OutDoor By ISPO 2024: Sustainability Is Driving The Industry

With more than 600 exhibitors in three halls, over 5,000 square metres of outdoor space, three hubs and three stages, this year’s OutDoor by ISPO demonstrated its ongoing relevance, despite the diverse challenges facing the outdoor industry. The international outdoor industry met at Messe München trade fair centre from 3 to 5 June 2024 under the slogan “Think Outdoor”. Over 8,000 trade visitors took advantage of the trade show to network internationally and to learn about the industry’s latest developments, trends and products. OutDoor by ISPO’s vision for 2025 and beyond was presented. In addition to the ISPO Award, the EOFT’s 21st Century Adventurer Award was conferred at OutDoor by ISPO, where this year’s focus was on sustainability and the future of the outdoor industry. This was emphasised by highlight speakers and athletes such as Bavarian State Minister Michaela Kaniber, adventurer Joey Kelly, climber Thomas Huber and trail runner Kimi Schreiber.

After welcoming more than 8,000 trade visitors from nearly 90 countries and hosting over 600 exhibitors from more than 80 countries, OutDoor by ISPO 2024 came to an end yesterday. Especially in economically challenging times, the trade show reaffirmed its relevance for the industry as a time- and cost-efficient way to gain crucial business insights. OutDoor by ISPO not only brings together the best outdoor products and innovations at a single location, but also serves as a platform for sharing ideas and finding joint solutions for a green transformation. “Sustainable business practices and environmental and climate protection projects are key strategic issues for Messe München. For this reason, we are particularly pleased that sustainability was the focus of this year's OutDoor by ISPO. The outdoor community is the driver of sustainable transformation within the sports industry. With offerings such as the Sustainability Hub and a curated conference programme, we promote active exchange at all levels and offer stakeholders from different corporate divisions and decision-making levels the opportunity to exchange ideas.”, says Stefan Rummel, Managing Director of Messe München. “The further development of OutDoor by ISPO as a platform that goes beyond the product is our guiding principle for a vision 2025 and beyond.”

FOCUS ON SUSTAINABILITY

In cooperation with VAUDE, which numbers among the pioneers in the field of sustainability, the trade fair’s visitors were invited to learn about the latest innovations and trends in this field and to become actively involved in the Sustainability Hub and in the specialist presentations on the Green Stage. “Sustainability is the most important part of our company DNA. For us, OutDoor by ISPO is an ideal place to document this claim and promote the topic of sustainability together with the community”, summarises Jenz Nothaft from VAUDE. The Sustainability Hub and the Panel Talks explored topics that were of particular interest to many visitors this year, for example, the influence of the EU Green Deal on outdoor companies, successful strategies for the circular economy and for carbon reduction, and the purchasing behaviour of the new eco-consumers. “In challenging times, the outdoor industry has a long history of coming together, and OutDoor by ISPO provides an important platform for doing that. The show is an opportunity for colleagues from around Europe to gather in one place, to do business and network. Together with our partner, Messe München, we once again put on an extensive programme for visitors. In particular, the Sustainability Hub offered a great variety of content that was well received and reflected the changing nature of trade events. This year’s show also included a pivotal moment, as we were able to present the exciting new concept for the next phase of OutDoor by ISPO, a vital development for an event which has always been highly valued by our sector”, said Arne Strate, General Secretary of the European Outdoor Group, which is the founding partner of OutDoor by ISPO.

PRODUCTS & ISPO AWARDS

As in the past, this year’s OutDoor by ISPO again showcased the most exciting products and solutions that the outdoor industry currently has to offer. Here too, sustainability plays a central role. The industry as a whole continues to develop in the direction of recycled and natural fibres, with improved and more robust textile fibres designed to extend the longevity of products. Increasing emphasis is being placed on product reparability. Innovations are the major driver of the outdoor industry, where the demand for highly functional new developments continues unabated. Once again this year, the winners of the prestigious ISPO Award were officially presented at OutDoor by ISPO and exhibited in the ISPO Award area. The award winners include young brands such as NNormal with its particularly lightweight trail running shoe with replaceable insole, the Ventete brand’s foldable bicycle helmet and No Normal Coffee’s coffee from a tube for outdoor coffee enjoyment.

