FSB 2023: playground equipment and public space segment bigger than ever before

Premiere of the Marketplace Play & Exercise

FSB, the International Trade Fair for Public Space, Sports and Leisure Facilities, has a responsibility as the sector’s leading global event to not only present a comprehensive showcase of the global offering, but also to identify new issues and challenges and put forward solutions. The design of urban spaces for movement, such as children’s playgrounds, is currently attracting particularly great interest within the industry. This year’s edition of FSB will therefore focus even greater attention on companies from the playground equipment and public space segment. Alongside the newly created presentation area Marketplace Play & Exercise, hosted in collaboration with the international trade journal Playground@Landscape, the established planerFORUM by STADT und RAUM will offer numerous opportunities for industry professionals to exchange ideas and network.

Children’s playgrounds provide much more than just entertainment and fun; they also fulfil an essential role in their development. Play areas promote physical activity, social interaction and imagination, while also offering youngsters a safe space in which they can discover their abilities and grow as individuals. Urban environments in particular need sufficient numbers of suitably equipped spaces of this kind. As the sector’s leading international trade fair, FSB will pick up on this topic of relevance to all sections of society at various points within the exhibition.  

New presentation area curated by Playground@Landscape
One of these areas is the Marketplace Play & Exercise. Curated by Playground@Landscape, it will celebrate its premiere this year. The marketplace will be affiliated with the presentation areas staged by the Federal Association of Playground Equipment and Leisure Facilities Manufacturers (BSFH), STADT und RAUM, and the Federation of German Landscape Architects (BDLA). Closely linked to these showcases in Hall 9, the marketplace will enrich the focus on public spaces, playground equipment and movement. Companies specialising in playground construction and facilities for emerging sports and exercise will showcase their innovative products and services. Among the exhibitors taking advantage of the new presentation opportunity are Barzflex traded by Kinderland Emsland Spielgeräte, Fritz Müller GmbH, Linie M – Metall Form Farbe – GmbH, Öcocolor GmbH & Co.KG, Pieper Holz GmbH, Playparc GmbH, smb Seilspielspielgeräte GmbH, and Tapper & Hollmann GmbH. 

All the topics will be brought together in a central showcase in the hall so that the participating companies can reach their target audience – which includes local authorities, planners, children’s day-care centres, schools and sports lovers – in one place. The joint presentation by all the sector players in a linked area will create a unique atmosphere and generate additional synergies that enable comprehensive communication with trade visitors. 

planerFORUM: exciting talks and inspiration 
Located right next to the marketplace in Hall 9 will be the familiar planerFORUM, jointly organised by STADT und RAUM, the North Rhine-Westphalia section of the BDLA (BDLA NRW), the BSFH and other industry partners. The forum will host interesting series of talks on planning public spaces, playgrounds and urban green spaces on all four days of the trade fair. Planners will report on their current work and share tips and inspiration for the design of public spaces based on best-practice examples. Focus topics will include sport trends and exercise cultures in urban environments. The talks will also address the question of how to make the design of public and green spaces and children’s playgrounds inclusive: How can such amenities welcome all generations as spaces for movement while also fostering an ethos of togetherness? The talks will be in German only. 

As per tradition, the BDLA NRW will stage the BDLA Day as part of the planerFORUM. On Thursday, 26 October 2023, the association will present exciting talks covering topics such as mobile skateboarding elements, green roofs and the sustainability of sports facilities. 

Further information and the complete programme can be found at: www.fsb-cologne.com

About FSB 
FSB is the world’s largest business platform for public space, playground, sports, exercise and leisure infrastructure. From 24 to 27 October 2023, companies from across the world will gather in Cologne to showcase their innovations and product developments. This year's edition of FSB will be staged in Halls 9, 10.1 and 10.2 of the Cologne trade fair grounds. Hall 9 will focus on public spaces, playground equipment, ice sports and outdoor fitness. All the offerings for sports halls, sports equipment, indoor sports concepts and outdoor fitness will be grouped together in Hall 10.1. Thematically linked to this showcase, outdoor sports surfaces, artificial turfs, recycling, sports centres and stadium infrastructure will be presented in Hall 10.2. The event’s conceptual sponsor is IAKS, the International Association for Sports and Leisure Facilities.