ISPO Munich: Special Focus on Digitalization

One of the most exciting improvements at ISPO Munich is called Trends, Innovation & Industry Services. Behind the secret stands a glimpse into the digital sports industry of tomorrow in Hall C6. In the ISPO Digitize Area you will find the showpieces of the industry competition ISPO Brandnew Digital and innovative digital products and services as well as an eSports Arena where live events are offered. The ISPO Academy stage is also set up in C6.

Particularly valuable for sports retailers: Experts will be offering the VDS Digital Fitness Check at the stand of the Verband Deutscher Sportfachhandel (VDS). This is especially designed for sports retailers and tests to what extent sports companies are prepared for digitalization.

"Together we want to ensure that the sports retail trade is properly positioned on the topic of digitalization, which is crucial for the future of the industry," says VDS General Secretary Stefan Herzog. In addition to the test, there is also advice from the VDS for sports retailers.

On Monday (February 4th), Herzog will also be present at a panel discussion of the ISPO Academy on the topic "Digital Culture - Evolution opportunities through Digitalization". Just like Heiko Johannisson, Head of Sports from ebay. The first edition of the China Deep Dive Conference is  another highlight on Tuesday (February 5th). Karl Wehner from the Alibaba Group will present exciting facts about the e-commerce market in China.

Representatives of the soccer clubs Borussia Dortmund, Schalke 04 and the first league basketball team Alba Berlin will also be present on this day. Already on Monday the skateboard legend Tony Hawk will hold a keynote at the "ISPO Digitize Pioneers Night".

The eSports-Arena, another premiere at ISPO Munich 2019, will also be a sporty venue. In Hall C6, visitors can experience gamers live for the first time at the trade fair. Bayern Ballers Gaming, the eSports team of FC Bayern Basketball, will be dueling with the ISPO community. Visitors to the fair can also engage in a virtual snowball fight with customers in the Globetrotter store in the city centre of Munich, where the topic of eSports will also play an important role as part of the ISPO Munich Sports Week. Presentations by Sport1, Nielsen, the German Football League (DFL) and 7Sports in Hall C6 will wrap up the comprehensive range of digital trend sports on offer.

Of course, there are a lot of revolutionary digital products to see in the Digitize Area. The Bavarian company ASB GlassFloor, for example, is presenting a new glass sports floor which, thanks to integrated LED technology, is also a huge projection surface.

"On the one hand you can improve the show for the audience and create a wow effect. On the other hand, the floor would become the number one advertising space, leaving any perimeter advertising standing in the rain. This could generate more money for sports that would otherwise be overshadowed by soccer," says company boss Christof Babinsky. On the interactive playing field you can not only play videos, but also track players and create special effects. At ISPO Munich, people will also be playing soccer with a digital ball in the real world for the first time.

An equally exciting digital product is the Smacircle S1 e-bike. The electric bike fits folded into a backpack and is equipped with a USB slot and can be connected to the smartphone. The Mini e-bike can also be conveniently locked and unlocked via mobile phone.

Other exhibitors at ISPO Digitize will show smart solutions for design, procurement, production, point-of-sale (e.g. Digital Signage, Magic Mirror), online trading and also offer digitalization consulting. At the Brandnew Digital Pitch on Monday afternoon (4th of February) start-ups will compete for the favor of the jury. The founders present Apps, websites or platforms for the sports industry in an elevator pitch on the ISPO Academy stage.

The Wearable Technologies Conference Europe will also take place in Hall C6 on Tuesday and Wednesday (February 5th and 6th). The focus will be on digital, portable technologies and IoT (Internet of Things) devices and their market potential. Visitors can look forward to presentations from Bayer Vital, the BMW Group, Elan, Microsoft and many more.

Wearables, smart watches, fitness trackers and digital textiles will also be on display in Hall A5, in the "Mobile Health & Fitness" focus area. This also shows that the topic of digitalization plays an important role in ISPO Munich's overall offering.

By the way, the topic will remain in the focus even after ISPO Munich. The second ISPO Digitize Summit will take place on the 3rd and 4th of July 2019 at the ICM (International Congress Center Munich).