Q1 2026 Event Radar: your guide to trade shows and conferences

Marquee event: EuroShop 2026 | Feb. 22–26, 2026 | Messe Düsseldorf, Germany

The infrastructure powering retail – store design, POS systems, lighting, refrigeration, logistics – shapes operational performance and customer experience as much as product innovation. EuroShop, held every three years, provides concentrated access to this ecosystem. Retail infrastructure is a strategic focus for Sporting Goods Intelligence Europe in 2026.

The 2026 edition marks EuroShop’s 60th anniversary, positioning it as “The Global Retail Festival.” With 1,800-plus exhibitors from 50-plus countries and 80,000 expected visitors from 140 nations, EuroShop remains the world’s largest retail infrastructure trade fair. For sporting goods brands and retailers, it matters because the innovations showcased here define operational possibilities for the next three years.

EuroShop organizes its exhibition into seven “experience dimensions”: Shop Fitting & Store Design, Retail Marketing, Lighting, EuroCIS (retail technology), Food Service Equipment, Refrigeration & Energy Management, and Expo & Event Marketing. For sporting goods retailers, three dimensions warrant priority attention.

EuroCIS / Retail Technology showcases AI-driven inventory optimization, dynamic pricing systems, AR/VR fitting experiences, and autonomous checkout solutions. Sporting goods retailers deploying omnichannel strategies will find concentrated expertise on integrating digital and physical touchpoints. The Startup Hub and Young Innovators area spotlight emerging retail tech companies before they reach mainstream adoption.

Shop Fitting & Store Design reveals how leading retailers are rethinking physical space. Experiential retail concepts, modular fixture systems for category flexibility, and sustainability-driven materials address the dual challenge facing sporting goods: creating immersive brand experiences while maintaining operational efficiency. The Designers’ Village brings international retail design specialists showcasing visionary concepts.

Refrigeration & Energy Management might seem peripheral to sporting goods, but energy costs represent 15–20 percent of retail operating expenses. Solutions for building management, renewable energy integration and efficiency optimization directly impact margin resilience.

Strategic questions.  Can traditional retail infrastructure suppliers adapt faster than tech-native companies entering retail solutions from adjacent markets? Which technologies move from pilot to deployment scale between now and EuroShop 2029? Does the three-year cycle still match retail innovation velocity, or has the industry outpaced the trade fair model? Most critically for sporting goods: are brands investing in differentiated retail experiences, or commoditizing physical stores into fulfillment nodes?

What to watch.  EuroShop’s Omnichannel Forum and guided Innovation Tours provide curated access to leading exhibitors and real-world applications. The 60th Anniversary Program promises historical retrospectives alongside future-forward keynotes – worth attending for perspective on retail evolution cycles.

 

Slide & OTS Winter | Jan. 6–8, 2026 | Liverpool, UK

The UK’s winter sports trade show relocates from Telford to Exhibition Centre Liverpool  for 2026, marking a strategic repositioning for the Snowsport Industries of Great Britain  (SIGB) and Outdoor Industries Association  (OIA) partnership. The 2025 Telford edition attracted 100-plus exhibitors but saw visitor declines, though retailer percentage increased from 60 percent to 65 percent – a quality-over-quantity shift. Liverpool’s waterfront venue and superior accessibility aim to reverse attendance trends while maintaining buyer relevance.

Early January timing captures winter sports retailers making seasonal purchases. Brands include Atomic, K2, Dakine, Deuter, Dare 2b, Dynastar, and emerging labels. The combined snowsports and outdoor format provides category breadth unavailable at specialized shows. 

 

PRO Winter Sports (Prowinter) | Jan. 11–13, 2026 | Bozen/Bolzano, Italy

Now in its 25th edition, Prowinter has evolved from a niche rental-focused trade show to a European hub for winter sports and outdoor convergence. The Alpine location at the foot of the Dolomites positions the show at the geographic and cultural center of European winter sports.

Prowinter’s strategic January timing – moved from April post-pandemic – allows rental businesses, retailers and brands to finalize orders immediately after the holiday season. The show specializes in rental and retail sectors, addressing supply chain realities and shortened buying cycles that larger international shows cannot accommodate.

The 2026 edition emphasizes the blurring boundaries between winter sports and year-round outdoor activities. As climate change extends shoulder seasons, trail running, mountaineering and ski touring increasingly overlap. Prowinter reflects this convergence, attracting outdoor brands alongside traditional winter sports exhibitors.

What sets it apart: The Prowinter Test Days in Carezza provide on-snow product testing across 250-plus items – a critical differentiator for equipment buyers evaluating performance claims. The Prowinter Award recognizes innovation and sustainability, while the Winter Sports Sustainability Network Meeting and Ski Industry Climate Summit (hosted by Atomic) address industry environmental challenges.

With intimate scale  compared to ISPO, Prowinter prioritizes quality interactions over attendance volume. The Outdoor Lounge facilitates informal conversations, while evening networking events create business relationship depth unavailable at mega-shows.

 

NRF Big Show | Jan. 11–13, 2026 | New York City

NRF 2026: Retail’s Big Show returns to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center with 40,000 expected attendees, 1,000-plus exhibitors and a focus on “The Next Now” – balancing immediate execution with future positioning.