TALKS, INTERACTION & NETWORKING

Not only the outdoor community, but also politicians are intensively discussing sustainability, as exemplified by Michaela Kaniber, Bavarian State Minister for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Tourism, who spoke on the Green Stage as part of a panel discussion on the controversial topic of leisure tourism and nature conservation. The multifaceted supporting programme at OutDoor by ISPO also included talks by athletes, for example, professional climber and human rights activist Nasim Eshqi, trail runner Kimi Schreiber and fitness coach Chase Tucker. Other highlights included the interactive Climbing and Watersports Hubs and the Trail Running Test Track, where visitors could try out and experience the sport and new products. Marcel Münster (entrepreneur and marathon runner) and Jos Hermens (former Olympian and manager of well-known runners such as Eliud Kipchoge) announced at OutDoor by ISPO that a new worldwide running league will be founded in 2025. The Global Running League will be the first of its kind and is intended to encourage people to run. It will serve as a platform where top athletes can share personal stories, where interactive race experiences and events can take place, and where runners around the world can exchange ideas with one another.

No OutDoor by ISPO would be complete without an outdoor area. Among other attractions, visitors flocked to the OutDoor Cinema, which was organised in cooperation with the world-famous EOFT Film Tour and the International Ocean Film Tour. The EOFT’s 21st Century Adventurer Award was presented at OutDoor by ISPO for the first time. Now in its fourth year, this award honours athletes who willingly face new physical and mental challenges and experience unforgettable moments in the process. This year’s award went to Nasim Eshqi, a former Iranian kickboxing champion who now fights for more justice and is also a professional climber who outcompeted both alpinist Simone Moro and sailor and climate activist Boris Herrmann. The legendary OutDoor by ISPO Party on the first day of the trade show offered exhibitors and trade visitors an ideal atmosphere to get to know one another, to share ideas and to network.

A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE

In addition to more space, the campus at Messe München offers many other opportunities that will make OutDoor by ISPO even more attractive in the coming year. To meet the demands of the international outdoor industry, additional business areas such as research & development, design, sustainability, logistics, supply chain management and human resources will be addressed in 2025 and also provided with a platform. Additional segments such as tourism, urban outdoor, digitalisation/tech, recycling and circular economy are likewise poised to take their places at next year’s OutDoor by ISPO. The exhibition area, which is the centrepiece of the trade fair, will get a totally new layout with more options for first-row placements as well as even more participation opportunities and formats for every budget. The packages and the revised layout should be ready by the beginning of October. “In light of the current market situation, we are now entering into dialogue with key industry players from trade and industry. Next year, we want to further increase the efficiency of the event with a new layout, new formats and offers, expand our range as the largest international outdoor trade fair to include new exciting target groups and at the same time invite visitors to explore and experience the event.”, says Tobias Gröber, Executive Director Consumer Goods at Messe München, who positively summarised this year’s OutDoor by ISPO and is confidently looking forward to an exciting 2025.

PERSONAL IMPRESSIONS: Statements from exhibitors and speakers at the fair

• “We have been partners of the Sustainability Hub at OutDoor by ISPO from the very first minute, I would say, which I think is a very creative and good partnership because we benefit from each other. The outdoor industry is indeed a very special community. We've managed to reduce our emissions by 30% in the last three years, and we've done that in large part because we've worked with our direct competitors in a decarbonisation project within our supply chain. I think that's what's special about the outdoor industry and that's also what's special about the show because you meet your partners and competitors there.” – Antje von Dewitz, CEO of VAUDE
• “We are a new brand, only six months on the market, so this is the first fair and we have made a lot of new contacts, so I will be very busy next week. The show has been a success and I'm really happy. The people here are the perfect community for our product.” - Mikael Nelderup, Founder and CEO of Twistboxes
• “I personally have been coming to OutDoor by ISPO for over ten years with various companies. It's a place where brands and retailers can come together to discuss new products and opportunities and where the entire outdoor community of Europe is united. We hope this will continue in the future. It's a great opportunity for us all to come together in one place once a year.” – Joe White, eCommerce & Marketing Leader of Helinox Europe
• “OutDoor by ISPO was a super important trade fair for us. We had a lot of very good visitors here. Maybe it's not the quantity, but it's the quality and I would really recommend it, to be honest." – Mario Alkov, International Wholesale Manager of KnowledgeCotton Apparel
• “For me, it's great to be at OutDoor by ISPO with so many brands. It's just cool, I would say that almost everyone is here. You can or I can meet so many people here in the same place. And that's what I really like.” – Dani Arnold, mountaineer
• “I work for the CSR team at Sympatex and OutDoor by ISPO helps us a lot to be up to date, to know what the competitors and industry players are doing." – Marlene Kühn, CSR Department of Sympatex