Getting people excited about fitness: The winners of the FIBO INNOVATION & TREND AWARDS 2020

06 April 2020

There are six innovative companies from the fitness industry who were ready for their time in the spotlight at this year's FIBO in April: the winners of the FIBO INNOVATION & TREND AWARDS 2020. With their impressive products and concepts, they will still be the focus of attention within the industry. The awards ceremony will now be held in October at FIBO. The awards panel was impressed by the innovations offered by these six companies, whose developments help motivate people to live healthier lives and engage in sustainable training. These are the six winners:

Category: Digital Fitness
Exhibitor: Sphery AG
Product: The ExerCube League

An entirely new form of competition took home the award in the ‘Digital Fitness’ category. The ‘ExerCube League’ is the physical eSports league for everyone. The ExerCube is an immersive and functional fitness game that is suitable for training and competition alike. The game challenges the body and mind simultaneously and can be individually adapted to the trainee’s fitness level, gender and age. Sphery has taken advantage of eSports’ tremendous popularity to offer people an attractive and integrative entry to the world of fitness. The league presents fitness studios with an appealing training programme that is also highly motivational. Sphery is also hoping to reach active eSports athletes, for whom this game can serve as a supplemental training tool to help combat the physical problems associated with playing games while sitting.

The panel’s assessment:

‘The ExerCube League’ serves the new exergaming market segment and is based on scientific studies. The winning product opens up new ways in which to motivate people to take up and continue pursuing training over the long term with a combination of physical activity, gaming and cognitive learning. This cognitive learning represents a new growth market for the fitness industry.

Category: Health & Prevention
Exhibitor: Schwa-medico GmbH
Product: Symbiont

A combination of real-time training data with (electro-)stimulation training: that is Symbiont. This certified medical product makes it possible to compare perceived exertion during training with such objectively measured values as pulse, HRV, EMG, movement sensors and body composition in real time. This allows the optimum documentation and management of individual progress. Symbiont supports all forms of conventional (training) activities, as well as EMS training. Its wireless technology guarantees ease of use while granting maximum variability to patients and their therapy network. Patients can share some or all of the results achieved, therapy progress made and data generated in any form desired. Links to doctors, therapists, trainers, coaches, team members and social communities are available at the touch of a button.

The panel’s assessment:

Symbiont makes it possible to connect EMS training with the collection of a wide range of biophysiological data. This not only leads to the significant optimisation of training control and monitoring in EMS training, but also verifiably and demonstrably increases its effectiveness and efficiency. At the same time, the tool can also be used independently of EMS training, such as for measuring body data in other training situations – examples include utilisation as an assessment tool for strength training.

Category: Lifestyle, Life-Balance & Wellness
Exhibitor: JK-International GmbH
Product: Ergoline Sun Angel Spectra

The 2020 winner in the category ‘Lifestyle, Life-Balance & Wellness’ is the Ergoline Sun Angel Spectra. This Medical Active-certified sunbed is the world’s only one with an integrated skin sensor that measures the sensitivity of the user’s skin to prevent sunburns. The sunbed pampers the skin with special ‘Beauty Light’. Furthermore, the Sun Angel offers a ‘Vitamin D Program’ without direct tanning, as well as an entirely UV-free beauty programme for skincare and collagen formation. The Robert Koch Institute estimates that more than half of all German adults suffer from insufficient vitamin D. The Sun Angel offers a way of creating this vitamin in the natural way using controlled UVB light.

The panel’s assessment:

The Ergoline Sun Angel Spectra offers a new interpretation of sunbeds and tanning in fitness studios, giving them a larger role within the framework of health and prevention. In recent years, societal trends have seen people moving a greater share of their activities indoors, resulting in less exposure to sunlight. This has had an impact on people’s health, such as through insufficient levels of vitamin D. The winning product closes the gap between societal requirements and trends and biological necessity.

