SGB WEEKLY 1138 by SportsOneSource

SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

The Weekly Digital Magazine for the Sporting Goods Industry

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ISSUE 1138 SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

Group Publisher Bill Garrels bgarrels@sportsonesource.com 303.997.7302

The Weekly Digital Magazine for the Sporting Goods Industry Editor In Chief James Hartford (704.987.3450 x104) james@sportsonesource.com Senior Business Editor Thomas J. Ryan (917.375.4699) tryan@sportsonesource.com Contributing Editor Fernando J. Delgado Creative Director Teresa Hartford Graphic Designer Camila Amortegui Advertising Sales Director Casey Vandenoever (303.997.7302) caseyv@sportsonesource.com Advertising Sales Account Manager Katie O’Donohue (704.987.3450 x110) katieo@sportsonesource.com Circulation & Subscriptions subs@sportsonesource.com Technology Chief Information Officer, Mark Fine VP Research & Development, Gerry Axelrod Manager Database Operations, Cathy Badalamenti

Page 6 NEWS

SportsOneSource Publications SGB TEAM Business Sportsman’s Business The B.O.S.S. Report Sports Executive Weekly SGB Update Footwear Business Update Outdoor Business Update Sportsman’s Business Update Team Business Update

4 5 6

HEAD Unveils Campaign Featuring Djokovic and Sharapova IMPLUS Acquires Perfect Pushup Parent VANS & DQM NYC GRAND STORE OPENING VF CLOSES Timberland Deal, Patrik Frisk to Lead Brand NIKE Roiled in Bat Dispute MOVERS & SHAKERS KEEN Finds Recess Provides Benefits

FEATURES

SGB Weekly

SportsOneSource Research

8 WILSON Pushes the Soft Side 14 CHRIS EVERT to Help Relaunch Ellesse

DEPARTMENTS 18 CALENDAR

SportScanInfo OIA VantagePoint SOS Research SportsOneSource, LLC 2151 Hawkins Street • Suite 200 • Charlotte • NC • 28203 t. 704-987-3450 • f. 704-987-3455 www.SportsOneSource.com

ON THE COVER Philipp Kohlschreiber Photo courtesy of Wilson

Copyright 2011 SportsOneSource, LLC. All rights reserved. The opinions expressed by writers & contributors to SGB WEEKLY are not necessarily those of the editors or publishers. SGB WEEKLY is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. Articles appearing in SGB WEEKLY may not be reproduced in whole or in part without the express permission of the publisher. SGB WEEKLY is published weekly by SportsOneSource, LLC, 2151 Hawkins Street, Suite 200, Charlotte, NC 28203; 704.987.3450. Send address changes to SGB WEEKLY, 2151 HAWKINS STREET, SUITE 200, CHARLOTTE, NC 28203; 704.987.3450.

WEEK 1138 | SGBweekly.com

NEWS

IMPLUS ACQUIRES PERFECT PUSHUP PARENT

HEAD UNVEILS CAMPAIGN FEATURING DJOKOVIC AND SHARAPOVA

Head brought together two of the biggest names in tennis, Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova, to debut the company’s new viral and TV campaign, and to present Maria Sharapova’s new Head tennis racquet and racquet bag collection, which she helped design. The centerpiece of Head’s newest digital campaign is a two-minute video featuring Novak with a blonde wig, impersonating Sharapova, in a funny, light-hearted imitation, including many of her well-known mannerisms. The viral spot, at www.youtube.com/headtennis, in the end reveals that his opponent was, in fact, Sharapova. As the spot closes, Sharapova rockets a return winner by a shocked Novak with her new Head YouTek Instinct racquet. Both players were on hand in New York during the recent U.S. Open for the company’s Head-to-Head event for media, customers and members of the worldwide tennis community. The imitation was also reinterpreted across the two tennis stars' Facebook pages. “It is all in good fun. Novak and Maria are good friends and the initial response to the campaign has been tremendous,” added Robert Marte, Executive Vice President of Head Racquet Sports. “We are very proud Maria and Novak are members of our Head team. They are not only outstanding athletes, but also great personalities, and we are very pleased they’ve both had strong success playing with Head products.”

