Andre Agassi, ISPO Award and Sport Marke Medien - Recap of the first day

At the end of the first conference day of ISPO Munich 2024, Verena Bentele was awarded the prestigious ISPO Cup. In an emotional ceremony, Stefan Rummel honored her outstanding achievements and her tireless commitment to a fairer society. The former exceptional athlete, who won twelve Paralympic gold medals with her visual impairment, has set standards with her career. Today, as President of the VdK social association and Vice President of the German Olympic Sports Confederation, she is setting new trends - for more participation and equal opportunities.

Bentele used the stage to convey a powerful message: "Everyone should have the opportunity to do sport - not only for their health, but also to enrich their lives with joy and new perspectives." Verena Bentele embodies the values of the ISPO Cup and shows how sport has the power to change not only lives, but also society.

Andre Agassi, tennis legend and eight-time Grand Slam champion, captivated the audience at ISPO Munich 2024 with his extraordinary story. In his presentation, he spoke openly about his transformation from tennis pro to a visionary who is passionate about improving the educational opportunities of disadvantaged children. "I was really good at something I hated," Agassi confessed, emphasizing how this insight led him to give his life a new direction.

He took huge personal risks to set up a school for disadvantaged children in Las Vegas: "I couldn't afford to let these kids down." With his initiative, he invested 40 million dollars to give the pupils a future. "Success is not about winning trophies. It's about meaning, purpose and leaving the world a better place."

Agassi showed that true greatness does not end on the tennis court, but lies in taking on challenges and making a positive impact on society - a message that reaches far beyond sport.

And in the evening? That's when things got sporty: Andre Agassi and Patrick Smith fought a top-class duel in a hot pickleball match. a duel in a class of its own. The crowd was thrilled as the two tennis icons showed with sporting passion that they have lost none of their skill and competitive spirit. A perfect end to an inspiring day.

Four Award Gatherings, four times great innovations and novelties that move the industry: The categories "Bike/Commuting, Camping/Vanlife, Watersports", "Running/Trailrunning, Climbing", "Mountaineering/Hiking" and "Multisport" will be celebrated while the trophies are presented and the innovations honored. And in the evening, the Great ISPO Award Gathering on the Main Stage provided a worthy conclusion to the award day: Here, a total of nine Special Recognitions were awarded for particularly noteworthy products from the perspective of the ISPO Award jury, retailers (Retail Choice) and consumers (Public Choice).

This year, the jury chose the Smartwool Second Cut Fleece Jacketwhich is made from recycled materials and is soft, durable and high-performance.

As usual, the Retail Choice Award was presented in different segments. In the Snowsport Hardgoods segment, retailers were impressed by the ski simulator convinced the retailers. The fitting device for specialist retailers simulates the slope inclination of the ski slope and thus ensures perfectly fitting ski boots in the store.

In the Snowsport Softgoods category, The North Face won with its A68a DRYVENT™ Mono Shell Jacketa 3L jacket made from recyclable mono material. In the cardio category, the panel of experts from the trade found the GOREWEAR CONCURVE WINDSTOPPER® insulated jacket as a great companion for running in winter temperatures. In the lifestyle sector, the Smartwool Second Cut Fleece Jacket also impressed the trade. In the Mixed category Suunto won with the Oceana combination of diving and sports watch, won the Retail Choice Award. And as far as mountaineering/hiking is concerned, Mammut was in the Retail Committee's favor this year: the Eiger Nordwand Pro Down IN Hooded Parka was honored. Last but not least, Black Yak also scooped a prize in the Special Recognitions. With the Watusi Hooded Expedition Down Jacket the brand won the popular Public Choice Award.

"This award means a lot to us, and it's all about our people. There is always a lot of blood, sweat and tears behind all our products. Many thanks to all our employees, because we couldn't have created this product without them," says Maximilian Nortz, Managing Director, International Business at BLACKYAK Co Ltd.

The winners are beaming with their trophies. A great experience and a true symbol of the innovative power of the outdoor industry.

The ISPO Brandnew Founders Fights pitched eight promising start-ups competing for victory in the Outdoor and Sustainability categories. The Founders Fights impressively underlined how technological innovation and sustainability can shape the future of the sports industry.

Outdoor & Adventure & Snowsports

1. Hypershell: The first wearable exoskeleton that provides 20 kilometers of leg support, making longer hikes more accessible and less strenuous.
2. Twistboxes: A foldable roof box that fits in any closet and saves up to 20% energy - ideal for city dwellers with an adventurous spirit.
3. Vitaloop FlexGuard Water Filtration Bottle: A portable water bottle that removes chemicals, microplastics and heavy metals - for clean water everywhere.
4. heat it® pro: A small, smartphone-controlled device for treating insect bites - compact and effective on the go.

