A new joint venture between Messe München and the UK’s Raccoon Media Group will take over the ISPO trade show from 2026, relocating it from Munich to Amsterdam and launching a €3 million investment program to reinvent the event’s format, focusing on measurable ROI for all stakeholders.
Messe München and UK-based Raccoon Media Group announced the formation of the new joint venture on Oct. 28, 2025, taking over leadership of the ISPO trade show, Europe’s largest and the world’s most influential trade event for the sports, outdoor and winter sports industries. Starting in 2026, ISPO will be held at the RAI Convention Centre in Amsterdam from Nov. 3–5, shifting both its venue and position in the global calendar.
The reimagined event will align more closely with international buying cycles, offer a more accessible cost base and take place in a city with strong international connectivity and proximity to brand headquarters. The 2025 edition in Munich, Germany (Nov. 30–Dec. 2, 2025) will mark the final chapter under Messe München’s sole leadership.
€3m investment to support industry goals
The new organizers pledged a €3 million investment to secure the event’s commercial and cultural future. This includes:
- €1 million for advocacy, supporting nonprofits that promote sports participation and protect outdoor spaces
- €1 million for a global hosted buyer program to drive exhibitor ROI
- €1 million for high-level industry content, including the new “ISPO Leaders’ Summit” for C-suite attendees.
Already confirmed speakers at the summit include filmmaker Jimmy Chin, Hap Klopp (founder, The North Face), Laura McAllister (Vice President of UEFA), Andy Rubin (Deputy Chair, Pentland Group) and Pia Heidenmark Cook (former Group Chief Sustainability Officer of Ingka/ IKEA).
Responding to industry-wide trade show shifts
The shift to Amsterdam reflects broader transformations in the global trade show landscape. Outdoor Retailer recently announced a move from Salt Lake City to Minneapolis, while Europe’s Outdoor show relocated from Munich to Riva del Garda. Other shows like Prowinter in Bolzano and the new IRX (International Running Show) are gaining visibility, indicating an industry-wide push toward purpose-built, more dynamic event formats.
Not a subscriber to SGI Europe yet?
Combining scale with community
The joint venture shall bring together Messe München’s scale and global reach with Raccoon Media Group’s agile, community-first approach. Founded in 2018, Raccoon has built a reputation for passion-led consumer and B2B events across health, wellbeing and specialist markets. “We’re creating an event that reflects the future of sport and the outdoors,” said Mike Seaman, CEO of Raccoon. Messe München’s Harald Kirchschlager added that the transformation is “guided by the needs of our customers and the entire industry.”
A legacy and a new beginning
Founded in 1970, ISPO Munich has long served as a central meeting point for the global Sporting Goods industry. The new format aims to retain that legacy while delivering measurable value for all stakeholders, from brand leaders to grassroots advocates.
Rebooking for ISPO 2026 will open during this year’s final edition in Munich.
SGI Europe and The Outdoor Industry Compass will keep you up to date with additional details on the new show format, including a forthcoming interview with the leadership team of the new joint venture.
Not a subscriber to SGI Europe yet?
ISPO History in a Nutshell
ISPO, founded in 1970 by Messe München, has grown from a German winter sports trade show into the world’s leading platform for the global sports and outdoor industry.
- The first ISPO Munich took place in 1970, featuring just 816 exhibitors from 25 countries. By the late 1970s, the event had already expanded to include summer sports, reflecting a broader vision of year-round athletic engagement.
- The 2000s marked the show’s globalization, with ISPO China debuting in 2005 to serve the rapidly expanding Asian market. In 2000, ISPO introduced the ISPO BrandNew Award, which quickly became one of the most respected global competitions for sports start-ups, helping launch now-iconic brands. Meanwhile, ISPO had firmly established itself as the leading B2B hub for innovation in sportswear, footwear and outdoor technology. The show introduced digital services, trend platforms and sustainability forums, setting industry benchmarks. The ISPO Award also got started in the 2000s.
- Entering the 2010s, ISPO expanded its ecosystem through initiatives like ISPO Digitize, ISPO Textrends and the ISPO Academy, linking physical trade shows with year-round knowledge sharing and digital engagement.
- By 2019, shortly before the pandemic, ISPO Munich welcomed over 2,800 exhibitors and 80,000 visitors from around the world, solidifying its role as the definitive meeting point for the global sports industry and a showcase of innovation, sustainability and community.
- In 2020, the trade show took place once more just before the first lockdown, while the following years were marked by adjustments such as digital orientation and changed formats.
- In 2022, ISPO Munich returned to an in-person format after a two-year hiatus, albeit on a significantly smaller scale and with a new date end of November, beginning of December.
Not a subscriber to SGI Europe yet?
