CSR & SUSTAINABILITY
+++ Alibaba Cloud said it is joining forces with the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) to drive sustainability in international baseball competitions with the help of its AI-driven sustainability platform Energy Expert +++
LEGAL & INSTITUTIONAL
+++ The International Apparel Federation (IAF) has extended President Cem Altan’s term as president for another two years
+++ Cricket Scotland has announced that Trudy Lindblade will join the governing body as its new chief executive officer early in 2024, after concluding her role as chief executive of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships +++
PRODUCT & MARKETING
+++ German sportswear brand Maloja, also outfitter of the US Biathlon Team since 2018, has signed a 3-year contract with American Birkebeiner, the largest ski marathon in North America, thus underscoring its focus on Nordic sports
+++ Diadora has announced a new sponsorship deal with Italian sprinter Samuele Ceccarelli
+++ Mercedes-Benz USA is partnering with Californian brand Eastside Golf to drive change and “forge a more inclusive game” of golf, providing expanded opportunities to play, learn and grow with golf-centric experiences
+++ Luxury fashion brand Balenciaga has launched its first-ever skiwear collection, consisting of a range of winter sports products, equipment and gear, including a Balenciaga snowboard and skis
+++ Babolat is extending its official 18-year-long partnership with French tourism operator Club Med, which currently involves tennis, to padel
+++ BSN Sports, a US marketer, manufacturer and distributor of sporting goods apparel and equipment and a division of Varsity Brands, announced its first partnership with USA Water Polo providing a new custom apparel offering to the USA Water Polo Olympic Development Program in addition to select outfitting for the USAWP National Team programs
+++ Michael Greenberg, President of Skechers, has been named the 2023 Person of the Year by trade publication Footwear News as part of the annual FN Achievement Awards, 23 years after he first received the honor in 2000 +++
EXECUTIVE CHANGES
+++ According to Shop Eat Surf, Vans Sales Director Lance Eddy is leaving the US footwear company after 21 years to become Director of Sales at RVCA
+++ Carsten Richter, who has held various management positions at PVH since 2008, has taken over as the new Managing Director for Geox DACH on Nov. 1 +++
E-COMMERCE & DTC
+++ Ridebrain, a sports and skiing website launched in December 2020 that sold brands directly through their own online stores or commission-based, was declared insolvent by the Stockholm District Court on Oct. 30 +++
CORPORATE AND M&A
+++ US hunting gear company GSM Outdoors has acquired Camillus Cutlery, founded in 1876 and one of the oldest knife manufacturers in the US, and the Cuda fishing tools brand +++
RETAIL & DISTRIBUTION
+++ Garmin announced that AMIT International will serve as its exclusive distributor in India, expanding the companies’ long-term strategic relationship in the rapidly growing country by adding Garmin fitness, outdoor recreation and consumer automotive products to its existing lineup of Garmin marine products that it began distributing in 2017
+++ Nike has opened a new flagship store at the newly opened Phoenix Mall of Asia in Bengaluru, the capital of the southern Indian state of Karnataka
+++ H&M Group’s Arket will open a retail space of approximately 80 sqm at the iconic Selfridges department store in London on Nov. 24 +++
