The UK is the third largest market for sports goods in the EU, and these account for 0.65% of all consumer spending in Britain. In the UK alone, there are over 600 suppliers of sports and play goods and around 1,200 brands. Each different sector of the industry comes together in their own Association or Group and these organisations join together in the Sports Industries Federation.
Sports Industries Federation
Federation House
NAC
Stoneleigh Park
Warwickshire
CV8 2RF
Tel: 024 7641 4999
Fax: 024 7641 4990
E-mail: admin@sportslife.org.uk
Website: www.sports-life.com
The Federation represents the interests of manufacturers, agents, suppliers and retailers of sports and play goods in Britain, including sports clothing, footwear and equipment, sports and leisure facilities and playground construction, capital equipment and motorsport goods. Founded in 1918, the Federation occupies a unique position at the centre of the sporting goods industry; it is the largest sports trade body in Europe, representing 28 autonomous Trade Associations, and it is recognised by Government as the lead trade body for the sports and trade sectors.
The Federation aims to increase the competitiveness of the industry through education and by maintaining an effective dialogue with the UK Government, the European Parliament and other relevant bodies. It monitors and contributes to the consultation process on legislative issues that affect the industry, and it assists members to comply with new legislation. It also actively promotes the business of its members and the industries it represents at various events throughout the world. The Federation's sports technology and innovation arm provides the industry with access to the world's leading experts for research and product development.
The Federation works in cooperation with the national governing and representative bodies of sport and recreation and also with the Sports Councils.
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT FOR INDUSTRY
The Sports Science Engineering & Technology (SET) Network is a non-profit-making research and development organisation for the UK sports products sector. The Network is hosted at the University of Sheffield by the Sports Engineering Research Group and is supported by the DTI, the EC European Regional Development Fund and the Sports Industries' Federation.
Contact:
Sports SET Network
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Sheffield University
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
Tel: 0114 222 7891
Fax: 0114 222 7855
E-mail: sportset@sheffield.ac.uk
Website: www.sportsnet.org.uk
Education & Research for the Sports Industry:
Loughborough University
Management Development Centre
The Business School
Loughborough
Leicestershire
LE11 3TU
Tel: 01509 223140
Fax: 01509 223963
SPORT, LEISURE & HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY
Business in Sport & Leisure
17A Chartfield Avenue
Putney
London SW15 6DX
Tel: 020 8780 2377
www.bisl.org
Business In Sport and Leisure (BISL), is an umbrella organisation which represents over 100 private sector companies in the sport and leisure industry. Its members include most of the major operators of commercial sport and leisure in the UK and many consultants who specialise in this field. Members of BISL who are listed on the London Stock Exchange have a combined market capitalisation in the region of £40 billion. Members of Business In Sport and Leisure operate everything from restaurants, bars, pubs, nightclubs, bingo, casinos, hotels, snooker clubs, ten-pin bowling, stadia, football and rugby, health clubs to caravan parks.
The main objectives of BISL are to influence Government, promote the industry, and act as a forum. There are five main working groups: Gambling; Liquor Licensing; Planning and Property; Employment; and Sport. Each Working Group is chaired by a member of the BISL Board and meets quarterly.
The Sports Working Group comprises members from Governing Bodies of Sport, private sector operators of health and fitness clubs, operators of privately owned company sports centres and operators of contracts for local authority-owned sport and leisure centres, as well as consultants who specialise in sports consultancy, PPP and PFI, accountancy and tax advice and construction. The Group produced in 2001 'The Sports Brand' publication with appendices covering public/private sector partnerships, the impact of clubs on the community, and developing sports tourism.
Each year, in November, Business In Sport and Leisure holds a major Annual Conference and Exhibition on current issues of importance to the Sport and Leisure industry.
The membership includes prominent organisations in this field, and the following are a few examples from an impressive list:
Lawn Tennis Association
Deloitte & Touche
Amateur Swimming Association
Ernst Young
Football Foundation
KPMG
Harlequin RFC
Littlewoods Leisure Ltd
Ice Hockey Super League
Loughborough University
Wembley National Stadium Ltd
Rank Group Plc
Wembley Plc
Royal Bank of Scotland
Coutts & Co.
Sheffield University
Sport & Play Contractors
And include the following areas:
. Health & Fitness. There are over 4,000 health and fitness centres.
. Hotels
. Nightclubs
. Restaurants, Pubs and Bars
. Cinema & indoor Leisure
. Gambling
. Sport - BISL highlights that sport is a major contributor to the UK economy. The Government receives more money from sport through taxes than it returns through central and local government grants.
