Klaus Dittrich had reason to smile. The Chairman of the Board of Management of Messe München was satisfied when he spoke about the first OutDoor by ISPO: "We can look back on a very successful OutDoor by ISPO," said Dittrich on the closing day.

He also pointed out that the fair was very well received by the entire industry. In addition to more than 1000 exhibitors, more than 22,000 trade visitors had come to Munich, and 87 percent of all visitors rated the first event as good to excellent according to official market research by Messe München.

They saw a new design with central aisles in the style of a shopping mile in the known halls of ISPO Munich. The exhibiting brands with their presentations were thus particularly eye-catching for the dealers.

But it was not only with respect to the exhibitor arrangement that Munich broadened its view: "We were also able to open up new opportunities for the industry to grow," said Dittrich. What does he mean by that? Together with the industry association European Outdoor Group (EOG), the trade fair has recently reinterpreted the term "outdoor" and has now proven this interpretation: "Together with the industry, we have started a new era in which 'outdoor' is not a predetermined definition of the industry, but the umbrella term for the individual attitude of each and every one of us."

The topics presented ranged from classic outdoor activities such as hiking or climbing, trail running, water sports and urban outdoor to the first-time integration of adventure travel and biking with its own bike course. This was supplemented by the X-Industry segment.

Thus OutDoor by ISPO was able to attract numerous new exhibitors. The traditional company Gabor presented itself for the first time ever at an outdoor trade fair as part of the Shoe & Trailrunning Village.

The bike softgoods brands ION and Endura as well as Billabong, Element and Griffin presented themselves with booths on the new urban outdoor area THE BORDERLANDS™. In total, the companies exhibited on 18 different areas. One topic was omnipresent across all segments: sustainability.

It is the big issue that will continue to occupy the industry in the coming decades. For this reason, the organizers also acted and introduced their own Code of Conduct for environmentally friendly and socially responsible actions.

It gave organizers, exhibitors and visitors concrete recommendations for climate-neutral and sustainable action. During the planning and implementation of the event, the ISPO team itself also took care to save resources, which was very popular with the industry.

"My conclusion is short and sweet: we have found exactly the modern platform we need in view of the current market changes," said Arne Strate, Secretary General of the EOG, who described the new concept of the trade fair as a success. Numerous lectures and discussions provided tips and inspiration for the point of sale and for addressing customers. Many lectures were buzzing with activity, Strate observed.

"Here we show the trends, can create an exchange and pick up the mood. That's why people are coming today, ordering is not their reason anymore. That has changed," said Strate, who analyzed the premiere in Munich together with Messe München.

"The EOG has told us: 'Mission Accomplished'. That was very important praise for me," said Dittrich. He smiled, of course, while saying this.

Other upcoming events from the ISPO network:

• ISPO Digitize Summit from 3 to 4 July 2019
• ES_COM from 5 to 7 July 2019
• ISPO Shanghai from 5 to 7 July 2019
• ISPO Munich from 26 to 29 January 2020
• ISPO Beijing from 12 to 15 February 2020
• OutDoor by ISPO from 28 June to 1 July 2020