itsgreatoutthere.com.