Sustainability

1. Cirql Zero: A compostable midsole that minimizes waste in the footwear industry.
2. The Hemp Runner: A sustainable running shoe made from hemp that combines eco-friendliness and performance.
3. PlsReturnIt Circular Digital Product Passport: A digital product passport that facilitates repairs and recycling via QR codes.
4. reverse.supply: A take-back system for second-hand fashion that makes the circular economy accessible to brands.

Stay Tuned: Tomorrow we continue with AeroGraph Puffer Jacket vs. Baer vs. LU Go Wild vs. Nutrion in the Performance, Body & Mind category and BreezeLabs vs. Inspector vs. toern - Peer-to-Peer Shipment of Returns vs. TracMe_AI Fitness Assistant with Movement-Tracking Sleeves in the Sports technology & platforms category.

Power in Collaboration: At the Ski Industry Climate Summit by Atomic 2024 under the slogan "From commitment to action", the winter sports industry came together to discuss, exchange ideas and collaborate on sustainability. "I am very happy that the commitment from the industry is there. Action is ongoing. Because we all face challenges that we can work on solutions for together," says Denis Dietrich, Global PR Manager at Atomic. Around 170 participants from the industry, including members, spent two days discussing topics from a wide range of perspectives: from the recycling of ski boots to lifecycle analysis, green energy and sustainability in the production facilities and supply chain and materials, as well as common data standards for key sustainability figures. The findings of the summit and how committed and ambitious winter sports hardware brands are will be presented in concentrated form in a panel talk on the Green Stage (A2.626) on Wednesday at 3 pm.

In addition to the Ski Industry Climate Summit, the presentation "Sustainability's Role in the Future of Snowsports" will shed light on the pressing challenges of climate change. "Temperatures in mountain regions are rising twice as fast as the global average and snow cover in the Alps has declined by 6% per decade since the 1970s," it said. Brands such as Jones Snowboards and Wonder Alpine showcased bio-based materials and recyclable products, demonstrating that sustainability and performance can go hand in hand. "Our goal is to develop materials that improve performance and are sustainable at the same time." The discussion made it clear that transparency and innovation are crucial to securing the future of winter sports.

In the "Fight Inactivity" panel, Dr. Fiona Bull from the WHO presented alarming figures: "One third of the world's adult population is not active enough to reap the health benefits of exercise." Women and older people are particularly affected. At the same time, Bull emphasized: "This is a global challenge, but it is reversible." According to Bull, the global target of increasing physical activity by 15% by 2030 is "off track", as the figures continue to rise in most countries.

Elena Korf Director Engagement & Partnerships at Nike emphasized that the sporting goods industry must act together: "500 million more people will fall ill as a direct result of inactivity, which will cost global health systems 300 billion US dollars." She pointed out: "If we turn the inactive into the active, there is an incredible opportunity for the industry." The speakers agreed that collaboration between industry, government and health organizations is crucial to tackle both health and economic impacts.

Sustainability is one of the central themes of ISPO Munich 2024, and the focus is on innovative approaches that address materials, the circular economy and climate risks. Numerous exciting presentations highlighted perspectives for a greener future - here is just a small selection of the many sustainability highlights at the trade show.

Barbara Oswald from Bluesign explained in her presentation "The Impact of Materials"why primary data is essential along the supply chain: "With primary data, we can identify the actual environmental impact of materials and implement targeted changes." She made it clear that transparency is not only necessary for regulatory purposes, but is also a lever for real progress.

In the presentation "Navigating Sustainability - Key Challenges for Fashion Brands in 2025" Steve Carmody from Centric Software showed how brands can respond to the growing demands on sustainability. "Brands that start measuring their impact now will be best positioned to meet future demands." With the help of data-driven tools, companies can not only improve transparency, but also actively reduce their environmental footprint.

Tip: If you want to experience the industry's sustainability highlights, you should take the Sustainability Tour through the Sustainability Hub - an ideal opportunity to get to know innovations and practical solutions at first hand.

In the panel "Artificial Intelligence - Just a Driver of Change or a Real, Innovative Force" at ISPO Munich 2024, the transformative potential of AI for the sports industry was discussed. Tobias Matan from Amazon Web Services explained: "AI will help, for example, by giving you more time to focus on the core tasks of your business again. It can take over a lot of the undifferentiated, heavy lifting." Zebastian Lonsenström from Microsoft emphasized the democratization of AI: "In recent years, AI was something for scientists, data experts or engineers. But increasingly, we see generative AI changing the way every single person uses AI - with Co-Pilot as the user interface."

