World Indoor Climbing Summit to Debut
Sponsored article. The number of indoor climbing gyms has increased by 50% since 2007. One wall manufacturer, Walltopia, has seen its projects surge an average of 45% every year since 2012. This is why, in June 2018, Walltopia will host the first major global gathering for the climbing-gym industry.
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WORLD INDOOR CLIMBING SUMMIT TO DEBUT
<h2><em>—Every year more than 1 million people worldwide climb for the first time in a gym—</em></h2>
The boom in indoor climbing is remarkable considering just 20 years ago indoor walls were dusty, dark, often converted industrial sheds or garages. Today’s gym would be unrecognizable to those early indoor climbers. Spacious and well-lit, the modern climbing gym is an inviting architectural wonder that can incorporate a fitness area, yoga studio, specialized kid zone, cafes, and retail shops.
Thanks to such upgrades, the number of climbing gyms has increased by 50 percent since 2007. One wall manufacturer, Walltopia, has seen its projects surge an average of 45 percent every year since 2012. “With such an incredible growth of the industry,” says Walltopia COO Ivaylo Krastev, “gym owners, manufacturers, gym managers and those looking to open their own gyms need to think globally—to hear different opinions, to exchange experiences, learn how others face challenges, and talk about the future of indoor climbing together.”
This is why, June 7 through June 9, Walltopia will host the first major global gathering for the climbing-gym industry. Convening in Sofia, Bulgaria’s capitol city at the foot of the Vitosha mountain massif, the <a href=”https://climbingsummit.com” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>World Indoor Climbing Summit</a> (WICS) will focus on the business of indoor climbing, such as where the future of indoor climbing is headed and how the Olympics will affect indoor climbing. For three days, gym owners and industry professionals from over 15 different countries will share experiences and ideas, and discuss hot topics.
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