BACK TO EUROSIMA 2025: A STRONGER, MORE STRUCTURED NETWORK FOR THE REGION

 

On Friday May 16, nearly 150 members of the EuroSIMA network and the new USC Nouvelle-Aquitaine delegation gathered in Bidart, on theESTIA Berri premises, for an elective General Meeting marking a strategic turning point for the association. Both an institutional highlight and a convivial occasion, this AGM 2025 provided an opportunity to take stock of the past year's achievements, announce new directions, establish a new mandate and mark a major development: the creation of USC-NA.

 

 

OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF THE REGIONAL DELEGATION: USC NOUVELLE-AQUITAINE

Our Annual General Meeting opened with a unique sequence dedicated to the creation of the first regional delegation of theUnion Sport & Cycle, christened USC Nouvelle-Aquitaine. This sequence was led by : Virgile Caillet, USC General Delegate, Cécile Landreau, Legal Manager, Pierre Gogin, Chairman of the Sustainable Development Commission, and not forgetting Aude Penouty, USC CSR Referent in addition to her role at EuroSIMA.

 

 

With over 3,000 member companies, representing cumulative sales of 21 billion euros and 90,000 employees, the UNION des Entreprises du Sport & Cycle (USC) is France's leading trade organization for the sport, leisure, cycle and active mobility sectors. It brings together brands, distributors, service providers and local players around 6 sector colleges and 7 thematic commissions. The USC NA regional delegation will play a key role in expanding and strengthening this key strategic network, and the EuroSIMA - USC merger was the obvious way to consolidate the voice of the French sports industry.

As Virgile Caillet, General Delegate of USC, reminded us: "It reflects our desire to strengthen our proximity to all companies in the sector, and enables our professional organization to be anchored locally."

The creation of the USC NA is, moreover, a structuring step for the entire sports sector in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region, which will enable, among other things:

• Stronger representation with national institutions
• Extended access to USC services (legal, CSR, HR, business intelligence, etc.)
• Better coordination between boardsports, sports and active mobility networks

 

As a reminder: all EuroSIMA (Action Sports) members based in France automatically become members of USC Nouvelle-Aquitaine, while retaining EuroSIMA's own DNA, team and events.

 

"After more than three years of close and fruitful collaboration with the Union Sport & Cycle, I am particularly proud to announce that, with their support, we have officially created the first USC regional delegation: USC Nouvelle-Aquitaine. This national union has chosen EuroSIMA to structure its territorial presence in France's leading region for board sports companies. This structural advance not only testifies to the recognition of our work as a regional economic player, but also to the maturity of our industry, which today deserves a genuine regional relay within the largest professional union for the sport, leisure, cycle and active mobility industries in France." Jean Louis RODRIGUES, President EuroSIMA and member of the USC executive board.

 

 

• Find all the latest USC NA news on our website
• Rediscover the presentation of the USC NA sequence
• And to find out more about USC, visit their website

 

AN ACTIVE NETWORK, A STRATEGY IN MOTION

Opening the Annual General Meeting, Jean Louis RODRIGUES, President of EuroSIMA, recalled the foundations of the association and the current challenges facing the sector:

"Our mission - to federate, educate, promote and develop - takes on its full meaning today in the face of global challenges such as ecological transformation, the digital revolution and the evolution of skills."

With 215 members in 7 countries, EuroSIMA continues to fly the flag for the European winter sports industry. The year 2024 was marked by a strategic consolidation around three strong axes:

• Circular economy, sustainable development & CSR
• Tech, digital & AI acceleration
• Jobs, training & skills

In particular, we launched an environmental benchmark in partnership withSurfrider Foundation Europe and structured the promotion of our Shape Your Future employment platform. At the same time, we continue to promote our members' fine initiatives with #EuroSIMA Family, highlight inspiring profiles from the industry with our podcasts, and strengthen our federating events: Surf Summit, Forum des Métiers de la Glisse, EuroSIMA Beach Party, etc.

 

 

 

A RENEWED BOARD AND A REAPPOINTED CHAIRMAN

General Meeting 2025 was also an elective meeting, and the Board of Directors renewed its confidence in Jean Louis RODRIGUES for a further two-year term (2025 / 2027). At the same time, a new Board of 9 members was voted in for greater agility, efficiency and involvement. This change is in line with a clear desire to strengthen governance, while maintaining links with outgoing directors via thematic working groups and business committees.

"I propose to tighten the composition of the Board, in order to build a more agile and efficient team to better meet the challenges ahead. But we will, of course, continue to work closely with our directors via thematic working groups. - Jean Louis RODRIGUES, Chairman EuroSIMA.

 

AMBITIOUS PROSPECTS FOR 2027

The course for the next two years is clear: consolidate the structuring of the industry, strengthen services to members and make EuroSIMA / USC-NA a key player in responsible, innovative sport and representative of sports companies in NA.

Among the 10 commitments voted, the following are particularly noteworthy:

• The launch of the "Rise. Turn. Sustain."
• Skills development via "Shape Your Future" and the "Forum des Métiers
• Adoption of next-generation digital tools (AI, automation, etc.)
• Maintaining a strong events calendar aligned with the sector's challenges

 

 

 

EuroSIMA SURF SUMMIT 2025: "KEEP RIDING THE CHANGE

The final highlight of the AGM was the presentation of the EuroSIMA Surf Summit 2025, scheduled for September 25 & 26 in Seignosse. Under the theme "Keep Riding the Change", this edition promises to be a veritable laboratory of ideas for taming the current instability:

• Models & Brand identity: creating meaning to exist
• Eco-thinking: making commitment an engine for growth
• Communities & Culture: building links in a fragmented world
• Innovation, Tech & Experience: staying one step ahead

 

"How do you build in a changing world? It's no longer just a question of adapting, but of transforming instability into a constructive dynamic. Creatively rethinking growth models, strengthening the link with our communities, integrating sustainability as a strategic lever, and embracing technological intelligence without denying our DNA: these are all avenues to explore in order to build a conscious, ambitious and aligned resilience." The EuroSIMA team.

 

A MOBILIZED COMMUNITY, CONFIRMED COLLECTIVE MOMENTUM

Beyond the figures, the tools and the decisions, this General Meeting 2025 above all confirmed the strength of a collective, driven by shared values, a clear vision and a determination to act together for the future of the Action Sports sector.

As Executive Director Christophe SEILLER emphasized: "What I retain above all is the very fine participation and investment on the part of our members, private and public partners, in a convivial atmosphere, as EuroSIMA likes to cultivate within our community-family."

 

 

And it is with this energy that Jean Louis RODRIGUES embarks on his new mandate:

"It is with enthusiasm and determination that I take up this new mandate, to continue to defend your interests and carry high the beautiful values of our sports. [...] We are a family of players committed to a living, meaningful industry, focused on innovation, responsibility and human values. Thank you for your loyalty, your enthusiasm and your commitment to promoting the French sports industry and boardsports in Europe.

 

The course is set, the tools are in place, the relays are in place. More than ever, EuroSIMA & USC NA are moving forward together, alongside companies, to make the Sport & Action Sports sector more visible, united and ever more committed!

 

We keep in touch !
#EuroSIMAFamily

 

USEFUL LINKS FOR FURTHER INFORMATION : 

• AGM presentation 
• Event photo album 
• Jean Louis Rodrigues' moral report 
• The association's precise budget

 

____

May 20, Anglet, written by Zoë Zadouroff