For sporting goods brands and retailers, three elements warrant attention:

The AI Stage: A dedicated track exploring artificial intelligence, robotics and agentic AI transforming retail operations. Sporting goods retailers deploying AI for demand forecasting, personalized recommendations or inventory optimization will find concentrated technical expertise and vendor demonstrations.

Retail media networks: The “What’s in Store for Retail Media Networks” program examines how physical stores become advertising platforms. For sporting goods brands negotiating with retailers like Dick’s Sporting Goods  or Decathlon, understanding RMN economics and measurement standards becomes commercially critical.

Leadership keynotes: Dick’s Sporting Goods executive chairman Ed Stack joins NRF board chair Bob Eddy for a fireside chat exploring leadership strategies for navigating shifting consumer expectations, the evolving role of experiential retail in sports, and how Dick’s leverages technology and community engagement to drive growth and loyalty. Direct insight from sporting goods’ largest specialty retailer.

 

Spobis Hamburg | Feb. 4–5, 2026 | Hamburg, Germany

Europe’s largest sports business event moves to Hamburg with 5,000-plus participants from 50-plus countries, 1,500 companies and 200 speakers addressing sports business trends, opportunities and challenges.

Spobis sits at the intersection of sports rights holders, sponsors, agencies and media – the ecosystem that funds athlete partnerships, event sponsorships and brand activations driving sporting goods marketing strategies.

Why it matters for sporting goods: Major brands allocate significant budgets to sports sponsorships (athlete deals, club partnerships, event rights). Spobis reveals which sponsors are increasing investment, which rights holders offer undervalued opportunities, and how measurement and attribution evolve.

The conference format emphasizes case studies over product displays. Expect sessions on sponsorship ROI, digital engagement strategies, women’s sports commercialization and esports integration. Networking density – with decision-makers from federations, leagues, clubs and brands – creates deal initiation opportunities unavailable elsewhere.

 

Functional Fabric Fair Winter | Jan. 21–22, 2026 | Orlando, FL

Materials innovation drives performance product differentiation. Functional Fabric Fair connects brands with textile mills, chemical companies and component suppliers showcasing technical fabrics, sustainable materials and manufacturing innovations.

The January Orlando edition focuses on fall/winter 2027 development cycles. For sporting goods brands finalizing material selections, FFF provides concentrated access to suppliers and emerging technologies unavailable through sales rep channels.

 

SportsPro New York | March 12–13, 2026 | New York City

Sports media, digital transformation and revenue diversification dominate the sports business agenda. SportsPro New York  convenes rights holders, media companies, tech platforms and brands examining how sports organizations monetize content and fan engagement.

For sporting goods brands, the event provides intelligence on media partnership opportunities, digital marketing innovations and how sports properties allocate commercial resources. Understanding where teams and leagues invest in fan experience versus revenue generation shapes sponsorship negotiation strategies.

 

Fabric and materials innovation: Q1’s technical gatherings

Beyond Functional Fabric Fair Winter, Q1 2026 features concentrated textile and materials events addressing sustainability mandates, performance requirements and sourcing realities.

Performance Days | March 18–19, 2026 | Munich

Brings together fabric mills, chemical companies and brands for technical textiles and sustainable innovations. The show’s “Functional Textiles Matrix” categorizes materials by performance attributes (waterproof, breathable, recycled content), enabling efficient sourcing.

 

London Textile Fair | Jan. 13–14, 2026 | London

Provides UK and European sourcing access, though its fashion focus limits sporting goods relevance compared to specialized technical shows.

 

Source Fashion | Jan. 13–15, 2026 | London

UK fashion sourcing event running concurrently with London Textile Fair. Fashion focus limits direct sporting goods applicability.

 

Functional Textile Shanghai | May 3–6, 2026 | Shanghai

Technically falls Q2, but planning and supplier negotiations begin Q1. For brands sourcing from China, the Shanghai show delivers direct mill access and Asia-Pacific market intelligence.

 

Fashion weeks: Athleisure’s cultural crossover

Athleisure and performance-inspired design blur traditional category boundaries. Sporting goods brands increasingly collaborate with fashion designers, license streetwear collections and adopt fashion marketing tactics.

New York Fashion Week | Feb. 11–19, 2026 | New York City

Provides cultural intelligence on trend direction, influencer dynamics and consumer aesthetic evolution.

 

Copenhagen Fashion Week | Jan. 27–30, 2026 | Copenhagen

Scandinavian design perspective on athleisure trends and sustainability-driven fashion innovation.

 

MAGIC Las Vegas by Informa | Feb. 17–19, 2026 | Las Vegas

Combines apparel trade show with fashion programming, offering more transactional sourcing than runway-focused fashion weeks.

 

Other events in Germany

Neonyt Düsseldorf | Jan. 24–26, 2026 | Düsseldorf

Neonyt positions itself as the “Global Hub for Fashion, Sustainability and Innovation”, combining trade fair with sustainability thought leadership. For sporting goods brands navigating ESG compliance, circular economy pilots and green claims regulations, Neonyt provides concentrated access to solutions providers and regulatory intelligence.

 

Opti München | Jan. 16–18, 2026 | Munich

Eyewear trade fair targeting optical retail. Sporting goods relevance limited to performance sunglasses and sports eyewear categories – a niche within a niche. Attend only if eyewear represents strategic category expansion.