Down District Council and its associated tourism destinations is blessed with tremendous natural resources from the Mourne Mountains and Strangford Lough and Lecale Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

These areas are actively promoting participation in outdoor sports for local communities to increase health enhancing physical activity and also as a place for activity based and eco-tourism to drive economic regeneration.

2015 Euro’Meet key themes:

• The social benefits of outdoor sports and methods to increase participation for all and also among under-represented groups along with results if available.
• Innovative approaches to smart development of territories through outdoor sports.

An overarching theme to both of these elements will be the issue of working in border regions.

A structuring event for the European tourism and outdoor sports network, which brings together more than 1000 stakeholders in the areas of sports, tourism, the environment, and territorial development during 4 days:

• A “transversal event” that promotes decompartmentalisation between stakeholders and countries ;
• An operational event that draws on experiences and projects in the field.
• Proceeded by a network day that allows European structures to meet (Examples during Annecy 2011: International Union of Mountain Leader, European Nordic activities meeting, CEDIP (European Diving) Association…).

The particularity of the Nature & Sports Euro’Meet is that it relies upon the co-organization between the European steering committee (cf.annexe 2), who guarantees the regularity of the spirit of the Euro’meet, and the territorial organizer, who applies territorial development of outdoor sports into the project.

The main aim is to bring together between the 5th and the 8th of October, all the major players in the sport, tourism, environment and urban planning sectors in Annecy (France) and to encourage, to promote the same spirit of cooperation that already exists in France at a European level with the help of all those involved in promoting outdoor sports activities.

Rich and interesting conferences like : the role of leisure outdoor sports in the territorial development; the environment in the outdoor event; sustainable development and the leisure outdoor sports; vocation, tendencies and new outdoor practices such as the kite surf or the slack line. Moreover, there are some visits of outdoor activities sites in the surroundings of Annecy.

Numerous personalities are expected:

• Mrs Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet – French environment Ministry,
• Mrs Chantal Jouanno – French Sports Ministry,
• Mr. Gregory Paulger – Youth and Sports Director of European Commission,
• Mr. Colin Miège – sub-prefect and Co-Director of the Scientific Committee of Sport and Citizenship which will host round table on the concept of outdoor sports in Europe,
• Madam MEP Sophie Auconie as a great witness concluding plenary and experts from 15 European countries.

European experts for our four theme seminars:

• Mike Mc Clure, Countryside Recreation Officer, Sport Northern Ireland – Tollymore National center of outdoor sports and Member of the European steering committee of Nature & Sports Euro’Meet.
• Gérard Peltre, President, International association Rurality Environment Development, Vice President of the ‘Parc Naturel Régional de Lorraine-France’ and member of the European steering committee of the Nature & Sports Euro’Meet
• Jean-Louis Gouju, Director of Analysis Centre of training, jobs, careers in the entertainment and sports – CAFEMAS
• Eugénio Di Maria, Founder and CEO, European Decision Maker Publications.