Implus Footcare, LLC has acquired Perfect Fitness, the creators of the Perfect Pushup. The acquisition comes as Implus, best known for its footcare and outdoor accessories, looks to broaden its offerings of sporting goods. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. Perfect Fitness' design principles originate from the military experience of the company's co-founder and CEO Alden Mills, formerly a platoon commander with the U.S. Navy’s Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) teams. Alden used his background in elite SEAL training and understanding of functional fitness to develop fitness products that utilize functional, natural movement and body-weight exercise to maximize results and prevent injury. The Perfect Pushup became a national exercise equipment sensation on its release in 2006. Since then, the company has launched several other pieces of equipment, such as the Perfect Pullup, the Perfect Situp as well as Perfect Counter, a line of sports nutrition products, and multiple accessories. Its items are sold direct and through over 24,000 retail doors throughout the world. The company's website is perfectonline. com. "The innovative and easy-to-use designs of Perfect Fitness products make them a valuable purchase for all prospective consumers," said Seth Richards, CEO of Implus. "We are excited to expand Implus' footprint in the fitness market, and look forward to expanding the Perfect Fitness brand into new product lines." Mills said, "This is the Perfect partnership of product development, marketing and operational expertise. Implus' industry leading retail capabilities are exactly what's needed to help our retail partners and the Perfect Brand grow for years to come." The Implus brand family includes Sof Sole, Yaktrax, Apara, Airplus, Sneaker Balls, Sof Comfort, Little Hotties and Highgear.

VANS & DQM NYC GRAND STORE OPENING

SGB WEEKLY AUGUST 29, 2011

Vans held the grand opening of its collaboration retail store with local skate and streetwear purveyor DQM in the SoHo district of Manhattan last week. Collections include Vans Classics, California, Surf, Skate, OTW, and the Vault line. The retail project also offers a new cut & sew apparel collection from DQM. Live in-store performances at the opening came from Ray Barbee and the Mattson 2.

NIKE ROILED IN BAT DISPUTE

Patrik Frisk, President & CEO VF Corp. VF CLOSES TIMBERLAND DEAL, PATRIK FRISK TO LEAD BRAND

VF Corp. has closed its $2.3 billion buyout of The Timberland Company, and placed Patrik Frisk, who had been president of VF Outdoor & Action Sports in the EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) region, at the head of the company. Jeff Swartz, Timberland's former president and CEO, is leaving to pursue other interests. (See Swartz' letter in The BOSS Report / Issue 1138). Carrie Teffner, Timberland's vice president and CFO, will leave the company in September. Danette Wineberg, vice president, general counsel and secretary, is also leaving this month. VF Corp. stressed however that the majority of Timberland's key personal will be staying on. "We thank Jeff, and the Swartz family, for their tireless dedication to building strong outdoor brands that share an equally strong commitment to their people, their communities and the environment," said Steve Rendle, group president, VF Outdoor & Action Sports Americas, in an interview with Sports Executive Weekly. "We are pleased that the majority of Timberland's strong and established North American and International senior management teams remain intact." Added Swartz in a statement, "Today marks the beginning of a very exciting chapter for Timberland. I am confident that while our ownership structure has changed, what makes Timberland unique and special will not. VF has an enviable track record of allowing its brands to execute their distinct strategic visions. This is the right time to take the Timberland and SmartWool brands to the next level, and VF - which is as passionate about building brands as we are - is the right partner for us." VF noted that Mark Satkiewcz would continue to lead SmartWool as president of SmartWool Americas, and reiterated that Timberland and SmartWool will remain headquartered in Stratham and Steamboat Springs, CO, respectively. Additionally, Carden Welsh, Timberland's senior vice president and chief administrative officer, who has provided critical insight and strategic direction to the company for the past four years, has agreed to stay through December. Frisk has been serving since 2009 as president, VF Outdoor & Action Sports EMEA, and will be relocating to the Stratham area in the near future. Prior to heading the EMEA region, he was VP & GM, The North Face EMEA. He joined VF International in 2004, starting as country manager for Scandinavia. Frisk has also held senior positions with Peak Performance and W. L. Gore & Associates. "Patrik has proven himself as a strong leader since joining VF," Rendle told SGB Weekly. "We believe his energy and strong work ethic, love for the outdoors and commitment to sustainability will prove to be an invaluable asset to the Timberland organization." Richard O’Rourke will continue as senior vice president, international, with responsibility for the Timberland brand in the EMEA and Asia and for global distributors. O’Rourke will continue to be based in Wexham, U.K. Rick Wood, most recently general manager for the Outdoor & Action Sports Coalition in Canada, has been promoted to president, Outdoor & Action Sports EMEA. Wood joined VF in 1996 as a product manager for The North Face in Canada, and has held roles of increasing responsibility since that time. He will relocate to Lugano, Switzerland. Timberland had revenue of $1.4 billion in 2010 and VF expects the company to add about $700 million to its bottom line in 2011, or about 25 cents per share.

