ISPO trade fair to leave Munich and relocate abroad

The ISPO sporting goods and outdoor trade fair is leaving its home after more than 50 years. From 2026, it will no longer be held in Munich but in Amsterdam, Messe München has announced. The upcoming ISPO at the end of November will therefore be the last in the Bavarian capital.

The move comes as Messe München is contributing ISPO which it owns, to a new joint venture with the British events company Raccoon Media Group. The aim is to give the long-established trade fair a fresh start under Raccoon Media Group’s operational responsibility. Visitor and exhibitor numbers in Munich have recently declined. While there were 3,307 exhibitors in 2018, there were only 1,937 in 2024. Visitor numbers stood at 80,000 in 2019 – the last year before the pandemic – and just 55,000 in 2024.

Difficult times for sports trade fairs

Sports trade fairs have been struggling for some time, as customer purchasing behaviour and the organisation of retail have changed. Manufacturers’ direct-to-consumer business has also increased significantly.

ISPO has traditionally focused on winter sports and other outdoor activities. However, Adidas, Nike, and Puma had already withdrawn before the pandemic. The outdoor industry – excluding skiing and winter equipment – benefited during the pandemic, which, among other things, led to a hiking boom. More recently, however, it too has declined.

In Amsterdam, at the industry’s request, ISPO will in future be held a few weeks earlier – at the beginning rather than the end of November. This was not possible in Munich. It is also set to be more globally oriented.

A new start

“The joint venture with Raccoon Media Group is a genuine fresh start and brings opportunities for the continuation of our traditional event,” said Messe München’s co-CEOs, Stefan Rummel and Reinhard Pfeiffer, in a joint statement. The trade fair did not disclose the financial details of the transaction. The overseas editions, ISPO Shanghai and ISPO Beijing, are not part of the joint venture and will remain with Messe München.