The first ISPO in China was held from March 14–17, 2005 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center (SNIEC) with the aim to become the professional platform for the sporting goods market in Asia, not limited to the borders of China.
In 2006 at the second edition the Outdoor community had an especially strong presence. In addition to many return exhibitors such as Tecnica Group, Aicad, Gabel, Gregory, Gronell, Merrell, Leki, Codeba, La Sportiva, and Vibram, as well as renowned exhibitors such as Lowa, Northland, Craft, Trere, The North Face, Tatonka, or W.L. Gore, the organizers were pleased to welcome newcomers such as Vasque, Rukka, Kamik, or Toray. Among the VIPs was former tennis player Boris Becker.
The first “ISPO china winter” in Beijing was opened. With 300 national and international exhibiting brands and 16,500 square meters of exhibition space the fair was the newest event in the ISPO group and the second show in China.
“With ISPO china winter 2007, we want to continue the overwhelming success of ispo winter 07 in Munich, which has brought us yet another exhibitor and visitor record. At the same time and based on our experience, we want to contribute our portion to the further development of winter and outdoor sports in China, with ISPO being the only global trade show in this business”—Manfred Wutzlhofer, Past Chairman and Senior Representative of Messe München
Due to the Olympic Summer Games 2008 ISPO china 08 took place at the China International Exhibition Center (CIEC). Following on from the success of the first event, more than 300 brands from over 30 countries participated in the communities of outdoor, racketsports, bike, boardsports, ski, teamsports/running, sportswear/sportstyle, fabrics/fibres, fitness and golf. Ski resort development was added as a new trade show segment.
The 5th edition of the professional sports business platform for the entire Asian-Pacific Rim continued to grow. For the first time „Alpitec China“ joined forces with ISPO. Alpitec is a specialty tradeshow segment for winter sports resort equipment which is organized by Fiera Bolzano.
Highlights from the accompanying program: the 4th China Outdoor Retailing Conference (CORC) in cooperation with GORE-TEX®, the 4th Asia Pacific Snow Conference (APSC) in cooperation with Alpitec China, China Pan-Outdoor Elite Conference, Distributor Match Making, Wearable Technologies Area, Creative Sports Products Design Show and many more.
Shortly after China entered the Year of the Tiger the 6th ISPO China took place once more in the China International Exhibition Center. Like in the previous years before, the Chinese market kept on growing and established itself as the strongest emerging market in the world. We were very happy to have the following brands for the first time at ISPO China: Columbia, Mountain Hardwear, Ecco, Black Diamond, Outdoor Research, Spyder, Nidecker, Atomic, Head, Bemis, and Karrimor.
The seventh trade show in Asia opened its doors for three days at its new venue, the China International Exhibition Center in Beijing, to more than 17,700 professional visitors. This represented a further record year for ISPO china, with an increase in attendance of 9 percent.
Overall a total of 276 exhibitors participated, representing 350 brands from 19 countries. 94 international companies exhibited at ISPO China 2011 with Italy, Scandinavia and the USA all having a strong presence. Among first time exhibitors were Phenix, Cratoni Helmets, Osprey, Oakley, Thinkpace, Barco, Salewa, adidas eyewear and Deeluxe, as well as the new French Village.
In 2012 ISPO Beijing once again broke its own records: more than 24,500 industry professionals came to the China National Convention Center in Beijing to view the exhibited products by 353 exhibitors, 516 brands on 35.000 square meters of exhibit space. This represented a two-digit growth of the trade show in all relevant areas, and further expanded its position as the leading sports business platform in the Asia-Pacific territories.
“The Chinese market is developing rapidly in terms of need and demand, so it is important that we present our brand heritage. ISPO is a globally trusted partner; it is the reason why we chose ISPO Beijing to introduce the history of Burton to the Chinese consumers and industry.”—Donna Carpenter, Burton, President
"ISPO Beijing is an essential compass determining the direction of the Asian sports market. The trade show illuminates trends such as outdoor sports, covers fashion, production methods and winter sports infrastructures. Due to our services visitors are able to test product innovations to their hearts’ content. This wide spectrum and a promising market are the cause for ISPO Beijing’s rapid growth,” explained Klaus Dittrich, Chairman and CEO of Messe München.
In the ten year's since ISPO first opened the doors to connect sports business in Asia, with the first trade show of its kind, the market has evolved at an exceptional pace. Matching this energy, rather than keeping pace, ISPO established its position at the forefront of sports initiatives in the Asia-Pacific region.
“We have participated in ISPO Munich in Germany several times, but it’s our first time at ISPO Beijing. This is a good chance for more people in the industry to get to know our brands. ISPO Beijing is very important for the outdoor industry in China. Many people come here to find out about the trends, changes and new brands in the industry.”—Mr. Kafir Chen, Amer Sports, Outdoor Sports General Manager (China)
“Through the development in these years, ISPO Beijing has become more mature, professional and is deeply rooted in the sports industry in China.”—Ms. Fan Jun, China Commerce Association for General Merchandise, Standing Vice President
ISPO Beijing 2015 continued its success story. The show hosted over 430 exhibitors with more than 600 brands. Exhibitors praised the high quality of the visitors and the first-class side event program—in particular the Trend Forum, the Asia Pacific Snow Conference (APSC) and the ISPO Textrends Forum.
ISPO Beijing 2016 already has its sights set firmly on the Olympics. 38,600 visitors made their way to Asia's leading multi-segment trade fair. The events program proved to be incredibly popular. The Asia Pacific Snow Conference (APSC) was one of the highlights, featuring the release of a comprehensive report on China's ski industry as a world first. The Running Village was dedicated to the megatrend that is running and boasted an extensive accompanying program.
“This year marks my 6th visit to ISPO Beijing, and I think the trade fair has evolved spectacularly, with both the quality and quantity of visitors increasing once again. For us, it’s vital that we are able to connect with the Chinese market, and we are very happy to report that ISPO Beijing gives us the perfect platform to make contact with the right people.”—Mr. Alex Koska, Fenix Outdoor AB, Vice President Global Sales
“The growing significance of sports in the Chinese population can be seen in the development of ISPO Beijing. In addition, major sports events like the 2022 Olympic games are spurring on the industry. That was clearly noticeable during the four days of the exhibition.”—Klaus Dittrich, Chairman & CEO of Messe München
A total of 502 exhibitors presented their latest product developments. More than 40,000 visitors gathered information about the innovations and exhibits of 728 brands.
In 2018, 463 exhibitors and 745 brands were on-site, more than half of which were international. A highlight of the trade show edition was the Start-up Village. Young Chinese and international companies presented their innovative developments and provided the entire sports industry with fresh impetus.
Furthermore, Alibaba’s Tmall and ISPO announced a planned cooperation. As part of the initiative, Alibaba intends to support the ISPO network by digitizing its services, particularly those aimed at the Chinese consumer market.
January 16–19, 2019
