The latest edition of ISPO in its historic Munich venue concluded on 2 November. As announced a few weeks ago, the renowned trade fair will relocate to Amsterdam thanks to a joint venture between Messe München and the UK-based Raccoon Media Group, which will take over its management starting in 2026.
ISPO’s transformation process had already begun in 2020, following a very successful yet challenging year marked above all by Covid. The following edition was held virtually, and in the years that followed several major brands began withdrawing their participation. Organisers therefore needed to reassess the best direction to take. For the 2025 edition—just concluded—they proposed a new, more holistic positioning, with a focus on sport in general and on promoting physical activity as a form of wellbeing.
It was Lena Haushofer, exhibition director for ISPO Munich & OutDoor / Messe München GmbH, who anticipated this evolution in a May 2024 interview with Outdoor Magazine: “Rather than a new positioning, it’s a natural evolution of what we’ve already established. This year, the priority is to respond to the real needs of the industry. Our goal is to become the leading platform for the sports business: effective, efficient and capable of generating value across the entire supply chain. We want industry stakeholders to find inspiration, connections, business opportunities and concrete collaboration at ISPO. Our ambition is to become the only truly global platform, capable of bringing together stakeholders from all over the world. That’s why we’re working with a multi-sector, holistic approach that encompasses every aspect of sport: not only outdoor, but also health, technology, team sports, racket sports, textiles, materials and technological innovations. ISPO Munich is structured into three macro-areas: development, production, branding and consumer communication. This is our positioning.”
In practice, ISPO’s natural focus on the outdoor world has been diluted, leaving many to question the future relevance of the fair for both exhibitors and visitors—curiosity that the last few days have helped address.
ISPO 2025
As Outdoor Magazine, we attended the event and found it to be highly valuable for several reasons, starting with the belief that the industry’s strength lies in unity—even in times of change. The event saw a good turnout, with lively corridors and constant exchanges. Despite the movement, however, there was little clarity regarding the visitor profile, with an unexpectedly low retail presence compared to the event’s original vocation.
The absence of many major international brands was noticeable, contrasted by a strong increase in Asian exhibitors. On the other hand, the networking potential was excellent: many industry professionals, even without exhibiting, moved around the halls out of curiosity or a sense of belonging to the industry. The many meeting areas facilitated encounters and appointments with contacts who throughout the year are usually managed only via email. The anticipated loss of focus on outdoor and ski—historically the core of the show—was clearly confirmed.
For us, it was nevertheless a very interesting and useful edition, considering the various meetings and agreements signed with all national associations. All of them enthusiastically committed to supporting and promoting the participation of their associated brands in the European Outdoor Week in Riva del Garda, presented by our CEO Benedetto Sironi before the large and attentive audience at the European Outdoor Group general assembly. An important project that also includes the relaunch of the Outdoor fair at ORBDAYS. Within the same event frame, representatives of Raccoon Media Group introduced the new era of ISPO.
New Sectors
Sport, outdoor, fashion, technology and health continue to converge. Over the three days of the fair, the sports industry gathered across nine halls—divided into three areas structured along the value chain—with numerous conferences dedicated to discussion in a challenging market context influenced by reduced consumer spending and global uncertainty. The event also highlighted growth segments such as running, racket sports, women’s performance (high-end technical apparel for women), health and wellness—all showing clearly positive development. Rising areas like corporate health and performance technologies underline the potential of a sports landscape in transformation.
“At the panels, in the booths and especially at the Retail Conference, it became clear where the industry sees potential and how much more confident it is about the future compared to recent years,” summarised Lena Haushofer, director of ISPO Munich. “Challenges remain, but the sector is bringing solutions, responses and determination. This created a very positive atmosphere.”
Key Initiatives
The launch of the Retail Club, the panels on the future of retail featuring industry leaders Margit Gosau (Sport 2000), Dr. Alexander von Preen (Intersport Deutschland e.G.) and Arnaud Sauret (Decathlon Deutschland), along with strong attention to retail needs, demonstrate that the targeted strategic adjustments have delivered and were widely appreciated. Decision-makers from established brands, newcomers and retailers met to discuss trends and future strategies.
Two Standout Areas
In Hall A2, the Scandinavian Outdoor Village offered a well-organised, pleasant and carefully curated area, always busy and perfect for networking thanks to an excellent bar service with good coffee, juices, chocolate, biscuits and nuts available at all times.
Equally impressive was ISPO 520M by Highsnowbiety, a platform bringing together the most relevant premium brands at the intersection of sport, fashion and subculture—including Merrell, On, Peak Performance, Keen, Dolomite, Campagnolo and Alpine Standards. The space served not just as an exhibition area but also as a hub for dialogue and co-creation, where the fusion of performance and style helped define the future of contemporary sportswear.
ISPO Brandnew, Founders Fight Night and ISPO Award
A particularly positive sign was the presence of 120 start-ups—a new record for ISPO. This demonstrates how new ideas, technologies and business models are entering the market and fuelling growth in the sector. The wide range of innovations—from portable ice baths to functional gaming apparel—showcases the dynamism with which young companies are shaping the market.
Innovation and development also took centre stage during the lively Founders Fight Night, celebrating the creativity of the winners of the ten categories of the prestigious ISPO Award.
Executive Panel
Among the highlights of the event, the cross-segment Executive Panel featured Tim Selby (Merrell), Christoph Engl (Oberalp), Astrid Thams Labayen (Hexagon Cup) and Marc-Ivar Magnus (WFSGI), who discussed the impact of political changes. The debate concluded that global uncertainty and related consequences—such as tariff conflicts—reduce access to sport and therefore pose a risk for increasing sedentary lifestyles and health issues among the population. Industry leaders are aware of their responsibility and are actively shaping strategies to make sport more accessible and sustainable over time.
ISPO Cup 2025
In this landscape of development and innovation, the fair awarded the ISPO Cup 2025 to triathlete Laura Philipp. The choice reflects the fundamental values of the industry. Philipp, one of the world’s top triathlon professionals for years, also advocates for women’s performance and mental health, and has built an independent career outside institutional structures by combining entrepreneurship and elite sport.
Future Developments for ISPO
ISPO 2025 demonstrated just how crucial transformation and continuous development are for the sporting goods industry, laying the foundation for the next edition which—true to the theme of change—will also change location. Next year, the event will take place on earlier dates, from 3 to 5 November, in conjunction with The International Running Expo, at the RAI Exhibition Centre in Amsterdam.