Nike, Inc. was forced to defend itself last week against charges that its baseball bats weren't 'sluggers'. The Tuscaloosa News reported that all universities under contract with Nike, including The University of Alabama, were released from their obligation to use Nike baseball bats during the upcoming season. The move came after the newspaper reported in May that the bats had underperformed versus other bat manufacturers. Research found that while using the Nike bats last year, Alabama hit just 23 home runs, down from an average of 86.6 percent over the previous three seasons. Major schools such as Southern Cal, Miami, Georgia, North Carolina and Kentucky all used Nike bats and experienced major drops in offensive production. Home runs were 20 percent lower and slugging percentages were 44 percent lower for those teams than for the rest of the NCAA. Of the top 20 college teams in home runs last season, none used Nike bats. According to last week's article, Alabama requested Nike allow the schoosl to use other manufacturers' bats following the 201011 season. Nike responded to the article claiming it had not released any university from their contracts but was allowing them to use other bat brands only for the 2011-12 school year. Nike said in its statement, "We believe in our technology and look forward to seeing it continue to perform on the field of play.” The industry introduced bats last year to meet new NCAA standards that were designed to encourage college bats perform more like wood bats. The goal was to reduce the high scoring that had affected the game since aluminum bats arrived in the 1990's while also protecting the safety of pitchers.

WEEK 1135 | SGBweekly.com

MOVERS & SHAKERS Jeff Schumacher has resigned as chief marketing officer of The Sports Authority. Olympia Sports has appointed Carlene Kurowski, merchandise manager, and Tim Adams, general merchandise manager, to its executive staff. Nike, Inc. Chairman and Co-founder Phil Knight will join the campaign’s Business Advisory Council of former Utah Gov. and U.S. Ambassador to China Jon Huntsman’s for his presidential campaign. Others on the counsel include former U.S. Chamber of Commerce Chairman Tom Bell and Caesars Entertainment Corp. CEO Gary Loveman. Nike, Inc. tapped Howard Taylor as managing director and vice president of the Nike Foundation, reporting directly to Nike Foundation President and CEO Maria Eitel. Hoby Darling, formerly senior vice president of strategic development and general counsel at Volcom, Inc., will join Nike next month as its new head of strategy and planning for its affiliate brands segment. Puma has signed a long-term contract with Argentinean soccer star Sergio Aguero. Patagonia, Inc. hired Dmitri Siegel as vice president of global e-commerce. Ryders Eyewear hired Roy Williams as their new buyer and product developer. Footbalance tapped Rincon Group, the independent sales team of Bobbi Bensman and Steve Srednick in the Rocky Mountain Region. GSI Commerce founder Michael Rubin has formed Kynetic, a firm focused on building consumer businesses that will include Fanatics, LLC, Rue La La and ShopRunner. West Marine Inc.’s board of directors appointed Nike executive Christiana Smith Shi to its board as an independent director.

Keen World Recess Day, Washington, D.C.

