Kevin Davis, BAUER CEO, Interview on NECN
Tune in to NECN this weekend to see BAUER CEO Kevin Davis talk about the new VAPOR APX2 skate, RE-AKT helmet, lacrosse and more.
The interview will be available on NECN.com after it airs as well.
Bauer Experience in New Hampshire
The Bauer Experience is busy setting up at the Pond Hockey Classic in Meredith, New Hampshire this morning! Come on by and try out the latest BAUER gear at the Bauer Experience Fan Zone! We'll be there today and tomorrow from 9am-5pm. See you there!
Giroux Named Flyers Captain
Congratulations to Claude Giroux on being named the 19th captain of the Philadelphia Flyers. "Claude is the undisputed leader of this team. He always exhibits a tremendous work ethic in games and practices. He is a great professional both on and off the ice," general manager Paul Homgren said.
This will be Giroux's fifth season in the league and is coming off a career season. Giroux had 28 goals, 65 assists and 93 points. It is the most points by a Flyer since 1998-99.
"Obviously, this is a huge honor," Giroux said. "Along with this comes a lot of responsibility which I am prepared for. Being named captain is not really going to change the way I play on the ice and act off the ice. But I am very excited about this opportunity."
OWN THE MOMENT TV COMMERCIAL
We've been asking all of you to help us create our new OWN THE MOMENT tv commercial by submitting videos of youself doing exactly that, owning the moment.
We appreciate the time and effort that you all put in to your videos and we're really excited about the new commercial. Check it out below!
BAUER HOCKEY DONATES EQUIPMENT TO NORTHEAST PASSAGE
Bauer Hockey, headquartered in Exeter, recently partnered with the University of New Hampshire Northeast Passage's sled hockey program to outfit 40 athletes with new hockey equipment, including shin pads, shoulder pads, helmets, gloves and roller bags. This donation benefits the participants of Northeast Passage's youth and competitive adult teams.
Northeast Passage's sled hockey program runs from September to April and includes a youth and development component and a nationally ranked adult team. This program serves more than 100 athletes and families throughout New England with more than 60 practices and competitions.
The adult team competes in the Northeast Sled Hockey League and attends two national events per year: The NHL Classic and USA Hockey's National Championships. The team includes three veterans recently injured in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, three student-athletes attending UNH, two members of the U.S. national sled hockey team and community members from Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Five years ago Bauer kick-started the youth program, which has grown steadily since then. This season, the youngest player is five and the oldest is 18. Disabilities served include cerebral palsy, spina bifida, spinal cord injury, amputation and traumatic brain injury. In 2012, four members of the team were invited by USA Hockey to attend the summer player development camp. One player (aged 15) was named to the national development team.
"This donation from Bauer Hockey allows us to provide equipment to first-time athletes of all ages and to those athletes that are not able to afford protective gear of their own," said Bill Stewart, Northeast Passage's competitive sports coordinator. "We are grateful for their continued support of our programs."
Bauer Hockey is the world's leading designer, developer, manufacturer and marketer of ice hockey equipment. The company developed the first skate with a blade attached to a boot, forever changing the game of hockey. Since then, Bauer has continued to develop the most innovative products in the industry. Headquartered in Exeter, Bauer Performance Sports is the parent company of Bauer Hockey, Mission Roller Hockey, Maverik Lacrosse, Cascade Sports and Inaria International.
"We're happy to continue our partnership with Northeast Passage," said Kevin Davis, president and CEO of Bauer Performance Sports. "It's exciting to see this program grow and reach more and more athletes from across the state and throughout New England."
For more than 20 years, Northeast Passage has been a nationally recognized leader in the field of therapeutic recreation. As a non-profit affiliated with the University of New Hampshire, they specialize in providing innovative solutions for individuals with disabilities including children, adults and our nation's military personnel.
BAUER BASE LAYER: Claude Giroux
BAUER Base Layer is Built For Hockey! Visit the BAUER BASE LAYER FEATURE to learn more about the new gear!
OWN THE MOMENT
Bauer Hockey, the world's leading manufacturer of ice hockey equipment, unveiled its "OWN THE MOMENT" brand campaign, a fully integrated global initiative that focuses on the numerous moments in hockey that make the sport truly unique and special.
The campaign, which is the first Bauer Hockey campaign in more than 15 years to focus solely on the brand itself, shines a spotlight on the on-ice and off-ice moments of hockey when teams come together and players better themselves through dedication, hard work and preparation. In addition to highlighting the distinctive and special moments that make up the sport, Bauer Hockey utilized a unique approach to launch the international campaign by focusing the creative execution exclusively on amateur players.