Greg Neuwen from Wattbike emphasized: "You should empower your employees with AI instead of perceiving it as a threat. People are afraid of it. But in fact, AI can make jobs much more exciting, productive and of higher quality." The panel showed that AI is not just a technology, but a tool that can unleash enormous potential for the sports industry in collaboration with people.

On the first day of ISPO Munich 2024, two exciting sessions also highlighted the role of community and technology in building successful customer relationships - an insight into the highlights of digital transformation and community building.

In the workshop "Building and Empowering Your Expert Customer Community in Your Online Shop", SQlab together with CLO 3D showed how technological innovations can be used to promote expert communities in online stores. "With CLO 3D, we were not only able to speed up the development process, but also make products more customized and sustainable," emphasized a SQlab spokesperson. The focus was on how brands can benefit from communities and digital feedback in order to strengthen not only product development but also customer loyalty.

In the session "Selling D2C with the community - How Jack Wolfskin & Dynafit are taking a new approach in their online stores", representatives from Jack Wolfskin and Dynafit presented how they have transformed their D2C strategy by building engaged brand communities. Stefan Buschmann, Director Customer Service at Jack Wolfskin, explained: "Our communities are at the heart of engaging our customers and encouraging the exchange of genuine recommendations." With programs like Guru, brands enable passionate users to share their expertise and thus create real added value for buyers - a symbiosis of passion and product knowledge.

In the presentation "The Power of Community in Action", experts from Patagonia and the NOW Partners Foundation shed light on how companies and communities can work together to drive transformative change. Hunter Lovins emphasized that companies must take responsibility: "If we don't change the world, our business model will not survive." Beth Thorne from Patagonia explained how the company worked with local communities in the Balkans to protect rivers from destruction by dams. "Our values are clear: we fight climate change and protect nature - that's what we stand for."

A key point was the role of authenticity and trust. "Our customers know that we are real - and they become part of the change," Thorne continued. The presentation showed impressively that the success of sustainable initiatives depends on involving communities and building long-term relationships. With this discussion, ISPO provided a platform to bring such approaches to the masses and create inspiration for collaborative action.

At the Supply Chain Forum at ISPO Munich 2024, Thomas Reichler, co-founder of the United Repair Center, presented the concept of a sustainable supply chain through repair services. "Repair is at the heart of everything we do," Reichler emphasized. He presented the vision of moving clothing from a linear to a circular use: "At the end of the life cycle of clothing, we invite it not to end up in landfill, but to return to the system."

The United Repair Center offers brands a "one-stop store" solution with "high-quality repairs within seven days" and collects valuable data on product quality. The company also underlines its social focus: "We are a B-Corp and focus on integrating people with a distance to the labor market," explained Reichler. This model is intended to help brands develop "robust, scalable repair programs" that prepare them for future legal requirements.

The SPORT MARKE MEDIEN congress at ISPO Munich 2024 offered exciting insights into the transformation of brands, the power of strategic partnerships and the importance of social responsibility in sport. Numerous sessions impressively demonstrated how differently, but equally forward-looking, these topics are being tackled. Want a sneak peak?

In the repositioning of Schöffel, CMO Stefan Ostertag presentedpresented how a traditional brand is finding new strength after 220 years. "Who are we, what is our identity, and who are we not?" - These questions were at the heart of the repositioning, which integrates global megatrends such as "health" and "mental wellness" and surprises with a revised logo and a new, green-grey color scheme. The repositioning shows: In times of crisis, Schöffel not only offers outdoor clothing, but also tells stories that go beyond the product. A clear step forward - without losing sight of the brand core.

In the session "HYROX x PUMA: A strong partnership in fitness racing", Arne Freundt, CEO of PUMA, and Moritz Fürste, founder of HYROX, how their collaboration aims to establish fitness racing as a global phenomenon. Fürste described HYROX as "the platform for the sport of fitness" and explained that in their vision it could complement running as a mass sport and will soon be seen at the Olympic Games. Freundt added: "We focus on long-term, deep partnerships that promote innovation and growth." With the HYROX collection launching in January, PUMA is bringing products to market that meet the needs of athletes

The third session, "The future is inclusive - from big dreams to lived reality", focused on social responsibility. Britta Ernst, Florian Maußer and Louis Kleemeyer from Special Olympics Germany (SOD) emphasized the role of sport as a driver for inclusion and barrier reduction. "Our goal is to give everyone - with and without disabilities - access to sport," explained Ernst. The discussions showed how tandem and youth structures can build bridges. Maußer emphasized: "It's not just about sport, but about learning from each other and developing a common voice." The enthusiasm and momentum of the Special Olympics 2023 should now be used to drive sustainable change in schools, clubs and communities.