The 26th edition of Prowinter closed with an overall highly positive outcome, recording as many as 5,400 entries, with visitors coming from 35 countries. From 11 to 13 January, the leading b2b trade fair for the outdoor and winter sports industry animated Fiera Messe Bolzano.
The outcome of the 2026 edition
An edition that confirms the event as a b2b benchmark for the winter sports and outdoor world, capable of capturing market evolution, turning the value of relationships and generated opportunities into concrete results, and securing an increasingly central role within the European trade fair landscape of the sector. An integrated, high-quality format combining exhibition, on-snow testing, training and networking, which found direct confirmation in the feedback from exhibitors and operators. Prowinter once again proved its ability to track market evolution, give substance to relationships and opportunities, and strengthen its positioning as a key event on the European industry scene.
On the internationalization front, Prowinter 2026 recorded significant and tangible growth among exhibitors. With 230 exhibitors representing 400 brands – 30% of which international – the fair consolidates a path of real growth in its offering, reinforcing its positioning as a reference point for business related to winter sports and outdoor activities. The visitor data, on the other hand, highlights a positive trend in constant evolution. The qualified attendance of retailers, rental operators, buyers and professionals from Italy, Germany, Austria, Scandinavia, the Benelux area and Eastern Europe confirms that demand is coherently following the development of the offer. Clear signals outlining the direction toward further future internationalization, built on solid and qualitative foundations.
The pavilion dedicated to outdoor
In this context, the Prowinter Outdoor project played a central role, with an entire pavilion dedicated to the sector created by the joint work of Fiera Bolzano, the Italian Outdoor Group of Assosport, and our MagNet Group. A strategic expansion designed to respond to market evolution and the growing integration between seasons, fostering dialogue between Northern and Southern Europe and enhancing increasingly cross-seasonal and versatile collections. In the new outdoor space, numerous international brands chose to be present with their headquarters and European teams, for a total of 90 exhibitors, further strengthening Prowinter’s role as a privileged meeting place for industry decision makers. The Italian Outdoor Group of Assosport was present with a lounge area of around 150 sqm, shared with the Scandinavian Outdoor Group, bearing witness to an increasingly international outlook. A successful collaboration that created an hospitality space designed to encourage relationships, networking and the exchange of insights on market transformations.
The Prowinter Test Days in Carezza
Excellent feedback was also received for the Prowinter Test Days powered by ITASNOW and the Prove Libere Retail by Pool Sci Italia, which on Monday 12 and Tuesday 13 January brought professionals onto the slopes of Carezza, transformed for the occasion into a true open-air testing ground. With a strong number of participants, up on 2025, the tests allowed attendees to preview the latest piste ski innovations for the 2026/2027 season, confirming themselves as one of the most appreciated and qualifying formats of the event.
The Prowinter 2026 events
Rounding out the experience, a calendar of networking and discussion moments – from the Prowinter Après-Ski Party by SuperG to informal meetings among stands, test areas and dedicated insight spaces – fostered direct, concrete and ongoing dialogue between companies and operators.
Among the most important appointments was also the conference held on Sunday afternoon by APRES-SKI MILANO MOUNTAIN SHOW, which unveiled the date and location of the second edition of their event. The conference also gave the floor to ITASNOW and POOL SCI Italia, who took the opportunity to present themselves. In particular, POOL SCI Italia included in its presentation the “Beyond Human Potential” project, involving its two protagonists Tommaso Balasso and Michel Roccati, who outlined the evolution of the project – from “intelligent” skis to training programs enabling Michel, an athlete with a complete spinal cord injury, to ski independently in an upright position.
On the sidelines of the fair, the Winter Sports Sustainability Network Meeting and the Ski Industry Climate Summit also took place – two internationally oriented events dedicated to dialogue on strategies, innovation and best practices for the future of winter sports. Sustainability, in fact, represented a cross-cutting theme of the 2026 edition as well. For the first time, the Prowinter Award integrated a specific criterion related to environmental responsibility, overseen by a specialized ESG consultant, strengthening an increasingly structured and transparent approach.
Interview with Geraldine Coccagna – brand manager of Prowinter
“Prowinter 2026 confirms the evolution of the fair as a dynamic, concrete and strategic platform, increasingly international and capable of generating real value for the entire supply chain,” comments Geraldine Coccagna, brand manager of Prowinter. “Our primary objective, pursued in constant dialogue with partners and exhibitors, is to guide qualitative growth before quantitative growth, offering a compact, high-quality fair focused on business, relationships and sustainability.”
Following this edition, the next appointment will be the Prowinter Season Finale, the end-of-season event dedicated to industry insiders featuring the presentation of market data, along with the Festa dell’Atleta, scheduled for April. The leading b2b trade fair for the winter mountain world will return to Fiera Bolzano from 10 to 12 January 2027, with the possible option of shifting the dates by one day, with or without including Sunday.
Feedback from some brands
Marco Nicoli, Oberalp–Dynafit: “Prowinter delivered a satisfactory outcome; we are pleased with the attendance and with the customers we met. In our opinion, the choice to include Sunday was also smart, despite lower attendance. We are very satisfied, especially because this is a fair that is growing.”
Alberto Olivetto, Confsport–Energia Pura: “This year the fair shows its evolution. We are happy with the turnout and with the strong technical atmosphere felt over these days, which adds value to the sporting goods world, with the aim of offering concrete answers to the needs of retailers who then have to interact with the public.”
Giovanni Codega, C.A.M.P.: “Overall, it went well. On Monday we worked a lot and very effectively, with a positive overall balance. It remains a fair on a human scale for both exhibitors and visitors – a formula we truly appreciate.”