"The 'OWN THE MOMENT' campaign connects to our consumers on a personal level because those special moments in hockey are universal to players around the world, regardless of age," said Kevin Davis, President & CEO, Bauer Performance Sports. "At Bauer, we have been helping players elevate their game and excel in these moments for more than 83 years. By focusing the launch of the campaign solely on the youth players, we have definitely struck a chord because those kids live these moments each day and can envision themselves in each and every moment."
The fully integrated campaign features a comprehensive print media buy as well as an in-depth digital experience, through Bauer.com and Bauer Hockey's social media channels. The initial phase of the campaign aims to spread the "OWN THE MOMENT" philosophy and mantra as well as drive consumers to submit videos of their moments for a chance to be featured in an upcoming Bauer Hockey global television commercial. The television commercial will debut during the IIHF Ice Hockey World Junior Championship in late December and is also scheduled to run nationally during the 2013 NHL Winter Classic in both the United States and Canada.
In addition to its focus on amateur players to launch the campaign, Bauer Hockey plans to unveil additional creative elements in the coming months that feature some of the game's best players including Steven Stamkos, Alex Ovechkin, Claude Giroux, Henrik Lundqvist, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews to name just a few.
"'OWN THE MOMENT' is much more than an advertising campaign, it is a culmination of nearly two years of brand refinement and consumer research to develop a campaign that not only connects to players of all ages but also clearly defines what Bauer Hockey stands for as a brand," said Steve Jones, Director of Global Marketing and Brand Strategy, Bauer Hockey. "This campaign is already resonating with our core consumers as well as our top professional players and will be an important element of our overall marketing mix for years to come."
To learn more about the "OWN THE MOMENT" campaign, visit www.bauer.com or search #OWNTHEMOMENT on Twitter. The campaign can also be accessed via Facebook at facebook.com/Bauerhockey or on Twitter by following @BauerHockey.
BAUER WORLD RECAP
Bauer Hockey recently unveiled its latest and most innovative products for the 2013 back-to-hockey season at the company's annual Bauer World event. During the week-long event, leading retailers from around the world were able to see and experience the newest BAUER gear, including BAUER's latest VAPOR lines of skates, new team apparel and a new line of goalie equipment.
"Our engine of innovation continues to exceed expectations with game-changing technologies and safety advancements that better protect players and raise overall player performance," said Kevin Davis, President and CEO of Bauer Performance Sports. "Following a 12 percent increase in our Holiday order file, the products we are delivering for the back-to-hockey season once again address the ever-changing needs and demands of our consumers and customers."
Bauer World brings together more than 400 retailers from around the globe to unveil the latest in product and apparel, as well as offer educational information on the new technologies included in the gear. Retailers are fitted and offered the chance to use the unreleased product on the ice before it is put on their shelves in stores.
In addition to unveiling new products, Bauer Hockey also launched several key corporate initiatives including plans to grow hockey participation by 1 million new players by 2022 and increase safety awareness, a new brand marketing campaign and its entrance into the growing jersey market following the recent acquisition of Inaria International, a complete team uniform supplier.
"Bauer World provided us with not only an in-depth look at the new 2013 product line up, but also a view of Bauer's plans moving forward, and after the event, there's no doubt they are unlike anyone in the industry," said John Kobar of Adrenalin Source for Sports in Calgary. "From the first-class roll out of the new products to their ability to deliver the entire package to retailers and consumers, we are excited about our future business with Bauer Hockey."
Product highlights from Bauer World include:
BAUER VAPOR SKATE LINE: Led by the revolutionary BAUER VAPOR APX2 skate, the new BAUER VAPOR line of skates provides a whole new level of performance, speed and comfort. The BAUER VAPOR APX2 skate features a new 'trigger' release in a TUUK LIGHTSPEED EDGE holder which allows players to change out dull or broken steel blades in seconds. This elite-level skate also features X-RIB construction utilizing CURV® composite technology, an innovative new lacing system and an ultra soft three-piece tongue to prevent lace bite.
NEW BAUER HELMET LINE: The BAUER IMS 11.0, IMS 9.0 and IMS 7.0 were unveiled and are the culmination of combined technologies from Bauer Hockey and Cascade Sports. The IMS 11.0 and IMS 7.0 feature Seven Technology and are designed to more effectively manage high and low direct energy transfers. The BAUER IMS 11.0 also features PORON® XRD™ for additional impact management and enhanced comfort. The IMS 9.0 features Vertex and PORON XRD for greater protection against linear energy impacts and uses the same shell as the BAUER RE-AKT for consumers that prefer a lower profile look with more aggressive styling.
