Snowsport Industries

The SIGB (Snowsport Industries of Great Britain) is the trade body for skiing and snowboarding in the UK.

Snowsport Industries of Great Britain (SIGB) membership consists of 191 organisations, made up of:

64 retail members representing 203 doors
116 full members (suppliers)
9 travel members

A committee of 14, representing all aspects of the trade heads up the running of SIGB.

What does SIGB do?

SIGB runs Slide, the winter trade show (which started out way back in 1987). The show has been successful and generated profits for SIGB, which have been reinvested in promotions and activities to generate interest and increase participation in skiing and snowboarding, all under its consumer Snowlife brand.

Here’s a brief outline of what SIGB has achieved in the last few years: 

Profits from the show have funded 2 major retail promotions: ‘Fly Free Campaign’ of 2003/04 and the ‘Win a Car’ promotion of 2004/05, aimed at driving traffic to the specialist retail outlets.

Simultaneously, the Snowlife.org.uk website (powered by SIGB) has become the definitive UK portal for any information on UK skiing and snowboarding, with a searchable database of over 4000 contacts. Snowlife.org.uk is supported by the Snowlife booklet which has been distributed to hundreds of thousands of consumers via retailers, travel outlets, schools and via both specialist and mainstream magazines.

In 2005 and 2006, the Snowlife Ride and Slide Schools Tour presented skiing and snowboarding to 15,000 schoolchildren at their own schools and attracted some 3,500 kids to local venues for free lessons.
Snowlife also co-sponsored the Aim Series - a non-traditional series of skiing and snowboarding competitions which itself has introduced a further 4000 kids to snowsport.

Snowlife Awards – funding was supplied by Snowlife to promote a series of ‘proficiency awards’ delivered by UK ski / snowboard schools on snow and on dry slopes.

In winters 2009, 2010 and 2011, Snowlife supported 'Freshers Week', a programme of the Association of Snowsport Countries to offer FREE instruction, lift passes and gear hire for newcomer skiers and snowboarders.

In 2009/2010, SIGB with support from Fall Line, prepared a Boot Campaign tool kit for the winter season for all its retail members. This included artwork to produce posters, adverts and window banners. At the same time SIGB also ran advertisements, highlighting the advantage of getting the right boots to fit. 

In 2011 SIGB ran adverts promoting specialist retailers in some of the specialist consumer press.

An annual trade survey is produced by SIGB, giving a year on year, state of the industry comparisons and it plays a major role in facilitating annual trade ski and snowboard tests for retailers and media.

SIGB runs the annual industry ski test and also supports the snowboard test.

SIGB is an organisation that re-invests its profits to support its members and, when funds are available, creates programmes to encourage participation in skiing and snowboarding.

SIGB is open to organisations which:

• Operate a commercially viable business in the manufacture, distribution or retailing of Snowsports products in Great Britain. Membership has recently been extended to include a snowsport travel section.
• Have been involved in the Snowsports Trade for a minimum of one year.

SIGB aims to:

• Promote and stimulate the growth of skiing and snowboarding at all levels.
• Act as a forum for initiatives which benefit members.
  Liaise with other organisations within the snowsport and outdoor trade.
• Encourage and foster good trading standards within the snowsport and outdoor trade.
• Organise Slide for the benefit of the exhibitors and their customers.

For an application form to join SIGB, contact sigb@raremanagement.co.uk or call 0131 555 3820