OutDoor by ISPO, which ended on Tuesday, June 14, represented the relaunch of the ISPO Group’s sports trade shows after two and a half years of the Covid pandemic. Surprisingly for many, Messe München placed the show in the Munich Order Center (MOC) instead of the exhibition center in Munich-Riem, which was unavailable due to another event. Criticism in the run-up was loud and clear, yet the European Outdoor Group (EOG) and Messe München were not budging and pulled through with their plan. In addition to a new date in June, other changes included the duration (three instead of the previous four days), a size limit for exhibition booths of max. 150 sqm and the venue’s mix of exhibition halls and showrooms across two floors.
When the gates of the MOC opened on Sunday morning, June 12, it quickly became clear to most visitors, exhibitors and the media: the long-missed spirit is back, and the industry is not just shaking hands for the first time in almost three years, but the vibe is back, and right, and there is business to be done. After all, the European outdoor segment was one of the winners during the pandemic. It closed fiscal 2021 with the highest sales to date of €6.2 billion, an increase of 19 percent compared to the prior year. The strongest region in terms of sales was the German-speaking region, with over €2.2 billion (+14 percent). The record figures for the industry were announced at the show by EOG. And this positive business development was reflected in both the mood and the product ranges on location.
At the end of the third day, the organizers reported around 8,000 trade visitors, of which a good two-thirds of the guests and 70 percent of the exhibitors were international. Reservations that OutDoor by ISPO 2022 could become a rather regional event were thus also not confirmed. The number of retailers at the booths was also high. Andreas Bartmann, the managing director of Globetrotter, said: “The days were pure motivation for our industry. A trade show that definitely makes sense again in this format and at this time.”
The main themes at OutDoor by ISPO were sustainability, regenerative management and innovative materials, but also the disrupted supply chains and lack of resources. Many attendees admitted that the positive development of the pandemic years is finally slowing down due to these issues. Also partly responsible: The war in Ukraine. In terms of products, sustainable designs or concepts dominated the event. Other product focuses included weight reduction, and a new and important thematic focus was on adventure tourism, also supported by the Adventure Travel Trade Association (ATTA) conference on Sunday.
Another event, the OutDoor by ISPO Conference, hosted by ISPO Group in cooperation with EOG and NOW Partners, also featured a list of very interesting topics on Monday and Tuesday. More than two dozen high-level speakers from various industries discussed how to reconcile economic success with the protection and regeneration of people, society and nature. “The big opportunity is to find sustainable solutions across industries,” said Tobias Gröber, head of ISPO Group. Gröber announced that the conference would also be an integral part of ISPO Munich in November and the next Outdoor by ISPO. life.”
The trade show was not only what the community had desperately needed after all this time, but it turned out to be the ideal place for business, meetings and contracts – and for problem-solving because the current order round is anything but easy due to the geopolitical situation. Problems are best solved in personal conversation; one reason why this second OutDoor by ISPO in four years was so important. With its relatively new and young team, the organizers did an excellent job providing a suitable platform for this. This includes the fact that the MOC turned out to be the perfect venue for this show, raising hopes that OutDoor by ISPO 2023 (May 22-24, 2023) will not be going back to the much too sober exhibition center in Munich-Riem.
You can read more details on the show and more quotes from the show floor in our sister publication, The Outdoor Industry Compass.