KEEN FINDS RECESS PROVIDES BENEFITS

Keen, Inc. released findings of a survey that identified recess as key to improving workplace health and productivity, and re-energizing employees. The footwear brand earlier this year launched Keen's Recess Revolution tour, a series of events designed to inspire adults to "reclaim playtime and take much-needed 10-minute breaks from the daily office grind by escaping to the outdoors." With a pop-up playground featuring tetherball courts, Frisbee, hula hoops and more, the tour has made stops in Denver, Minneapolis, Portland and San Francisco. The survey was released on September 14 on World Recess Day, a day-long outdoor event held by Keen in Washington, D.C. The Survey on Workplace Recess, conducted by Harris Interactive in August 2011 and involving 1,099 adults employed full-time, revealed: • More than half (53 percent) agreed that a 10-minute "recess" outdoor break initiated at their workplace every day would make them a healthier, happier or more productive employee. • Forty-one percent felt outdoor breaks would help them deal with stress at work. • Forty-four percent indicated that they would participate in recess if it were offered at their workplace, with the greatest interest among women (53 percent) and Millennials (51 percent). At the same time, more than 70 percent said they have never participated in a paid recesstype break outside of lunchtime. Seventy-eight percent felt that certain factors would need to be in place for recess to be a part of the workday, including encouragement from top management (39 percent), participation from their boss and/or colleagues (25 percent), a designated time of day for recess to avoid scheduling conflicts (35 percent), and recess becoming part of the company culture (33 percent). Dr. Toni Yancey, author of "Instant Recess: Building a Fit Nation 10 Minutes at a Time" and co-director of the Center for Health Equity and professor of health services at UCLA, said in a statement that short activity breaks would aid in reducing obesity rates and sick days while lifting employees' mood and subsequently improving productivity. "If employers offered and encouraged a paid activity break during the day, it would offer a real return on investment for them - delivering $1.50 - $2.00 for every dollar spent implementing the program, according to our estimates," said Dr. Yancey. Added James Curleigh, Keen's CEO, "I hope that the idea of workplace recess will catch on with companies that aspire to be great places to work, ultimately making recess as common as casual Friday."

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Photo courtesy of Wilson

PUSHES THE SOFT SIDE WILSON RACQUET SPORTS EYES A BIG OPPORTUNITY IN TENNIS APPAREL AND FOOTWEAR. By Thomas J. Ryan

While its jumbo tennis balls were again eponymous and a fan favorite at the recent U.S. Open in New York City, Wilson Racquet Sports also brought out something unexpected - a fashion show. Along with a red carpet introduction and renowned DJ Mary Mac spinning the tunes, models strutted down a runway showcasing Wilson's Spring/Summer 2012 performance apparel at Exit Art in Manhattan for retailers and media. Wilson players Philipp Kohlschreiber, Feliciano Lopez, Mandy Minella, Robert Lindstedt, Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, Horia Tecau and Anne Keothavong lended their support for the new line and attended the event. The collection included both traditional takes on the tennis uniform embracing Wilson's heritage in the sport but also featured designs,

fabric technology and energetic, vibrant colors that were a clear departure from what the brand had done previously. At the event, Jon Muir, worldwide general manager for Wilson Racquet Sports, told SGB Weekly that Wilson is looking to capitalize on its leadership position in tennis hard goods as more participants come to the sport. He also feels the iconic brand is bringing a muchneeded fresh approach to tennis apparel and footwear categories. "We are trying to inject a new future energy into the tennis industry," said Muir at the event. "If you look right now at apparel from a tennis perspective, it's dominated by Nike and Adidas. They are both great brands but we have a chance as a leadership brand in tennis from a market perspective to bring a unique and authentic point of WEEK 1138 | SGBweekly.com

Jon Muir, worldwide general manager for Wilson Racquet Sports, (fifth from right) with several of Wilson's tennis tour endorsees. From left-to-right, the players are Feliciano Lopez, Horia Tecau, Anne Keothavong, Mandy Minella, Barbora Strycova, Robert Lindsedt and Philipp Kohlschrieber.

view. We feel we understand tennis better than any brand and it is about how can we take that passion, knowledge, and drive and put it into new apparel that is different and have people go, 'Wow. I didn’t expect that from Wilson.' " The increased emphasis on apparel began about five years ago when Wilson started investing in building its apparel expertise. "We made a decision that if we were going to be serious as a brand about owning tennis and owning the tennis consumer, we would have to go beyond being the leader in tennis rackets and hard goods," said Muir. "We have to be the leader in soft goods, apparel and footwear and these were the areas we had to develop." Looking to reinforce its apparel team, Wilson hired designers and developers from Nike, Adidas and other soft goods' leaders that included appointing Claire Ortiz as global business director, footwear, apparel and accessories. She was creative director men's and women's apparel at Under Armour and in the past had been creative director apparel for Brand Jordan. The new direction has led to apparel becoming Wilson's fastest growing category, with "phenomenal growth" seen in the tennis specialty channel. Positive feedback on the tour from the upgraded collections has led to a number of players who already use Wilson racquets to start wearing Wilson apparel. Said Muir, "That success is 10

SGB WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

fueling our ability to say, 'We've got to keep building a bigger story and doing more to build the awareness.' " Ortiz, who spoke at the event, believes many of Wilson's newer apparel offerings are also applicable to fitness, yoga and other activities. She feels Wilson's retail success is due in part because its youthful, edgier takes are tapping into a broader lifestyle opportunity around the sport. "There are not many people combining the world of tennis as a sport and as an industry with fashion, music, culture and lifestyle. We are able to bring this whole new energy to the category because we are super-connected to the game itself," she said.

