EuroSIMAg - number 13 by EuroSIMA

QUARTERLY • SUMMER 2018

N°13 05

Riding the innovation wave

Stephen Bell, the success story of a shaper

Two days of shaping

KEY FIGURES

+ 1.2%

ccording to the editors at sport-guide.com and based on statistics from the Bank of France, the 1st quarter of 2018 turnover for sport & leisure showed a 1.2% increase. Thanks to solid business in June, this has counterbalanced the downward trend that had set in for the last five months due to a slow January and a disappointing early spring in April and May. The back to school period will be decisive for full year’s results and the expected increase in purchasing power (linked to lower employee and housing taxes) in the fall should at the very least stabilise the positions reached by late summer.

Source: Sport Guide. — Sport Guide is a leading b2b web & print media. Check it out daily to catch up on economic and business news from our markets and brands at www.sport-guide.com

Frédéric Tain, Editor in chief of Sport Guide, will speak at the upcoming Surf Summit on Monday, October 1, in Seignosse. Don’t miss his presentation on “Which business model is best for multibrand business?”.

EUROSIMA IN ACTION

L A N D S O F I N N O V AT I O N

BEHIND THE SCENES

T O W A R D S A S U S TA I N A B L E F U T U R E

# E U R O S I M A F A M I LY

Riding the innovation wave

Stephen Bell, the success story of a shaper

Two days of shaping

Flashback

EUROSIMA IN ACTION

BEACH PARTY

SURFERS’ NIGHT

AN INSPIRING EXPERIENCE

PROMOTE YOUR INNOVATION

Cancelled due to a lack of swell last June, the EUROSIMA Beach Party has been postponed to Friday, September 7, 2018 in Seignosse. This friendly surfing event is open to all players in the surfing industry and is the perfect opportunity to share some fun and healthy competition. Hurry up, there’s still time to sign up a team! More details: www.eurosima.com

Entrepreneurs, pro surfers and big names from the boardsports world are all invited to THE event of the year for the European surfing industry: the Waterman’s Ball. This year, the event will be held in Hossegor on Friday, October 5. As always the event will also include the official awards ceremony rewarding the best surfers and surfing products of the year. Find out more: www.eurosima.com

Hearing the stories and experience of extraordinary individuals to then join forces and build the future of Action Sports together. That has always been and remains the goal of EUROSIMA’s annual Surf Summit conference. On October 1 & 2, the event will welcome nearly 300 Action Sports professionals in Seignosse for an inspiration boost. Make sure to save the date as it is an event you simply can’t miss! For more information: www.eurosima.com

September 7 is the deadline to officially present your innovation project and take part in the 2018 Action Outdoor Sports Innovation Call for Projects. The winner gets to take home 5000 euros in funding as well as key support for visibility and networking through the players of both industries and partners of the EUROSIMA and Outdoor Sports Valley clusters. For more information: www.eurosima.com

EUROSIMA IN ACTION

PAY LESS FOR TRAINING

GOOD DEALS

LOWER THE BILL!

WITHHOLDING TAX

Employees of EUROSIMA member companies have access to professional group training programs at discounted rates. Indeed, 60% or tuition costs are covered thanks to co-funding by the New Aquitaine Region and OPCALIA. Several sessions will be held starting in September 2018 on various themes such as management, products, HR, personal development, languages, audiovisuals, desktop publishing and administrative skills. For more information: www.eurosima.com

In addition to providing you with health coverage, Prévifrance also oversees your purchasing power and profitability in your business. Thanks to a Prévifrance subscription, you can join PréviClub and access professional and private purchasing platforms for free and therefore have a chance to save year round on all kinds of things: travel, the arts, service providers, transportation, messaging, utilities… Find out more: www.previclub.fr

An all new agreement was recently negotiated between EUROSIMA and telecommunications specialist Coriolis Télécom, which itself has a partnerships with all three French national service providers (Orange, SFR and Bouygues Telecom). Indeed, the company negotiates preferential rates every year for professionals and households alike. To find out more about our offers, contact our exclusive sales representative Olivier Gruson from La Nouvelle SSEE at +33. (0)6.40.38.39.85.

Starting January 1, 2019, as an employer, you will be required to withhold taxes on your employees’ income. Implementing such a change is not as easy as it may sound and will require preparing accordingly ahead of time. That is why EUROSIMA will be holding a special HR breakfast session on Friday, September 21, 2018 in Anglet. The accounting and auditing firm Exco Fiduciaire Sud Ouest will explain what you need to know and answer all your questions of this new administrative requirement. For more details: www.eurosima.com

L A N D S O F I N N O V AT I O N

RIDING THE INNOVATION WAVE François Levasseur, ex-Director of the Landes School of Design and more recently a partner at So Smart Design, tells us how and why you should rely on design to boost your business.

After 9 years spent at the head of ESDL, the Landes School of Design, and relying on 22 years of experience in product design agencies, François Levasseur, a graduate of the ESDI Créapôle Paris, decided to reconnect with his roots and created So Smart Design. Nestled halfway between the forest and the ocean in the tiny village of Baigts in the Landes, François’s agency specialises in graphic, product and interior design.