BAUER TEAM APPAREL: As a result of the company's recent acquisition of Inaria International, an announcement following Bauer World, BAUER will expand its line of team apparel to include everything from jerseys and bags to warm-up suits and training apparel. With uniforms and expanded team apparel offerings, BAUER will now be able to offer a new and unique one-stop shopping opportunity for organizations ranging from youth associations to AAA and professional teams. By expanding into a full service provider, BAUER delivers convenience and consistent branding to a traditionally fragmented market.
REACTOR GOALIE PROTECTIVE: The newly re-invented REACTOR line of goal equipment brings back the tradition of quality and performance that made the original series a success more than a decade ago. Built from the inside out based on the needs of the most elite goalies, the new REACTOR series allows BAUER to service more goalies than ever before, by adding a new family of product to its already-successful line of SUPREME product. The SUPREME series supports a more traditional or defensive style of goaltending while the new REACTOR series responds to the demands of a more aggressive 'battlefly' style of goaltending requiring a softer, lighter, more responsive pad.
GROW THE GAME
Bauer Hockey has announced a multi-faceted, 10-year global initiative designed to increase hockey participation among those families not currently involved with the sport and to ensure the future of the game by adding 1 million additional players – on top of current participation growth projections – by 2022.
The first phase of the initiative, announced at Bauer Hockey's annual Bauer World event, is an in-depth Canadian research project designed to identify the core reasons why nearly 90 percent of Canadian children choose not to play hockey. In partnership with Hockey Canada, Bauer Hockey will conduct two pilot research projects in Nova Scotia and Ontario beginning by January 2013. Subsequent phases of this 10-year plan will include similar studies alongside USA Hockey in the United States as well as in key markets around the globe.
At the current hockey participation growth rate of 1.5 percent per year, an estimated 975,000 additional players will be playing hockey in 10 years. Under the Bauer Hockey-led initiative that aims to more than double the growth rate by 2022, the sport could add a total of 1.9 million players, approximately 1 million more than current growth rate projections.
"As the industry leader, we feel it is our responsibility to invest the resources necessary to help propel our game to new levels," said Kevin Davis, President and CEO of Bauer Performance Sports. "In order to achieve these goals, we need to broaden our consumer insights and employ a unique approach."
The two Canadian research projects will study potential barriers to play for non-hockey families and explore factors that may vary by region and demographics. By partnering with Hockey Canada, Bauer Hockey looks to identify these factors, determine the necessary steps to break down the obstacles and develop strategies for growth on a regional and national level.
"Hockey Canada believes that every youngster growing up in Canada should have the chance to play hockey," said Hockey Canada chief operating officer Scott Smith. "As an organization, we know there are many Canadians who would like to give hockey a try, but haven't yet. Bauer's initiative will help us pinpoint strategies to engage youth in hockey and develop programs to make hockey a lifelong engagement for all Canadians."
Bauer Hockey is currently working with USA Hockey to develop a similar research pilot in the United States to complement the organization's successful membership development program and American Development Model, efforts which have positively impacted participation and retention rates among youth players. Over the next year, Bauer Hockey expects to roll out similar programs across the globe by working with the International Ice Hockey Federation as well as other national governing bodies.
Bauer Hockey's focus on increasing participation is the first pillar in its commitment to ensure the future of the sport. In addition to adding new players to hockey, Bauer Hockey is also focused on raising the overall level of safety awareness and education to ensure those that do play hockey remain with the sport for many years to come. Mark Messier, who joined forces with Bauer Hockey as a result of the company's recent acquisition of Cascade Sports, will take a leadership role in both growing participation and increasing player safety. Like Bauer Hockey, Messier has been heavily involved with elevating safety education and awareness, including through his work on The Messier Project.
"This is a win-win situation for everyone. In addition to a sport that is fun and offers all the benefits of physical fitness, hockey teaches life lessons that build character and develops good citizens," Messier said. "We are excited about this program because as we learn about new ways to grow the game and protect the players, more and more people will have the chance to experience this incredible sport."
Upon completion of the research studies, Bauer Hockey will announce its findings and work closely with each country's governing bodies to help build the necessary programs to address the barriers to entry and increase participation.
OWN THE MOMENT: TAKE YOUR SHOT
This is your moment to shine. Simply upload a video clip of you in your best hockey moment. If you create one of the five best videos submitted, you could win head-to-toe BAUER gear and the chance to be featured in an upcoming BAUER commercial!
Click here to learn how to submit your video today!
