European Outdoor Week: a memorable first

After the great success of the first edition, the event will return to Riva del Garda from 8th to 13th May 2027

Encouraged by the excellent feedback, extraordinary numbers, and enthusiasm generated by the first European Outdoor Week, MagNet together with European Outdoor Group (EOG) has already outlined plans to consolidate the success of the first edition, which took place in Riva del Garda (TN) from 14th to 19th May. The event will return from 8th to 13th May 2027, once again in the extraordinary setting of Riva del Garda. The entire program will be replicated, but with a new schedule that reflects the valuable feedback collected in this memorable first edition.

8/9 MAY: Activation Days
9 MAY: Media Day + EOG Summer Member Meeting + Award
10/12 MAY: OUTDOOR & ORBDAYS trade show
11 MAY: Innovation For Outdoor (In4Out)
12/13 MAY: Outdoor Impact Summit

EUROPEAN OUTDOOR WEEK 2026: REPORT

Outdoor Impact Summit – 14/15 May

The European Outdoor Week opened with the second edition of the Outdoor Impact Summit (OIS). The agenda of the two-day event was built around the theme “No Excuses!” and included presentations, workshops, working groups, networking moments, and outdoor activities. The focus was on concrete actions that companies can take to redefine the boundaries of responsibility in the outdoor and sports industry in general. After its debut last year, in 2026 OIS saw significant growth, welcoming over 220 participants to the event. Activation Days – 16/17 May

Trail running with Marco De Gasperi, six-time mountain running world champion, cliff climbing with Alpine Guides, biodiversity monitoring walking workshop, road running with a running coach, trekking with musical happy hour, via ferrata, and slow flow yoga by the lake. Many free experiences were the protagonists of the first edition of the Activation Days: two days dedicated to the public and outdoor sports enthusiasts, who had the opportunity to experience activities in the field and test new products directly in their natural environment, in an ideal location for this type of activity. The heart of the event was the Village located in front of Spiaggia Olivi, a splendid location by the lake, where the stands of the exhibiting companies were present, and where all the scheduled activities started. Special thanks to RECCO, safety partner of the Activation Days. European Outdoor Media Day by Garda Trentino & Trentino – 16 May

Among the most successful moments of the first European Outdoor Week was the European Outdoor Media Day held in the afternoon of 16 May. The aim of the initiative was to promote dialogue and create new opportunities for interaction between media from all over Europe and the 45 brands that participated in the project this year. Approximately 110 journalists, bloggers, and content creators attended the event, followed by a networking aperitif offered by Garda Trentino and the European Outdoor Award ceremony.

EOG Summer Member Meeting – 16 May On Saturday, 16 May, the European Outdoor Group held its Summer Member Meeting, bringing together representatives of the approximately 170 companies that are part of the group. During the meeting, EOG Managing Director Christian Schneidermeier presented the ongoing projects, including the market data program, and strategies for the future development of the association, including the publication of a political manifesto aimed at strengthening and enhancing public affairs activities in support of the outdoor industry. The meeting concluded with a presentation on artificial intelligence and the outdoor sector by entrepreneur and podcaster Alex Jacobi. During the Summer Member Meeting, the EOG team also shared the latest insights on the European outdoor market, developed through the Outdoor Market Intelligence Service (OMIS). Hannah Piatok – head of data & insights at EOG commented: “The clear demand from the industry has driven us to update our approach to market data, shifting the focus from sell-in to sell-out. Thanks to OMIS, for the first time our industry can access monthly sell-out data from the three largest European markets. The more data we have from more sources, the stronger we are collectively, so I invite retailers and brands to contribute to OMIS“. For more information on OMIS and other EOG works related to market data, you can contact Hannah Piatok at: hannah.piatok@europeanoutdoorgroup.com European Outdoor Award – 16 May

The new format of the European Outdoor Award celebrated excellence in the outdoor sector through 16 dedicated categories for products and the community. The awards highlighted product innovations designed to support both sell-in and sell-out, showcasing brand best practices in diversity and inclusion, environmental sustainability, social responsibility, and governance. After careful evaluation by a jury of industry experts, the winners were announced during the award ceremony on 16 May. All award-winning products and projects were also featured in a dedicated area within OUTDOOR & ORBDAYS, located right at the main entrance of the fair. OUTDOOR & ORBDAYS – 17/19 May

Over 400 brands participated in the highly anticipated trade show, which welcomed 8,000 industry professionals from 60 countries. The event took place from 17th to 19th May, combining the revival of the OUTDOOR fair (which was canceled in 2025) with the well-established Outdoor & Running Days (ORBDAYS), now in their 12th edition. Animating five pavilions of the Riva del Garda Exhibition Center and the outdoor areas around the venue. In addition to the exhibition area, the program offered numerous presentations, workshops, and experiences organized by brands to directly test products in the field. Innovation For Outdoor (In4Out) – 18 May Among the novelties of the new format OUTDOOR & ORBDAYS is the Innovation For Outdoor (In4Out). The program, designed as a platform for meeting between start-ups and investors, offered young companies the opportunity to present their innovations to a qualified and highly specialized audience. In addition to a dedicated session within OUTDOOR & ORBDAYS, some selected start-ups also had a presence with a booth in the exhibition area.

Statements

“The industry wants – and needs – in-person events like this. It is our duty to ensure that such events are held to the required standards and with relevant and valuable content. The first European Outdoor Week achieved this goal, but we have already identified aspects that we can improve, and we are excited to work with the MagNet Group to create an even bigger and better showcase for the outdoor sector in Riva del Garda from 8th to 13th May 2027”. Christian Schneidermeier – managing director of EOG

“When we decided to join forces with the European Outdoor Group to launch the ambitious project of an entire week dedicated to all the players in the outdoor industry, from every type of sector operator to the final consumers, we were confident in the great potential of this evolution, built on what we had achieved through 12 editions of the Outdoor & Running Business Days. However, the enthusiasm and response that the entire industry has shown towards this ambitious project have exceeded all expectations. This success is also the result of the exceptional teamwork carried out by the respective teams, each of which has provided incredibly effective added value”. Benedetto Sironi – CEO of MagNet