ARE NATURE AND TECHNOLOGY REALLY COMPATIBLE? What I like is the shaping process. Working with the materials, the volumes, the shapes. I like the atmosphere, the dust and the smells - all the feelings and sensations in the workshop. WHY SHOULD PEOPLE WORK WITH A DESIGNER? To truly put your brand forward and highlight its authenticity and identity through visual elements like a logo, colour schemes, signs or interior design in shops. It’s a way of producing a quick yet lasting vision that melts into

a natural decor through new products, new ranges. It sends a clear message to the user: “I’m what you were expecting”.

WHAT’S YOUR APPROACH? I like to listen, to visit, to understand the process and then meet the desires, projects and challenges my partners have to face. Most companies that I’ve offered new products or a new range, were looking to branch out and innovate to endure. When I created a lecturer stand for EUROSIMA for instance, I took into account the request from Franck and Christophe to combine functionality to beauty for the object, which needed to be assembled and disassembled and transported easily. ONCE YOU’VE UNDERSTOOD A COMPANY’S PROJECT, WHAT COMES NEXT? I like to explore several options and present a research booklet that includes different ideas. Then I meet with the company and present three detailed preprojects. My sketches highlight the materials, shapes and colours as well as the artistic

L A N D S O F I N N O V AT I O N

My clients […] expect me to analyse how products will be received by the end users and to always have an outside perspective.

and technical expertise of the manufacturer I have in mind for the project at that time.

A CONCEPT IS AN ATTRACTIVE IDEA, BUT HOW CAN WE ANTICIPATE THE EXPERIENCE THE END USER WILL BE EXPECTING? I create a prototype to scale and work on altering it until the company feels it suits them. I can spend entire evenings, nights and weekends working on the final details of an object, piece of furniture or style until it is in perfect harmony with my client’s requirements. DOES THE DESIGNER’S ROLE END ONCE THE PROTOTYPE IS PRESENTED? For me, it is essential to stick with the project all the way through to the pre-manufacturing phase. It’s important to check on how the concept I created for the company is made and the finishing touches but it is also important for the company who will delegate the follow-up to subcontractors they usually work with or others that I have suggested. As manufacturers of boardsports products, my clients focus on

their expertise, which often includes using new materials or connected products. They expect me to analyse how these products will be received by the end users and to always have an outside perspective. The designer has a global vision, focused on profitability and maximising means. I create links between my clients and myself in order to develop innovation and design in boardsports while maintaining the specific identity and competitive advantage of each client.

Want to find out more about So Smart Design? Contact us at: sosmart.design@orange.fr

BEHIND THE SCENES

STEPHEN BELL, THE SUCCESS STORY OF A SHAPER When Stephen Bell, aka “Belly” arrived in Hossegor at 20 years old, he had no way of knowing what an incredible adventure the surfing industry had in store for him. Originally from Torquay in south-western Australia, he came to France at the time because Harry Lodge asked him to come shape surfboards for Quiksilver. That was the beginning of an amazing experience alongside Kelly Slater that would take him to the most incredible surf spots around the world, a life which he is still pursuing today, coaching Leonardo Fioravanti. Editor and images : Stéphane Robin

BEHIND THE SCENES

The pro boards ensure our reputation of high quality and thanks to that our middle range boards also include the same technology as the elite boards.

" I arrived in France on April 15, 1986. It was pretty cloudy out and the first edition of Surf Session was in the newsstands. I bought it and saw Wais Lane on the cover. The surfing industry didn’t really exist at that time. Back in those days in Hossegor, there were only a few freelance shapers

like Gérard Dabbadie and Yvan Amélineau and they mostly made epoxy boards for windsurfing. At first, I worked for Maurice Cole, glassing, sanding and adding finishing touches and Harry Hodge gave me some T-shirts. I was an average surfer but at that time and place I was considered quite good.

BEHIND THE SCENES

In 1990, I created my own company and got a licence contract to make boards for Quiksilver. My business partners were Jean Debaralle and Maurice Cole. We made a lot of boards and after 3 years, I bought Maurice and Jean’s shares in the business since they wanted to pursue other endeavours. Then, thanks to Pierre Agnès, I became a team manager at Quiksilver, which was a job that didn’t exist yet at the time. I met Kelly Slater and followed him on the tour for nearly 20 years.

Today, the surfing industry has come a long way but the surfboard market is almost saturated. There’s no money to be made making boards in France. I have a second job working at Quik not because I want to have two jobs but because it’s a passion of mine. These days, a surfboard sells for around 600 to 700 euros including a margin around 22% but it is becoming increasingly hard to maintain a position as a French manufacturer due to the harsh and often unfair competition.

