A strong network thrives on communication, exchange and relationship building. Whether for management, purchasing, sales or marketing: above all, the exchange with suppliers and brands is the central factor for retailers at ISPO Munich 2024. This year, well-known companies such as Bergans, Blackroll, Oakley, Fjällraven, Hanwag, Icebug, Ternua, Kailas, K. Swiss, La Sportiva, Maloja, Colmar, Montura, Polartec, Recco, Sketchers and Gore have already registered as exhibitors - and there are more to come.
Rainer Angstl, Managing Director of Sporthaus Schuster in Munich: "For Schuster, good partnerships have always been important and an integral part of our philosophy and success in long-standing networks. Meeting as many relevant industry partners as possible at the trade show is an absolute added value for us."
Christian Hofstetter, Head of Buying & Sales at Bergzeit, agrees. A bonus on site: contacts with people with whom you would otherwise not be in regular contact. "We also take the opportunity to talk to manufacturers on site with whom we are otherwise rarely in contact. In addition, interesting encounters often arise by chance with people from the industry who are not present at traditional annual meetings, for example, because they work in other departments but still bring exciting topics with them," says Hofstetter.
Market trends, customer wishes, goals: Equally crucial in terms of knowledge transfer is the exchange with other colleagues from the retail sector.
The fact that sustainability is one of the key issues in the sports business is probably no surprise to most people. But how is the topic changing with the current challenges? Innovations, material developments and new and well-known initiatives find a home in the Sustainability Hub and, paired with keynote speeches and panels, provide a framework for discussion and the derivation of own measures.
ISPO Munich also offers a platform for cooperation and presentation of sustainability efforts in the retail sector, such as in the form of the Outdoor Retailer Climate Commitment (ORCC), an association of various retail players who want to promote the topic of sustainability: "The trade show offers a good stage for interest groups such as the ORCC attention," says Christian Hofstetter from Bergzeit. At the same time, he would like to see even more exchange between retail and industry in order to jointly develop solutions, for example in the area of climate commitment, but also with regard to topics such as master data standards that affect everyone.
As recently seen in the example of the Olympic Games: Sport influences the fashion industry and fashion fans are an integral part of the sports market. According to reports, they are one of the target groups that have been given high crisis resistance and further growth opportunities in the last few tense months. Accordingly, the combination of sports culture, outdoor and fashion is also the focus of this year's ISPO Munich.
At the curated special area Zeitgeist by ISPO curated special area, trends such as the classic outdoor lifestyle merge with current trends and lifestyles to create a fresh cross-section on the pulse of the times. The literally "fashion forward" event partnership with the lifestyle blog Highsnobiety and its 520M space at ISPO Munich provides inspiration for sports retail fashion, but fashion representatives will also find points of contact with the sports and outdoor side of the industry.
At the same time, this year's ISPO Munich is addressing another growth area in the market with a greater focus on health. In cooperation with the Leipzig trade show, ISPO Munich will present the latest trends in the ICM with an adjacent exhibition area at the therapie MÜNCHEN. The trade fair and congress for therapy and medical rehabilitation is aimed at masseurs as well as physiotherapists, occupational therapists and sports therapists.
Areas such as ISPO Brandnew and ISPO Awards at ISPO Munich 2024 offer insights and contact points for the exchange of innovative business models and groundbreaking products from established brands.
Together with product developers and teams at the award ceremonies and talks in the various segments, there are opportunities for interaction and networking around the trade show's seal of quality, as well as to learn more about products, concepts or the touch and feel live. Special Recognitions at the ISPO Award ceremony offer additional classification: The Public Choice Award shows which of the award-winning products are favored by end consumers, while the Retail Choice Award classifies which award products are most important to retail colleagues in various subject areas.
Mapping existing customer wishes and anticipating new ones is a core competence in purchasing. "It's important for us to be able to see the latest trends at a trade show and get as comprehensive an overview as possible of the coming season in a short space of time," says Rainer Angstl from Sporthaus Schuster.
Demographic and digital change are trends that are changing our economic world, including in the sports business, of course. Keeping up with technology and using it correctly in your own business area is the motto - creative, agile and networked companies are thus gaining in importance, as can be seen in the example of large tech companies and social media giants. At the same time, social media criticism and algorithm fatigue are spreading.
At the same time, younger people's expectations of their jobs have risen. How do you become a popular employer in these times and keep your people happy, even in our industry, which is characterized by emotional messages and thrives on passion and lifeblood, among other things? And how do you use technology skillfully without neglecting the human factor? "Find Solutions" is a fitting topic at ISPO Munich 2024, which will be the focus of the largest international sports business platform.
At ISPO Munich 2024, the Future Lab will once again be a hub for exchange, where providers of digital products will present their retail solutions and where the Main Stage of ISPO Munich with a renowned speaker line-up will also be located. The Sports Tech Nation conference completes the offering for managers from the sports technology industry.
In addition, an integrated Career Hub offers a platform for young talents and specialists, as well as input and exchange for employer branding and recruiting in general. The Young Talents program for trainees in retail also complements the offer and provides an opportunity to gain initial trade fair experience.
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