The ISPO sporting goods and outdoor trade fair will move to Amsterdam in 2026. After over 50 years in Munich, the organizer, Messe München, announced the change. The upcoming ISPO at the end of November will therefore be the last in the Bavarian capital.

Messe München and Raccoon Media Group have set up a joint venture to manage ISPO. Michael Andrew Seaman and James Douglas Emslie will lead the operational transition.

At the industry’s request, ISPO will be held a few weeks earlier in the future, running from November 3 to 5, to align with global buying cycles. An earlier date was not possible in Munich.

The new concept also addresses the cost basis to make attendance more affordable and supports accessibility for a broader international audience. Situated in a globally connected hub and home to many leading brand headquarters, Amsterdam is expected to strengthen ties with the North American market, supporting renewed engagement from US-based associations and brands.

Visitor and exhibitor numbers in the Munich event have recently declined. In 2018, there were 3,307 exhibitors. By 2024, there were only 1,937. Visitor numbers stood at 80,000 in 2019. That was the last year before the pandemic. In 2024, there were just 55,000 attendees.

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 However, Adidas, Nike, and Puma had already withdrawn before the pandemic.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. These segments have recently weakened.

According to the organization, this move ensures that ISPO remains a global meeting point for the sports, outdoor and snow industries, maintaining its role as a catalyst for innovation.

“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.

“We are incredibly proud to take ISPO into its next chapter,” said Seaman, Group CEO of Raccoon Media Group. “By combining ISPO’s heritage with our community-driven approach, we are creating an event that not only reflects the future of sport and the outdoors but actively shapes it. For too long, ISPO has been led by the head and lost some of its heart. We’re rebalancing that—making smart, strategic choices while restoring the passion, purpose and community that made it great. The industry needs a platform that unites voices, protects the places we play, and inspires the next generation of brands, leaders and businesses. That’s exactly what we intend to deliver.”

“With the strategic realignment of ISPO, we are purposefully and effectively evolving our long-established flagship trade fair. There is a strong demand for a platform that fosters innovation, exchange, and business opportunities. By joining forces with Raccoon Media Group, we are strengthening this vision — ensuring that this transformation continues to be guided by the needs of our customers and the entire sports and outdoor industry”, says Harald Kirchschlager, executive director corporate strategy & development, at Messe München.

To support the transition, the partners have pledged a €3 million investment program designed to strengthen the commercial and cultural foundations of ISPO, including:

  • €1 million into advocacy, supporting non-profit organizations that “protect the fields of play, increase participation and safeguard the grassroots of sport.”
  • €1 million into a global hosted buyer program, bringing “globally significant retailers and brands into the room to ensure strong ROI for exhibitors and driving meaningful international business connections for manufacturers and ingredients, brands and retailers and commerce and experience markets.”
  • €1 million into a “world-class content program,” beginning with the new ISPO Leaders’ Summit, a C-suite forum for the industry’s senior executives, policymakers and changemakers, shaped around “three shared pillars that unite the sporting goods, outdoor and winter sports industries: Participation, Sustainability and Fair Trade.

Image courtesy ISPO