BEHIND THE SCENES

Unlike us, there are many small workshops that aren’t required to comply with health regulations for workers. Most of them are independent or freelance. They sell boards for a slightly lower price but after 5 years or so, they realise that they aren’t making any money so they close shop. But then a new shaper shows up and it starts all over again. I am the only one to have employees with permanent year-round contracts. I’ve got two glassers and two sanders. 13 of my employees have been able to become homeowners working for me. If I were to listen to my accountant, I’d stop production to simply import but that’s not the point of what we do. With new regulations relative to styrene coming in 2019, I’m going to have to invest around 100 000 euros in refurbishment but it’s a permanent challenge I want to continue taking on. Kelly wanted me to make his boards, the Slater Design. I declined because I didn’t want to import, I’m not interested in that. I work with Cobra in Thailand to make epoxy boards. Christian Bradley is the one who goes there with our designs. My objective is to remain in France. We are in the surfing center of Europe, the core of the industry is here and someone has to ensure industrial manufacturing right here. I love this place and I’ve got everything I need to continue working here. The pro boards ensure our reputation of high quality and thanks to that our middle range boards also include the same technology as the elite boards."

Read the full interview of Stephen Bell on our blog: www.insideurosima.com

TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

2 DAYS OF SHAPING Roughly one year ago, CNPC SPORT, which specialises in sports business programs partnered up with the Biarritz Shaper House to launch a 2 day workshop for people to learn about the art of shaping and its various techniques. Editor: Stéphane Robin Images: Shaper House

LEARNING HOW TO SHAPE TO SELL BETTER The surfboard as a product lies at the heart of a market that has become extremely diversified. Learning about shaping techniques is therefore a great way to dive into the core values of the sport both from a theoretical and hands on perspective. Up until now though, there were no shape schools or even training programs that could lead to career as a shaper. Learning how to shape was something you just picked up through experience working with willing and available pro shapers or through video tutorials like the famous 1996 DVD “Shaping 101” by John Carper Shaping. Today, thanks to this all new professional training program, CNPC SPORT provides an opportunity for retailers and their teams to dive into a frequently overlooked world and to discover the subtleties of a career that remains a craftsmanship and an art.

TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

I feel I’ve gained credibility and feel more confident now to sell a board, having made one myself. “The program set up by CNPC SPORT in partnership with the Shaper House is based on a 16-hour course over 2 days that has a market and product approach at its core. Though many salespeople in shops do surf, having shaped a board allows them to be more precise and develop a deeper understanding of the product. In addition, it’s a really fun training experience. From a management stand point, providing your team the opportunity to get professional training in something they enjoy is highly rewarding for them and useful for you.” Florent Verne - Business coordinator at CNPC SPORT Group Business Campus

“Over the two-day course, participants make a board from start to finish from a pre-shape model. The training includes theory of materials, shape and fins as well as practical sessions. No prior knowledge or experience is required. We partnered up with CNPC SPORT to enable participants to get funding for the program through an OPCA and to ensure a certain level of quality for this training. We also worked together to prepare the program and contents to provide evaluation tools at the end of the program. We provide the expertise of a trainer in terms of pedagogical engineering and monitoring.” Franck Perez - Shaper and trainer at the Shaper House

a few figures Launch: 2017

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Number of people trained so far: 14

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Length of program: 2 days - 16 hours

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Fees: 1 participant: 800 € For a team of two: 1 400 €

TOWARDS A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

A PROGRAM THAT IS BOTH FUN AND TECHNICAL “To me, this training seemed very accessible. We were guided from start to finish by a trainer so we could truly understand the significance of each detail. The program is 90% practical hands-on and you get to leave with a board after two days. The most interesting aspect is to be able to handle the tools yourself, whether shaping, carving or glassing. You spread the resin on yourself and then on day two you come to understand that a board is never done till it’s done. You have to be really careful until it is completely finished. A tiny mistake in sanding can be impossible to fix. Like most people, I was not really looking forward to being stuck in a room full of chemicals

all day, but everything went smoothly. The protective gear is really efficient and the shaping bays all have good ventilation which removes the micro dust. Either way, you never wind up spending any more than a halfhour in the glassing room. As a shop manager, I have gained the necessary knowledge to explain the importance of shaping and justify the extra 20 or 30 euros we charge to decorate a custom board. Thanks to this training I can truly explain the insides and out of this craftsmanship. I feel I’ve gained credibility and feel more confident now to sell a board, having made one myself.” Lionel Martinez - Store Manager Rip Curl

did you know? The Shape training program is part of the EUROSIMA offer for members meaning that up to 60% can be funded thanks to co-funding from the New Aquitaine Region and OPCALIA. The remaining 40% can then be covered by your company’s training fund (OPCA).

# E U R O S I M A F A M I LY

FLASHBACK…

A key event for the EUROSIMA Family, the association’s General Assembly, last May

Red and white dress code at the Bayonne fiestas for the EUROSIMA Board

Cyril Roesler Agent général d’assurances 51, avenue des Tisserands ZAC de Pédebert 40150 Soorts Hossegor

Tél : 06 62 15 75 84

www.areas.fr

Email : c.roesler@areas-agence.fr N°s Orias : 17 002 387 – www.orias.fr

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