ISPO Munich: The future of the sports trade fair & its importance for retail

1. Focus: From winter sports to a multi-segment approach
2. Whitepaper: The Future of Health, Sport and Retail
3. The trade fair becomes a 360-degree platform
4. Is ISPO Munich worthwhile for you?
5. ISPO Munich 2024: The perfect platform for inspiration and networking

ISPO Munich will be back from December 3 to 5, 2024 - as a forward-looking festival for sports innovations. The traditional winter sports trade fair has become a meeting place for new trends and groundbreaking impulses. In the SAZsport podcast, Lena Haushofer and Christoph Beaufils explain why the trade show is so important for the sports industry and how leading players are helping to shape the future of winter sports.

The future of ISPO Munich is a hot topic in the industry. Many remember the "good old days" 15 to 20 years ago, when the platform was the ultimate must-attend event - with a strong presence of the ski industry and sports retailers as important visitors. But the "golden days" are over: winters are getting shorter, the industry has lost volume and the ski industry has gradually said goodbye to the trade show. The industry is changing - that much is clear. However, it is by no means dead, but is reinventing itself - and this is not only reflected in the products, but also in the content.

And as the saying goes: if you don't move with the times, you move with the times. That's why the focus of ISPO Munich has shifted. It is no longer on winter sports - although this is of course still very important, for example with Atomic's Ski Industry Climate Summit.

Instead, a multi-segment approach is now being pursued. This means that several segments are being addressed and served simultaneously: in addition to winter sports, this year's ISPO Munich is increasingly focusing on the future of sports, health, fashion, sustainability, SportsTech and supply chain management. In other words, exactly what moves the industry and is of particular interest to end consumers.

Instead of first asking what the sports industry can benefit from, we should focus more on what customers really expect from the industry today. To better understand these wishes, ISPO.com has made its latest whitepaper even more comprehensive than before and conducted a representative survey of consumers in over 10 European countries. The majority of the more than 1,800 participants expressed the wish that sport, medicine and healthcare should grow closer together.

The whitepaper offers inspiration and impulses that give retailers, but also all other participants in the sports business, a foretaste of the topics at ISPO Munich. Over 80 percent of those surveyed would like retailers to offer more than just sporting goods. They would like to see expanded consulting expertise and for the whole thing to develop in a direction that could be described as a holistic health center.

This includes, for example, nutritional advice, mental health, preventative check-ups, tests and diagnostics. However, sports and health-oriented foods that go beyond dietary supplements also play a role. Around 90 percent of those surveyed would then visit stationary sports retailers significantly more often. Fitness today also has a lot to do with health, wellbeing and wellness.

All of these topics and challenges will be addressed at ISPO Munich and the accompanying conferences in order to find solutions and opportunities together.

So it's high time to adapt the design of the trade show to these wishes. A new event format is needed and ISPO Munich is already delivering that this year: no longer just a classic transactional trade show full of booths, but rather a sports innovation and orientation festival, as Christoph Beaufils calls it.

Of course, retail still plays an important role today, as it creates the touchpoint with customers. However, the aim is for everyone who is anchored in the sports business to find their place. As a result, many brands no longer present their innovations in the classic setting of an exhibition stand, but in curated areas.

A trade show without classic booths - can that work? A legitimate question. The answer: Yes and no. That's why ISPO Munich relies on a good mix of both. Because booths will always play a certain role. They allow brands to present their products and their message. But that alone is too simple these days. That's why ISPO Munich also integrates conference formats, among other things, to present relevant content from the industry and its development in addition to products.

The entire sports retail industry is looking for ways to position itself in order to remain fit for the future. At ISPO Munich, you will find solutions, impulses and ideas that you can take up as a retailer. This applies not only to traditional sports retailers, but also to fashion retailers and other retailers.

The hustle and bustle surrounding innovation, new styles and trends, products and materials is extremely high. And all of this is embedded in content-driven topics that take place around it at ISPO Munich. It goes beyond the product. For example, health and technology are also topics that interest end consumers and are therefore also relevant for retailers.

It's about merging these areas together. This makes a visit to ISPO Munich worthwhile for anyone who earns money with or around sport. Sports and fashion retailers as well as players in the secondary health market are welcome. Whether trainers, exercise instructors, physiotherapists or sports therapists.

In short: ISPO Munich is a platform where the most important brands, manufacturers, retailers, associations and NGOs come together to forge innovative ideas and talk about the future of the industry - and more in terms of content than products, as Lena Haushofer explains. Look forward to brands such as Patagonia, Blackroll, Fjällräven, Asics, Veja, Atomic, Globetrotter, Gore Tex and many more.

A huge festival under the motto slogan "Love Every Contact" inspiration, good conversations and the opportunity to network. Discover what's new out there. See what relevance you have. And find the right partners and suppliers. Because that's part of your corporate responsibility if you want to remain fit for the future.

From December 3 to 5, over 2,400 exhibitors await you in 10 exhibition halls. Some of the six partner conferences with over 1,500 participants will begin on December 2. A perfect combination of experiences, insights, solutions and guidance that you can't afford to miss. So secure your ticket now!