EUROSIMA SURF SUMMIT 2024, UNDER THE BANNER OF INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABLE TRANSFORMATION

 

L'EuroSIMA Surf Summit 2024 brought together over 430 participants and 19 speakers for two days of reflection on the major challenges facing the Action Sport industry. The event enabled industry players to share ideas, innovations and initiatives around six key themes, providing an overview of the transformations underway.

 

SURPASSING ONESELF: THE SPIRIT OF RESILIENCE AND LEADERSHIP

 

The notion of surpassing oneself was embodied in inspiring stories, including that of Shane Dorianbig-wave rider, declaring: "I thought I could be the Kelly Slater of Big Waves", with the aim of surfing legendary waves such as Nazaré and Jaws. As a father, he has to juggle his family life with his passion for surfing: "I'm a normal dad 80% of my time: I pick up kids at school, I cook, I go to the grocery... Then I go surfing at Jaws." But this balance requires resilience and a mental preparation He also humorously acknowledged the challenges of family coaching: "No kid wants their dad to coach them!".

 

 

On his side, Christophe Chenutentrepreneur and former head of groups such as Lacoste and L'Équipe, spoke about managing exceptional talent : "It's a plus for a company to have stars or talent. But it's not essential." In his view, integrating personalities with strong egos can be an asset for a company, as long as you don't take the risk of upsetting the internal balance: "Wanting to keep an ego in a company is a mistake. It's just as wrong to push them up the hierarchy in order to keep them there. Let them go to the competition!

 

 

STRATEGY AND ECONOMIC CONTEXT: ANTICIPATING NEW EXPECTATIONS IN THE SPORTS MARKET

 

Frédéric Tainsports market expert, explained that our market is undergoing radical change, driven by the evolution of purchasing power, the shift from possession to use, and the growing importance of second-hand goods. He stressed the need for companies in the Action Sport sector to adapt their business models to future challenges and customer expectations.

"The business model based on sales alone is no longer sufficient. We need to add rental, repair, second-hand, testing... We need to rethink the whole idea of service-based commerce."

 

 

He also presented the second edition of the International Sports Tourism Congress, scheduled for October 7 and 8 , 2024 in Pau, where sports and tourism players will gather to discuss trends and opportunities in sustainable sports tourism, a rapidly expanding sector.

 

 

DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND A SUPPORTIVE BUSINESS MODEL

 

"The question is not what AI will do for us, nor what it will do with us, but what we will do with AI."

The intervention of Cyril De Sousa CardosoCEO of Polaria, focused on the employment and growing use of generative AI in various sectors. He shared projections on the rapid growth of AI (100 million users in just 60 days for Chat GPT©) and also highlighted the impact of AI on employment, citing an International Monetary Fund report: "In advanced economies, around 60% of jobs could be affected, with half benefiting from the integration of AI to improve productivity, while the other half is likely to experience a decline in labor demand." At the same time, Cyril explained that AI is not only transforming creative processes, but also personalizing the customer experience while freeing up time for innovation. He urged our industry to embrace these tools to remain competitive and creative. "Whoever you are, whatever your field of activitý, you won't be replaced by AI... but you might be by someone who masters it."

 

 

"Consumers are ready to fight against waste (and not just food waste)". Jean Moreauco-founder of Phenix, shared how his company is fighting food waste with digital tools, saving 75 million meals by 2023. He emphasized that integrating social and environmental issues into business models is not only compatible with profitability, but also a lever for growth. Making second-hand a reflex as natural as throwing away a product is essential to meeting consumer expectations while generating economic opportunities. Jean Moreau also explained that alliances between companies are no longer an option, but a necessity if we are to face ecological challenges together. This " coopetition " maximizes impact and accelerates innovation towards more sustainable practices.

 

 

ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY: WORKING TOGETHER FOR SHARED SUSTAINABILITY

 

The round table on CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) regulations brought together industry experts: Aude Penoutyfounder and R&D director of Entada Textile and CSR project manager at EuroSIMA, Stéphane Popescuco-founder and Managing Director of Cose361, Pétronille RicardCSR Director at Célio™ and Camaieu™, and Amaury Saletteco-founder of Kiosk™. They stressed the importance of cooperation between companies to move in the same direction:

" When it comes to sustainable development, you can't go far on your own. You have to work hand in hand, with your peers, and get the right support.