NEW PERFORMANCE FEATURES FOR THE 2012 LINE INCLUDE: • Wilson’s Tri-Color Burn Out seamless technology that allows for customized cooling features constructed into the fabric; • Wilson’s Liquid Stretch technology to create additional comfort and support while maintaining lightness and breathability; • Wilson’s Laser Technology that eliminates the use of seams in high stress and high movement areas of the body.

The initiative is also fully supported by Wilson's parent Amer Sport, which has stated a goal of expanding apparel and footwear assortments across its stable of brands. Its other brands include Salomon, Arc'Teryx, Suunto, Mavic, Atomic and Precor. Footwear had been licensed out but Wilson around three years ago bought the category in-house and has begun partnering with sister brand Salomon to bring its expertise to making technical tennis footwear. Said Muir, "Salomon is a leader in outdoor footwear and their growth in trail running has been phenomenal. What we're doing is taking dedicated Wilson people who know tennis and we are embedding them within an Amer footwear category team that knows materials, fit testing and R&D. We will take our tennis expertise and merge that together." An entirely new tennis footwear range will be launched over the next 12 months although its new Tour Ikon shoe, featuring Wilson’s Reactive Gel technology, is already receiving strong feedback from players. Said Muir, " We are really excited about it." Muir stated that overall, Wilson has more than 45 players on tour wearing its footwear and apparel, up from about 15 that had worn the brand's soft goods offerings in the past due to their relationship with the racquet. "We are getting non-Wilson tour players saying, 'Hey can I talk about your footwear and apparel?'," said Muir. "They see the quality and the focus for us. Tennis is what we do. For other major brands, tennis is a small part of what they do. This is who we are." Wilson's bigger investments also look to take advantage of increased tennis participation. Muir noted that according to SGMA, tennis participation has grown 43 percent over the last ten years, the fastest among traditional sports. He said the sport is "much more affordable, accessible and easier than people realize" and fits the trend for people of all ages to live healthier lifestyles. "There are not a lot of sports that you can do year-round and very few you can do from the age of 6 until your 60." At the U.S. Open, Wilson also continued its sponsorship as the Official Stringer and Official Ball of the tournament while also expanding its presence in other ways. That included renovating its retail store, the only stand-alone Wilson store in the world. Wilson also sponsored a successful attempt by 658 New York kids to break the Guinness Book of World Records Title for, "the most people bouncing tennis balls on tennis racquets." Wilson, based in Chicago, is also working to significantly expand its brand awareness in the coming years. Mike Steck, formerly senior director of marketing for Yakima Products, was recently hired as the global marketing director for Wilson Racquet Sports, a new position,

Photo courtesy of Wilson

Tour Ikon featuring Wilson's Reactive Gel technology

to drive the strategic vision for the brand and build brand awareness. Steck told SGB Weekly that he will miss Yakima and particularly Portland, which he described as "my favorite place on the planet." He also felt the opportunity to take the iconic tennis brand to the next level was an opportunity too big to pass up. Said Steck, "No one is as dedicated to tennis as much as Wilson. While Nike and Adidas will always have the resources, we are not looking to beat them. When you start to look at the investments we are putting behind creating our own space and identity, we are going to deliver a unique perspective." ■

WEEK 1138 | SGBweekly.com

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CHRIS EVERT TO HELP RELAUNCH ELLESSE By Thomas J. Ryan

Tennis legend Chris Evert has joined a number of apparel veterans looking to relaunch the Ellesse tennis and ski brand in the U.S. Led by former Danskin CEO Byron Hero, Ellesse (North America) Inc. recently acquired the master license for the Ellesse brand in all product categories for the North American market from the U.K.'s Pentland Group. The re-launch in the U.S. is set for in the fourth quarter of 2011. While taking a minority stake in the new venture, Evert will also be actively involved in design, promotion and marketing, as well as the development of a capsule collection of “Chris Evert for Ellesse.” "It really feels like I've come back home in coming back to Ellesse," 14

