At first glance, gemstones and sports seem to have nothing in common. However, Inhorgenta, Europe's largest trade show for jewellery, watches, and gemstones, also sets the tone for the sports industry. Because this is where top luxury and lifestyle brands show off their newest products. We looked at Inhorgenta 2023, from wearables and smartwatches to marketing and retail trends, to show you what the sports industry can learn from it.
When Frank Ribery ate a steak with gold on it, it made the news, and Rihanna's Salomon sneakers stood out. Even so, she didn’t trail running in them. She wore them to the halftime show at the Super Bowl in 2023. Trends like Urban Lifestyle and Urban Outdoor show that sport, fashion, and luxury aren't just for celebrities.
Casinowayzz.com went to Inhorgenta 2023 (February 24–27) for you and found the newest sports trends in the luxury and lifestyle sector.
People like sports watches because they are a way of life and a sign of success.
Watches do a lot more than just tell the time, which can be done on a smartphone.
Today, how well a watch works and what it can do are much more important. They measure things like heart rate, make training plans, and help with a wide range of sports, from endurance sports to golf.
The sporty smartwatch has also become a sign of success and wealth. Garmin stands out in the luxury market because it has high-quality finishes, a wide range of features, and endorsements from famous people like former football player Bastian Schweinsteiger. Other brands focus on design details like stylish leather wristbands that can be switched out and are made of high-quality materials and can be used for sports. When you're outside, the new thing to have is a model with a solar function that uses the sun's rays to charge the battery.
Many luxury brands also care a lot about their female customers and now offer smaller versions of the same range of functions. This means that the watches don't look as big on a woman's wrist, and the heart rate monitor fits better.
People who are most interested in tracking their health and lifestyle will also be able to find the right smartwatch in the low-priced segment.
Big trends include sustainability, omnichannel marketing, and others.
The sports industry can also learn from luxury brands about marketing, retail, and being environmentally friendly. At Inhorgenta, the keynote speeches, theme areas, and Inhorgenta Award were all about things like sustainability, artificial intelligence (AI), and retail marketing.
The same is true for shoppers as it is for all lifestyle brands:
For them, shopping is more than just a chore. Carmello Zappulla said in his presentation that manufacturers need to keep this in mind when planning the experiences they offer.
When high-end brands and sports teams work together, shopping should be an unforgettable experience. Customers could, for example, pick up limited-edition sneakers from boxes that look like safe deposit boxes.
Sustainability is important in both the sports world and the luxury goods world. Jewelers are really good at what they do.
Timeless jewellery is not something you can just throw away. Instead, it is used for a long time or even passed from one generation to the next. Consumers are paying more and more attention to fair trade certifications, the sustainable extraction of materials, and recycling.
Some brands of jewellery already use the circular economy or have found new ways to use and reuse materials. For example, if you cut and use gemstones in new ways, you can make designs that are completely new and up-to-date. Both industries move forward because of fair working conditions and complicated supply chains.
Women are mostly the ones who make jewellery and the ones who buy it. But women's networks like The Glitterati, which was presented by speaker Kyle Roderick, want to promote female talent at the management level of corporations and in important associations, to bring women closer together and make them more visible.
The history of sports meets design
At the Inhorgenta Award, sports history and design also come together. The Watch Design of the Year Award went to the limited Junghans 1972 Competition. It is based on the brand's history. For example, because the buttons are at the top, the watch looks like a hand-held stopwatch. In this way, it refers to the brand’s efforts to make sports fairer and to its use at the 1972 Olympics in Munich.
"With the watch, we close the circle from our own history in sports timekeeping to our commitment as Official Timing Partner of the Nordic World Ski Championships today," says Managing Director Matthias Stotz, explaining how design and sports work together at Junghans.