After 28 years at Messe München, Tobias Gröber, the Executive Director and responsible for the international ISPO Group, including the OutDoor show, is leaving the company at the end of April 2025.
However, Tobias Gröber will not leave the trade fair world entirely. On May 1, 2025, he will take over as CEO of GHM – Gesellschaft für Handwerksmessen, when their CEO will retire at the end of this year.
At Messe München, Tobias Gröber has climbed the career ladder from intern to division manager for international events. After studying sports economics in Bayreuth, he started as an intern at ISPO in 1997. The passion for sports never left him. He was appointed Project Manager at ISPO in 1999 and promoted to Division Manager for Consumer Goods Trade Fairs in 2004. In 2020, he was also appointed Head of the international ISPO Group.
“We would like to thank Tobias Gröber for his extraordinary commitment, which he has displayed from day one at Messe München, and with which he contributed to the success of our company,” say Messe München’s two CEOs Stefan Rummel und Reinhard Pfeiffer. “In good times just as in difficult times, Tobias Gröber led his trade fairs creatively, with innovative concepts and great knowledge of the industry and was able to get people excited about his trade fairs.”
After Gröber has left his role at Messe München, Exhibition Director Lena Haushofer and her management team will be responsible for the continuation of the ISPO Group. Haushofer will report to Executive Director of Corporate Strategy Harald Kirchschlager. INHORGENTA MUNICH’s customer contact is Stefanie Mändlein, Exhibition Director, while IAA MOBILITY will be overseen by Exhibition Director Christine von Breitenbuch. This ensures continuity, Messe Munich communicated.
SGI Europe got hold of Gröber and asked him a couple of questions.
Twenty-eight years is a really long career in one workplace. How does it feel to leave after such a long time?
It is with a laughing and crying eye, as we say in German: sports has always been my passion, and I love the mindset of the sports industry. So this was even in difficult times a permanent source of energy for me. I met an incredibly large number of passionate and inspiring people. I can even call some of them close friends today. The same applies to the company: many things changed, but Tobi remained.
Why do you leave right now?
I am taking over as CEO of GHM starting May 1st. GHM is a tradeshow organizer specializing in tradeshows in Craft and craftsmanship. So everything just fits: timing: I’m 52 years old, the new company is based in Munich and only 200 meters from my current office. And what many people don´t know: I come from a family of craftsmen. My entire family and my wife’s family have been rooted in Craft for generations. Even my twin brother works in Craft. So I’ve been surrounded by craftsmanship and tradespeople for 52 years. And for the first time, my craftsman family is asking me for trade fair tickets!
What are the most important insights/knowledge you have gained from working close to the sports industry?
The sports industry is a solution provider for many problems in the world and can have a leading role. Today, even more than in the past. Yet….the narrative needs to change. The sporting goods industry loves performance and product details. But the power of sports lies beyond breathability and lightweight. Look at the global inactivity crisis, with more than 81% of adolescents inactive enough. This will lead to incredible health-related costs in the future and is even threatening the global economy. But to approach those inactive target groups with ahuge growth potential, the sector must use softer language, different channels, new narratives, and new partnerships. This is hard because we love our gold medals and world records. The same applies to the positive effect on mental health, integration, and inclusion, and if nature is your playing field, you have a higher interest in protecting it.
What will you miss the most?
This is easy: the people. If you love sports and can work in the sports industry, it never really feels like work. This is why my motto has always been ISPO – it´s not a job. It´s a way of life!
