More than 81000 visitors from 109 countries and 2,481 exhibitors; these are the figures shown by ISPO Munich 2013 final report, 4% more visitors and around 140 more exhibitors than in the previous year. An outstanding result that, once again, places ISPO Munich as the leading international sports business trade show.
Sixteen main halls, each of which represents certain categories: Action, ski, Outdoor, Performance, Health and Fitness, Textrends/Brandnew, Sportstyle, ISPO Vision and Sourcing. All brands offer a vast range of their most up-to-date products that have just hit the market or are about to. All the latest gears and the newest cutting-edge technologies that the sport industry can possibly think of are at the show. If you don’t want to miss out the latest and coolest Arc’teryx down jackets or La Sportiva first winter clothing line then you’ve definitely got to get yourself to ISPO Munich.
One of the things that strikes visitors most is the amazing variety of booths to be found at the show. Well-established brands, such as The North Face, Jack Wolfskin, Salewa, Colmar, Gore-tex, have stunning, king-sized stands, where not only do they display their goods, but they also serve refreshments, host events and even throw parties.
The atmosphere is, therefore, vibrant and people’s excitement and enthusiasm can be already felt early in the morning, in the U-Bahn (underground) on the way to Messestadt West/Ost. ISPO visitors, from retailers, journalists, businessmen, athletes, suppliers, designers, manufacturers, to wholesalers, have all different backgrounds and attend the show for different reasons. No matter whether you are here to do business or simply have a look around and check out the new trends, your daily schedule will be anyway jam-packed with meetings, interviews, awards ceremonies, demos and events of all sorts. When your back and feet start aching (and this won’t take long to happen) you’ve got plenty of cool booths where you can pop by and grab a free beer and a snack, while chatting with brand experts and assistants about their latest waterproof technology or innovative fabrics.
Throughout its over 40 years of history, ISPO has proved to be able to renovate itself and come up with something new year after year. It is a place where tradition becomes innovation and where consolidated expertise and success merge with risk, challenge and fierce competition.
New products, ideas, intuitions, this is what the sport industry needs to be fed with and this is why we are now eagerly waiting for ISPO Munich 2014 (26-29 February, tbc).