Starting in 2026, the long-standing event will take place in the Netherlands. This means the upcoming Ispo at the end of November will be the last one held in the Bavarian capital.
Messe München Hands Over Responsibility to British Company
The reason for the move is a strategic realignment. Messe München is contributing its Ispo brand to a new joint venture with the British Raccoon Media Group. This is intended to provide a fresh start for the struggling trade fair, with Raccoon taking over operational responsibility.
The numbers speak for themselves: Recently, both visitor and exhibitor numbers in Munich have dropped drastically. While there were 3,307 exhibitors in 2018, only 1,937 remained in 2024. Visitor numbers fell from 80,000 in 2019—the last year before the COVID-19 pandemic—to just 55,000 in 2024.
Sports Trade Fairs Struggle with Changing Market Conditions
Sports trade fairs have been facing difficulties for some time due to shifts in customer purchasing behavior and changes in retail organization. Direct-to-consumer sales by manufacturers have also increased significantly. Ispo has traditionally focused on winter sports and other outdoor activities.
However, major brands like Adidas, Nike, and Puma were no longer present even before the COVID-19 pandemic. The outdoor industry—excluding ski and winter equipment—initially benefited during the pandemic, which triggered a hiking boom, among other trends. But more recently, performance has declined in this sector as well.
Trade Fair CEOs Speak of a Genuine New Beginning
In Amsterdam, Ispo is set to take place several weeks earlier—in early November instead of late November—following industry requests. This change was not possible in Munich. Furthermore, the fair is intended to have a stronger global focus.
“The joint venture with Raccoon Media Group is a genuine new beginning and offers opportunities for the continuation of our traditional event,” stated the two CEOs of Messe München, Stefan Rummel and Reinhard Pfeiffer, in a joint announcement. The company did not disclose the financial details of the transaction. The international events Ispo Shanghai and Ispo Beijing are not part of the joint venture and will remain under the control of Messe München.
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