SGB WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

said Evert at a launch party recently held at the Town Tennis Club on the Upper East Side in New York City to celebrate the re-launch of the sportswear brand. "The brand was such a big part of my life and my tennis career." Evert wore Ellesse throughout her legendary run that saw her win 18 Grand Slam titles as well as a record six U.S. Open championships. The launch event was held at the tail-end of this year's U.S. Open. Founded in 1959 by Leonardo Servadio (the name reflects his initials “L” and “S”) in Perugia, Italy, Ellesse grew to be the second largest apparel company in Italy (after Benetton) in the ‘80s and ’90s

Chris Evert and Ellesse models

with sales over $400 million. Ellesse sponsorships have included Evert, Boris Becker, Guillermo Vilas, Pat Cash, Arantxa Sanchez, Hana Mandlikova, and Anna Kournikova in tennis, and Marc Girardelli, Jean-Luc Cretier, and the Italian Olympic Team in skiing. Other sports personalities associated with the brand included Muhammad Ali, skateboarder Natas Kaupas and former NBA guard Maurice Cheeks. With its fashion cachet, celebrities and dignitaries connected with the brand in the past included Princess Diana, Princess Caroline and Prince Albert of Monaco as well as actors Brigitte Nielsen and Roger Moore.

In an interview with SGB Weekly, Carolyn Siskovic, president and chief operating officer, said that while the brand has been out of the U.S. market for approximately 4 years, the new owners see a big opportunity for the brand to reconnect with the growing number of active older men and women. In particular, the brand will target women 30 years and older who are married with children and will aim at â&#x20AC;&#x153;lifetime sportsâ&#x20AC;? beginning with tennis and following up with fitness, ski, golf and equestrian. She added, "There is an opportunity around these 'lifetime sports' because no matter how old you are, you can play golf, you can play tennis, you can do fitness, you can ride, you can skiâ&#x20AC;Śand there's nothing really out there for the people that want to wear those clothes to do those activities." Also supporting Ellesse's return is the resurgence of natural fabrics to the marketplace with the application of performance finishes. Siskovic believes the luxury Italian brand still resonates with the more mature crowd. It was one of the first sportswear brands to feature their logo prominently on the outside of its garments. "The brand was huge in the 70s and 80s and you'd be surprised how many people remember the brand," said Siskovic. "I was getting my nails done theother day and I was talking about Ellesse and the women behind me said, 'I still have that in my closet. I love it!' It's very clean. It's never been sullied. It's never gone down market. We think there's definitely a fondness for the brand." The company expects to begin shipping some of its classic, basic, white tennis clothing to pro shops in warm climates in time for WEEK 1138 | SGBweekly.com

Chris Evert, Byron Hero, CEO of Ellesse, Carolyn Siskovic, President and Chief Operating Officer of Ellesse. Photo courtesy of Patrick McMullan

Christmas. A full tennis line, including colors, will begin shipping in the first quarter of 2012. Technical tennis shoes will reach retail in the fourth quarter of 2012. Evert's collection is scheduled for release in 2012. Price points for the apparel collection have not been finalized but will likely cost more than tennis apparel from Lacoste and slightly less than Ralph Lauren. The initial release will include a pleated skirt and sleeveless top for women and a polo shirt and two different shorts for men. The focus is on advanced fabrics both synthetic and natural, including cotton, wool, cashmere, linen, silk and blends. “Function, feel, hand and comfort will be the hallmarks of our fabric choices,” according to technical designer Sue Kagan. “Ellesse has always been famous for its fit and fit will be a major focus – and I believe a real advantage – for our brand." The brand will aim at select specialty stores, pro shops, ski shops, tack shops, hotel and resort shops but the brand is planning a number of its own stores. The first store is scheduled to open at the end of 2012 on the upper east side of Manhattan. Subsequent stores locations are planned for Greenwich/Stamford/Darien, CT; Palm Beach, FL; Dallas, TX; Aspen, CO; and Beverly Hills, CA. Approximately 25 stores over a five-year period are currently planned. The management team is led by CEO Byron Hero, known for his efforts to revitalize Danskin and several hosiery brands (Givenchy, Roundthe-Clock, Christian Dior, and Anne Klein) in the late 80s and early 90s, and more recently, Ciesse, the Italian maker of down outerwear. He has been a consultant to Prince Sports and Elite Model Management. 16