Category: Ecology & Sustainability
Exhibitor: IMG Quality Design Sp. Z o.o. Sp. k.
Product: ERGO-ECO MAT

A fully recyclable training mat is the winner in the category ‘Ecology & Sustainability’. The ERGO-ECO MAT is primarily composed of sugar cane, which entirely replaces the resins that would normally be used. This mat’s environmental footprint represents a valuable sales tool. Furthermore, the fact that it contains no hazardous substances whatsoever means that users training with this mat are also protecting their own health. Fitness studios can demonstrate their ecological responsibility by using these mats. The ERGO-ECO MAT is also impressive when it comes to functionality, offering good shock absorption during training and excellent durability.

The panel’s assessment:

The ‘ERGO-ECO MAT’ is the right product for the times – a training mat that is fully recyclable, helping reduce waste. As it becomes ever more important for society as a whole, and therefore also for the fitness industry, to develop products that are sustainable and environmentally friendly, this mat made out of sugar cane is an excellent example of an innovative solution. The ‘ERGO-ECO MAT’ boasts all the advantages offered by plants – including the absorption of CO2 and reduced emissions. It can be employed just like conventional exercise mats and satisfies all usage and durability requirements.

Category: Performance
Exhibitor: Eleiko Group AB
Product: EVO Rotating Dumbbell

EVO Rotating Dumbbells deliver performance that is certain to impress. These dumbbells are equipped with a rotating grip that allows users to lift them in a controlled and secure fashion. Their design creates a grip diameter that is significantly smaller than conventional dumbbells, making the EVO Rotating Dumbbell suitable for a wider range of users. The special grip design has a patent pending and heralds a revolution in the field of dumbbell training. Nor do the dumbbells’ ruggedness and design leave anything to be desired.

The panel’s assessment:

The ‘EVO Rotating Dumbbells’ offer excellent functionality and a rugged design. Their innovative rotation mechanism makes them the first to simulate barbell training, raising strength training with free weights to a whole new level. Utilisation of ‘EVO Rotating Dumbbells’ makes it possible to raise trainees’ motivation while stimulating improved results.

Category: Start-ups
Exhibitor: air up GmbH
Product: air up

air up is the world’s first drinking bottle that lends flavour to water using only scent, and it has been selected as the winner of the FIBO INNOVATION AWARD in the ‘Start-up’ category. The air up bottle has a special trick to make this possible: it relies on retronasal olfaction through the mouth. The bottle’s replaceable scent pods add fragrant air to the water as it is drunk. When the water is swallowed, these scents separate from the water and rise through the pharynx to the smell centre where they are perceived as taste. The beverage itself continues to be pure water. With its innovative product, air up has declared war on the excessive consumption of sugar in soft drinks, offering an effective aid for people who do not like to drink plain water.

The panel’s assessment:

air up GmbH is offering a novel new drinking experience – pure water is transformed into a taste experience without adding anything whatsoever. In this way, air up is one of many innovative start-ups addressing essential issues such as sustainability for the fitness industry and providing new solutions. air up is a unique new product that unites two sensory qualities: taste and smell.

An international panel of experts was once again responsible for assessing the quality of submissions for the 2020 awards. Members include Prof. Dr. Ingo Froböse, University Professor for Prevention and Rehabilitation at the German Sport University Cologne, Dr. Niels Nagel, Office Manager at DIFG e.V. and Prof. Dr. Thomas Rieger, Professor for Sports Management at the University of Applied Sciences Europe. This year’s panel also welcomed Natalia Karbasova, Founder of FitTech Summit and Anja Beverwijck, Communications Executive and Event Director at EuropeActive. The award is supported by Bodymedia as official media partner.

About FIBO

It is the world’s biggest trade show for fitness, wellness and health, and the place to go for innovations, investments and trends: approx. 1,100 exhibitors and 145,000 international trade and private visitors from 133 countries get together at FIBO. FIBO not only offers international business and networking, but also delivers an outstanding live experience for fitness fans. In 2020 the trade show will be taking place from 1 to 4 October. FIBO also facilitates access to the most important and dynamic fitness markets around the globe, with FIBO shows taking place in China, Southeast Asia, the USA and Mexico.

www.fibo.com