SIGB Member Update

SIGB has issued it's lates member update.

SIGB (Snowsport Industries of Great Britain) is the trade association for skiing and snowboarding. It was set up to organise the tradeshow for the benefit of suppliers and retailers way back in 1987. Snowsport Industries of Great Britain (SIGB) membership consists of 150 organisations, made up of: 50 retail members representing 235 doors, 92 full members (suppliers) and 8 travel members. A committee of 15, representing all aspects of the trade heads up the running of SIGB.

In the update they say:

The COVID19 situation has led us into challenging and unprecedented times and is changing the entire social and economic landscape that we all thought we knew.

Various government schemes are being put in place to assist businesses and more support may be announced as time goes on. Be sure to check on what may be available to you and how to apply for support or participate in schemes on the government website.

A few pages worth checking are as follows:

Job Retention Scheme for Employers (online application system went live on 20 April) :

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/claim-for-wage-costs-through-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme

Employee guidance:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-if-you-could-be-covered-by-the-coronavirus-job-retention-scheme

Rent advice for landlords and tenants: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-and-renting-guidance-for-landlords-tenants-and-local-authorities

VAT deferral:

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/deferral-of-vat-payments-due-to-coronavirus-covid-19

SIGB MEMBER SUPPORT

There may be a long way to go before business will become a routine activity again, but the SIGB is keen to support its members in whatever way it can. In a recent conference video call, the Committee made the following decisions:

1. Membership of SIGB will be rolled over, so all those who are paid-up members for the year 2019/2020 will continue as members for the membership year 2020-2021 without incurring annual membership fees.

2. The cost of exhibiting space at Slide 2021 will remain the same as at Slide 2020.

3. Members who booked to attend the 2020 Snow Test will not pay a registration fee for the 2021 Test and the SIGB also plans to purchase and issue some 140 complimentary lift passes for this group, to assist those who invested in attending the 2020 Test, but who were left out of pocket.

The above measures represent a contribution from SIGB to support its membership of approximately £55k.

SIGB SNOW TEST - AN EARLY COVID-19 CASUALTY

The 2020 SIGB SnowTest, due to be held in Pila, suffered a near total pull-out of participating brands as the Covid-19 outbreak took hold in Northern Italy.

Brand head offices started to impose no-travel instructions on their staff in the days leading up to the Test and by the Saturday before the scheduled Monday 1 March start, all brands and most testing organisations (retailers and media) had opted not to travel to the Aosta Valley.

So, instead of an assembly of 250 UK snowsport individuals in Pila for a week of serious testing, it was a very small group that carried on with skiing and snowboarding in some of the best conditions of the season.

Meanwhile, a large number of the brands and test groups switched from Pila to Glenshee in Scotland, where they congregated at incredibly short notice to enjoy a combination of fantastic snow cover and overhead conditions.

Great testing conditions at the short-notice test in Glenshee

Subsequently, the rapid shutdown of most resorts highlighted the seriousness of the pandemic and its huge impact on the snowsport business – to say nothing of the global impact on health and economies.

The SIGB remains committed to delivering an annual SnowTest and will now start planning for the 2021 event.