Last Updated on June 17, 2024

What is ISPO fair? And what are differences between OutDoor by ISPO and ISPO Munich?

If you love any kind of sport and would like to know about the newest trends in sport and outdoor industry, ISPO fairs are places to be. ISPO is a prominent international trade fair dedicated to the sports and outdoor industry. There are two events happening in Munich every year.

In May or June, you can visit OutDoor by ISPO (next one 19th-21st May 2025) where you can explore the latest products, innovations, and trends in the outdoor sector, covering a wide range of activities such as hiking, climbing, water sports, camping, and more.

ISPO Munich will take place from December 3 to December 5, 2024 and this event gathers professionals from the global sports community. There is a broader spectrum of the sports industry at this fair compared to OutDoor by ISPO including winter sports, fitness, running, team sports, and others.

Highlights of OutDoor by ISPO 2024

The event serves as a platform for outdoor industry professionals, including manufacturers, retailers, and influencers and in my opinion it was a fantastic place to network, exchange ideas, and establish new business relationships.

The 2024 edition of OutDoor by ISPO took place from June 3 to June 5, 2024 and I felt like in outdoor paradise. There were three big halls with over 600 exhibitors! I had great time visiting both established and new innovative brands.

Here are the key highlights of OutDoor by ISPO 2024:

• Product Showcases: The fair featured the newest and most innovative outdoor gear. I could see products which will be launched both during autumn 2024 and spring 2025. So cool to see new innovations which will be shown to public next seasons
• Workshops and Seminars: The fair offered educational opportunities on various topics relevant to the outdoor industry. I was mostly impressed by the progress of sustainability aspect in the industry. I took part of Sustainability Hub Guided Tour and I learnt that sustainability plays an important role in almost every company. It is great to see competition among the manufacturers who will come up with better and more sustainable solutions
• Networking Opportunities: When there is over 600 exhibitors, the networking possibilities are endless. I talked with established brands as well as startups, with media, other bloggers and influencers and I created both new friendships and business contacts. It was great to talk to the companies both during the opening times of the fair as well as during informal afterparties which were held at the fair after closing times.
• Trend Reports: The fair provided insights into upcoming trends and consumer preferences in the outdoor market. As a result of the fair, ISPO predicts three key industry trends: Innovation Over Sustainability: While sustainability remains crucial, it should now be a standard practice. The outdoor industry needs to focus on driving forward new ideas and innovations. Collective Growth: Progress in the industry hinges on continuous development, best achieved through collaboration and mutual responsibility. Embracing Technology: Artificial intelligence and digitalization have become essential in the outdoor, sports and textile sectors. It’s vital to integrate, adapt to, and leverage these technologies for our benefit.

Scandinavian outdoor award and product testing

Besides visiting the fair and working there as a photographer and journalist, I also got a great opportunity before. I was honoured to be chosen as a jury member of Scandinavian outdoor award 2024. It was a fantastic experience. What was our task?

The Scandinavian Outdoor Award is a highly esteemed award within the outdoor industry. All companies within Scandinavian Outdoor Group can take part in the competition and every participating product is judged by a panel of renowned outdoor journalists, retailers, and bloggers. Our jury consisted of 8 people from the whole Europe and it was amazing to exchange experience and opinions of every product.  

Products were thoroughly tested in real-world outdoor conditions. We evaluated the best products based on their functionality, quality, innovation, design, sustainability, and performance. Our task was to select awards winners in five categories: Overall winner, Sustainability, Innovation, Lifestyle, True Scandinavia. Are you curious which companies won after our three day thorough testing in Swiss Lenzerheide ? Take a look which products our jury selected as winners:

I took all these pictures above during our intensive testing in Switzerland. Would you like to read more about the products? You can take a look at detailed description at Scandinavian Outdoor Award website.

Most exciting products of ISPO 2024

Besides these five products, I visited most of the 600 companies which visited ISPO 2024. The fair is so big that it’s impossible to visit all of them but I got a very nice overview of interesting products. These are the ones which stood out in my opinion:

• MOB WorkSack backpacks are all mountaineers need. Cilogear created durable and lightweight climbing  backpacks made from reclaimed ocean waste

• Mayastick are 100% natural, resin-soaked, easy-to-light fire starters. Toether with Swedish FireSteel scout 2in1 from Light my Fire, they offer possibility to easily set fire in a natural way without chemicals both in nature on your trips and in your garden when you want to grill with your friends

• Cotopaxi backpacks which are made from leftover materials from other production make the products all unique, sustainable and beautifully colourful. I loved the design.

• Tactical foodpack’s food supply for hikers and adventurers surprised me with wide range of products and their taste. Compared to its competitors, I appreciated especially snacks such as freeze fried gouda cheese with high calories and excellent taste. Perfect quick energy in emergency situations

• Kupilka products offer beautiful equipment for dining in nature. Look at their website at the design of cutlery, plates and cups. The products are packed in birch plywood case made by Kolo Design Oy

• Xtorm Powerbanks offer strong durable powerbanks for extreme environment as well as innovative products such as portable power socket or effective solar panels

• Walkstool is a Swedish invention and the only three telescopic legged stool perfect for camping and photographers like me

• Twistboxes offer a revolutionary cargo box invention – a foldable rooftop cargo carriers.

• DA Black Sheeps picnic blankets made by a Hungarian startup company can be turned into backpacks. Perfect invention for Swedish summers

• Startup Kaemp8848 with headquarters and production in Nepal makes innovative outdoor clothing

I would like to show you more products but unfortunately, I couldn’t photograph at many stands due to secrecy. Some products which I wanted to share with you haven’t been launched yet and they will be for sale during autumn 2024 or spring 2025. The only thing I can disclose it that for instance PeakDesign and Jetboil are preparing fantastic products for 2025!

Do you want cooperate with your outdoor products?

OutDoor by ISPO 2024 was a very nice experience for me. If you haven’t visited it yet, I hardly recommend it. You can’t meet so many other manufacturers, retailers, and influencers in the outdoor industry at any other place and you can establish a lot of new contacts and affairs efficiently in short time. I myself met many interesting people, made many new friends and found also a couple of companies which I will cooperate with.

If you read the whole article until here, you might want to cooperate with me too. Do you have a company with interesting outdoor product? I offer testing, professional pictures and sale via my blog. Are you interested? Send me an email to info@jardazaoral.com for more information.

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you, if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and services of companies I use and the income goes to keeping the website running.