SGB WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 19, 2011

Siskovic was most recently director retail strategy and development at Nike and has also worked with the NBA, Nautica and Ralph Lauren over her 15 year career. Joe Quinn, CFO, was most recently CFO at Modell’s Sporting Goods after a long career at J. Crew. The company’s board of directors includes Chairman William Aron of Paisley Holdings; Mortimer Singer, president of Marvin Traub Associates, and Steve Wynne, the former CEO of Adidas America and Fila. Ellesse will also serve as the official apparel and footwear sponsor of Peter Burwash International (PBI), a leader in resort and club tennis management. Peter Burwash, all PBI tennis directors, teaching professionals and staff members, will become brand ambassadors for Ellesse. At the event, Chris Evert remarked that with its designs, comfort, colors and fabrics, Ellesse was one of the first to bring fashion cache to the tennis circuit. "I remember in the finals I'd wear a pink or yellow outfit and was told by Ellesse that the next day they sold 10,000 of them." Evert believes the reason Ellesse is right for today's market is it's wearable for the more mature customer. "The young girls look beautiful on the court," said Evert. "They're fit. They're athletic. They have great figures. But not all 35, 45 and 55 year-old women can look like that and wear those types of clothes. The beauty of Ellesse is that anyone can wear their clothes." Beyond tennis, Evert said appropriate yet stylish active apparel is equally important for yoga, gym workouts, ski and even equestrian. She joked, "I'm probably going to have to learn how to ride a horse." ■

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CALENDAR

For full year calendar go to sportsonesource.com/events

JANUARY

4-6

OIA Rendezvous Portland, OR

10-12 ATA Show Columbus, OH

The Retail Summit Dallas, TX

12-14 Surf Expo Orlando, FL

6-7

NOVEMBER 1-4

NASGW Annual Meeting & Expo Reno, NV

2-4

TAG Fall/Winter Show Kansas City, MO

3-4

NBS Fall Market Mobile, AL

12-14

ADA Fall Buying Show Kansas City, MO

20-22

Sports, Inc. Athletic Show Las Vegas, NV

17-20 SHOT Show Las Vegas, NV 18

Outdoor Retailer Demo Solitude, UT

19-22 25-28

Outdoor Retailer Winter Market Salt Lake City, UT

26-29

SIA Snow Show Denver, CO

PGA Merchandise Show Orlando, FL

29-2/1 ISPO Munich 2012 Munich, Germany

DECEMBER 5-7

MRA December Market Lansing, MI

30-31 SIA On-Snow Demo/Free Ride Fest Winter Park Resort, CO FEBRUARY 1-2

NBS Spring Semi-Annual Market Fort Worth, Texas

TRADE ASSOCIATIONS | BUYING GROUPS

OCTOBER

Athletic Dealers of America 1395 Highland Avenue Melbourne, FL 32935 t 321.254.0091 f 321.242.7419 athleticdealersofamerica.com National Sporting Goods Association 1601 Feehanville Dr. / Suite 300 Mount Prospect, IL 60056 t 847.296.6742 f 847.391.9827 nsga.org Nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best Sports 4216 Hahn Blvd. Ft. Worth, TX 76117 t 817.788.0034 f 817.788.8542 nationsbestsports.com Outdoor Industry Association 4909 Pearl East Circle / Suite 200 Boulder, CO 80301 t 303.444.3353 f 303.444.3284 outdoorindustry.org SGMA 8505 Fenton Street Silver Spring, MD 20910 t 301.495.6321 f 301.495.6322 sgma.com SnowSports Industries America 8377-B Greensboro Drive McLean, VA 22102 t 703.556.9020 f 703.821.8276 snowsports.org Sports, Inc. 333 2nd Avenue North Lewistown, MT 59457 t 406.538.3496 f 406.538.2801 sportsinc.com Sports Specialists Ltd. 590 Fishers Station Dr. / Suite 110 Victor, NY 14564 t 585.742.1010 f 585.742.2645 sportsspecialistsltd.com Team Athletic Goods 629 Cepi Drive Chesterfield, MO 63005 t 636.530.3710 f 636.530.3711 tag1.com World Wide Distributors 8211 South 194th Kent, WA 98032 t 253.872.8746 f 253.872.7603 wdi-wdi.com

SGB WEEKLY AUGUST 29, 2011

Durability you can wear.

C O SU SA A

B The Apparel Collection. Including new CORDURA® Naturalle™ fabrics. Styles, colors and textures designed from the skin, out. Get comfortable at cordura.com/apparel.