 

 

This collaborative approach is essential if we are to meet the demands of new European regulations, which now require precise reporting on their ecological impact from 2024 onwards. The speakers showed that this issue can represent a real opportunity for companies in our sector to position themselves as leaders in sustainability.

 

 

HUMAN POWER: SINCERITY AND SHARED VALUES 

 

Mathilde Depaulispsychologist and emotion management specialist, led an interactive workshop focusing on anxiety management. She explained to participants how to identify their anxiety points, and suggested breathing exercises to help them better manage pressure in their daily lives, in order to give them concrete tools for their personal and professional lives. It was also an opportunity to reiterate the importance of positive, attentive management in creating a healthy, high-performance working environment.

 

 

At the "Sociology of surfing and marketing" round table, Anne-Sophie Sayeux (anthropologist), Christophe Guibert (sociologist), Laura Grenon (Oxbow Marketing Director) and Jean-Sébastien Estienne (Marketing Director, Rip Curl Europe) highlighted common notions such as freedom, dreams and passion - fundamental values that bring us back to the essence of our sports. "Oxbow doesn't try to define what a surfer is, but to make them dream. The feeling of freedom is very important too." says Laura Grenon. If the parallel between sociology and marketing wasn't so easy, our speakers nonetheless emphasize that the surfer's profile is plural, although it can be defined by "marine sense".. Christophe, a sociologist, recalls a specificity of surfing "we don't know the exact number of surfers or their socio-demographic profiles: it's an uncapturable population".. However, a number of innovations are making it possible to better identify this target group: "Data is also important for getting to know our target. For example, our GPS watch enabled us to collect data from 50,000 users, allowing us to understand and refine our targeting. says Jean Sébastien Estienne.

 

 

"Authenticity and legitimacy are essential for an influential collab".

On the subject of influencer marketing, marketing expert Ludovic Pouilly emphasized the importance of influencer collaborations based on authenticity, listening and sincerity, citing examples of collaborations such as Omar Sy for Lupin and Inoxtag. In his view, it's not just about maximizing immediate reach on social networks, but developing long-term partnerships. The starting point for these collaborations is above all "flair", based on early identification of influencers and the creation of trusting relationships. Even the smallest brands can achieve this, especially those in our Outdoor Action Sports division!

 

 

CREATIVITY AND SURF CULTURE: A UNIFYING EVENT AND SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS

 

The Line Up Festival, piloted by Nicolas Dazet, a member of EuroSIMA's Board of Directors, is totally in keeping with the creativity and passion of our industry. In partnership with EuroSIMA, this festival will take place from May 30 to June 22, 2025, from Hossegor to Capbreton. It will celebrate surfing culture: exhibitions, concerts, conferences, equipment tests, awareness-raising sessions, masterclasses... Culture, heritage, environment and passion will be at the heart of these 3 weeks that promise to be crazy! Our industry has built our culture, so don't hesitate to contact Nicolas Dazet to take part in this not-to-be-missed event.

 

 

Bertrand BarréCEO of Zebra Group, stressed that innovation and ecological transition must be priorities for all companies in our industry. He emphasized the importance of rethinking products so that they are sustainable, while meeting consumer expectations in terms of performance. Bertrand also spoke of coopetition, a collaborative model for pooling resources to innovate and improve sustainability. "What if our ecosystem invented its future under the model of coopetition?" He also emphasized that our industry is based on strong values and a unique emotional territory, and that the innovations presented at the Surfing Lounge are a perfect example of this.

 

 

The Surfing Lounge featured 18 exhibitors presenting 24 innovations, including 3D-printed surfboards (Ecoshape, Wyve), biosourced neoprene wetsuits (Soöruz), Rip Curl's Fusion wetsuits and Quiksilver's eco-designed goggles, and many others... This area also showcased the finalists in EuroSIMA's call for innovation projects: Oxbow's STOKED boardshort, Newave's demountable boards, and Soöruz's neoprene reuse project. Soöruz, winner of the EuroSIMA 2024 Call for Innovation Projects. . These innovations illustrate how our industry is reinventing equipment while making a commitment to sustainability.

 

CONCLUSION

TheEuroSIMA Surf Summit 2024 showed that our Action Sport industry in Europe is changing, driven by technological innovation, environmental transition and changing consumer expectations. With passionate speakers and enriching exchanges, this edition demonstrated that the future of our Action Sports lies in our ability to anticipate trends, while creating synergies and remaining true to our culture.

See you next year!