OutDoor By ISPO 2023 - Opening Day Recap
Bright sunshine - that was the start of OutDoor by ISPO 2023, and it wasn't just the weather that put exhibitors, visitors and organizers in a good mood. The mood made it very clear: The outdoor boom continues. This was also confirmed by the figures at the EOG press conference. Other highlights of the trade show Sunday: the brand-new Cross Industry Session of ISPO and IFAT, awards in a triple pack, and a big focus on sustainability.
How Tobi Gröber would describe OutDoor by ISPO in three words? BETTER EVERY YEAR. And he is absolutely right. The first day of the trade show was already filled to the brim with innovative products and exciting presentations that inspired the audience - a motivating outlook for the next few days. We asked Lena Haushofer, Tobias Gröber and Chris Beaufils, some of the makers of OutDoor by ISPO, what you can't afford to miss. For Chris, it's clear: The ISPO Award Gathering is the place-to-be for innovative products that will change the industry. Tobi recommends the presentations of the Innovation Lab. Lena's insider tip is the entire program in the Speakers Corner in the Sustainabilitiy Hub! One of her highlights today: The Cross Industry Session with the sister fair IFAT.
How can the major problems of our time, such as climate change, waste and pollution, be solved? With new ideas and visionary networks. This was kicked off on the first OutDoor by ISPO day with the first IFAT Munich Cross Industry Session on the topic: "Recycling strategies in the sporting goods industry - what's going on? Status quo, opinions and solutions". And that's exactly what the industry needs to create solutions for the future: a cross-industry exchange of knowledge. Dr.-Ing. Julia Hobohm, Executive Board IFAT Worldwide, explained that good recycling of textiles does not yet exist in the outdoor industry: "You never get clothes from clothes." Metals, plastics, sensor technology are often processed together in clothing, making recycling incredibly costly. The solution of the future: "Design for Recycling" and consider the cycle from the very beginning. Close cooperation along the entire production chain and between industries is the only chance. In addition, brands must take responsibility, because "waste management is always money. For companies, the earlier in the cycle they think about recycling, the less they have to invest in recycling downstream.
At the press conference, European Outdoor Group (EOG) and Messe München confirmed the outdoor boom with excellent figures. With 661 exhibitors, OutDoor by ISPO 2023 more than doubled the number of participating companies compared to the previous year.
Positive news from the sales side as well: the European outdoor industry turned over around 6.1 billion euros in 2022, according to the EOG's "State of Trade" report. A growth of 11.5 percent compared to 2021.
The advance announcement of the day: In 2024, OutDoor by ISPO will move back to its traditional location at the trade show in Munich Riem - with 70,000 square meters, twice as much space will then be available as this year The entire article with all insights
Packaging optimization can save millions - both money and CO2. Optimized packaging improves supply chain efficiency, helps control costs, and supports the achievement of corporate sustainability goals in the process. Often, instead of filling 75% of a space - be it containers, warehouses or individual packages - 90% can be filled. This reduces the overall number of shipping containers.
Adam Sarama, packaging optimization expert, identified three important factors in his presentation at OutDoor by ISPO:
- Design product and transport packaging together
- Doing away with inferior factory packaging
- outsource packaging design know-how to experts
Louisa Smith is a textile and fashion expert as well as a leading jury member of ISPO Textrends. Her presentations at ISPO Munich and OutDoor by ISPO are groundbreaking for the textile industry. The trends for the Spring/Summer 2025 season have already been published. At OutDoor by ISPO 2023, she gave an exclusive sneak peek at the upcoming trends for the Fall/Winter 2025/26 season: it will all be about Big Data, fine-tuning current manufacturing techniques, and an even stronger focus on sustainability.
Just in time for the ISPO Award Gathering, the sun disappeared behind clouds. But the ISPO Award trophies stood out all the more radiantly. These were presented to the winners in the evening at the Award Gathering Vol. 1.
What was special this year was that the jury was supported by two female movers and shakers from the industry. Louisa Smith, textile and fashion expert, examined the award submissions with a critical eye on sustainability. So there's guaranteed to be no greenwashing among the winning products! In addition, the new Award Angel appeared on stage: professional athlete Nadine Wallner. In the future, the Vorarlberg native will scrutinize the submitted products with her expertise and represent the coveted quality seal as an ambassador. To give the winners enough time to celebrate and to give them their well-deserved glory at the trade show, the ISPO Award Gathering will be split into two sessions. So, if you missed it today, don't miss the spectacle tomorrow at 5pm!
Biathlon legend Laura Dahlmeier
She is a double Olympic champion and multiple world champion in biathlon and a special guest: Laura Dahlmeier. On Monday she visited Osprey at the booth and inspired fans, visitors* and exhibitors. We caught her and asked her what her impression of OutDoor by ISPO was: "This is my first time there and trade shows are usually exhausting. But at OutDoor it's really cool. I was with some exhibitors to look around, make contacts and maintain friendships. Unfortunately, that hasn't been possible very often in recent years. It's nice to refresh those connections again." And how would Laura describe the atmosphere of the event in three words? "Community, fun, looseness."
When the brands of the Scandinavian Outdoor Group met in the Scandinavian Village, there was only one motto: It's time to celebrate! The winners of the Scandinavian Outdoor Awards. The winners were chosen in six categories: Sustainability, Apparel, Footwear, Hardware, Kids and Technology. There was also a well-deserved Overall Winner: the Lodur down jacket from Nordisk - a balanced combination of lightness (300 g), waterproofness and breathability. The winner of the Hardware category also took home two awards from Outdoor by ISPO 2023: Dometic also received an ISPO Award for its GO Hydration Water Faucet - a water-saving, rechargeable electric faucet.
