OutDoor 2024: The highlights on Monday

💡 Product: Think New 💡

"The world is changing. Will we change too?" ISPO and EOG answered this question with a resounding YES at this year's press conference and presented the first insights into the concept of OutDoor 2025.

The trade show will be transformed. What can you expect? A concept that is equally exciting and full of surprises for both visitors and exhibitors. Three key changes are at the forefront: Built Environment, More Opportunities and Creating More Business Value.

Built Environment: The layout of the trade show will change fundamentally, to a "Village". The goal: an exciting and at the same time constructive way to explore OutDoor. And with more budget-friendly exhibition options.

More opportunities: OutDoor 2025 will appeal to even more target groups, including product design and development, marketing and market research, production and sourcing, and many more. There will be dedicated areas where these professionals can better collaborate and learn from each other.

Creating More Business Value: Value will be increased for all stakeholders. The "Village" layout will improve visitor flow in the halls and create more opportunities for first row placements, while "Freestyle" areas will encourage creative exhibiting.

The concept and exhibitor offer for 2025 will be finalized in early October this year.

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A highlight and a permanent fixture at every OutDoor: the presentation of textile trends by textile and fashion expert Louisa Smith. In addition to the colors of the core range and the four complementary satellite ranges, the three megatrends for the spring/summer 2026 season are also eagerly awaited:

• Megatrend #1 Power Up
  Even if sustainability is and remains the dominant theme: it must become the norm and it is time for the sports industry to drive new ideas forward.

• Megatrend #2 Community
  Movement in the industry means, among other things, continuous development. And the best way to do this is together - in people-to-people interactions and through a sense of responsibility for one another.

• Megatrend #3 Revolution
  Artificial intelligence and digitalization are now an integral part of the sports and textile industry. So we have to live it, embrace it, adapt to it and: We need to use them to our advantage.

Finally, Louisa Smith presents the winners of the Spring/Summer 2026 Textile and Apparel Editions. Here it becomes clear: sustainability has now become the standard and is a given for all winners in one way or another.

Full warehouses, slow supply chains, growing inflation and fluctuations in the market are unsettling consumers and slowing down consumption. OutDoor took advantage of these challenging times, evaluated the Consumer Insight Reports of recent years and packed the learnings into the OutDoor Industry Navigator 2024. Christoph Beaufils, Lead Brand Strategy & Communication, will present the 11 mindshifts of the Navigator on the first OutDoor day. Outdoor and sports brands will learn which strategies will lead their products to success, how to communicate successfully with business partners and how to successfully maneuver their brand through a year full of challenges.

You couldn't be there and want to learn more about the "11 Mindshifts to think out of the door"? Then download the free whitepaper here:

Four Award Gatherings, four times adrenaline: There will be celebrations in the categories “Bike/Commuting, Camping/Vanlife, Watersports”, “Running/Trailrunning, Climbing”, “Mountaineering/Hiking” and “Multisport” while the trophies are presented and the innovations are honored. And in the evening, the premiere of the Final Gathering will ensure a worthy conclusion to the award day: a total of nine Special Recognitions will be awarded here for products that deserve special mention from the perspective of the ISPO Award jury, retailers (Retail Choice) and consumers (Public Choice).

• The Kboix from NNormal can win in the Running/Trailrunning category with awards from the Retail Panel as well as the ISPO Award Jury. The modular multisport shoe has three midsoles that can be exchanged depending on the surface and terrain.
• There is also a double award in the multisport category: the foldable and inflatable aH-1 bicycle helmet from Ventete wins the ISPO Retail and the Jury Award.
• Consumers also had their say: The coveted Public Choice Award goes to the Oakley ARO7 Road helmet. Thanks to its integrated Prizm™ visor, aerodynamic design and excellent ventilation, the helmet helps road cyclists achieve truly top performance.

• In the Mountaineering/Hiking category, the Jury Award goes to the Deuter Speed Lite Pro hiking rucksack, which is even lighter, more breathable and more sustainable than its predecessors.
• In the Camping/Vanlife category, the Sea to Summit Frontier Ultralight Kitchenware - the ultra-light cooking and eating utensils inspire adventurers with their ergonomic, compact and high-performance usability.
• The Retail Choice Award in the Mountaineering/Hiking category honors the Mammut 9.5 Alpine Core Protect Dry Rope climbing rope, which has improved cut resistance, while its handling, dynamics and weight are no different from a regular climbing rope.
• The innovative coffee solution for outdoor fans No Normal Coffee receives the Retail Choice Award in the Camping/Vanlife category - so it's not just astronauts who love coffee from a tube.

The winners are beaming with their trophies and even put the bad weather in the shade. A great experience and a true symbol of the innovative power of the outdoor industry.

In his keynote speech "Future of Outdoor", Jon Takao, Director of WGSN Sports & OutDoor, impresses with facts that are sometimes depressing, sometimes hopeful and always exciting. According to Takao, three factors in particular will influence the outdoor world in 2024:

World Building

Decisive elections, conflict in the Middle East, an uncertain global situation and, on top of that, overwork, burnout and fears about the future at a personal level: in a time of global fatigue, consumers are increasingly longing for relaxation in the great outdoors and to escape from everyday life and immerse themselves in new worlds, emotions and experiences. Brands and event organizers are already responding to these needs and quiet, relaxing outdoor experiences such as swimming under the stars, as well as all-inclusive packages such as bike-packing including art experiences, are proving very popular.

Eco-accountability

Climate change is no longer an abstract inconvenience, but an acute emergency whose effects can be seen every day. Some destinations such as Mexico, Thailand or Egypt now have five to six fewer days of outdoor activities due to the heat. Both destinations and brands are already adapting, be it with night beaches, such as in Dubai, or Adidas with its Live Location Tracker, which is designed to keep women safe when running in the dark.

The Age Spectrum

Ability, lifestyle or behavior are no longer the factors that define age. Outdoor brands need to respond to this and approach age and life milestones in a more fluid and open-minded way, including the older members of the active target group. Successful examples range from the growing e-bike market on a large scale to zippers that can be closed more easily with cold or shaky hands thanks to innovative magnetic technology.

More exciting facts about the future of the outdoors can be found here.

💚 Planet: Think Sustainable 💚

"Biodiversity is one of the most important topics in our industry".
This is how Anna Rodewald, Co-Founder of GreenroomVoice, opens the Green Stage on Monday morning and thus the panel discussion "Biodiversity: How to make a positive impact on biodiversity, the role of the Oudoor industry". Together with experts from the industry, she will discuss one of the greatest challenges facing humanity today and presents strategies and methods for protecting our valuable natural areas.

"It doesn't have to be complicated!" An aha moment from Hanna Denes, Senior Standards Manager at Textile Exchange, during her work with the topic. Even though nature is complex and there is no "one size fits all" solution, there are already numerous organizations that take biodiversity to heart, such as EOCA, Textile Exchange and The New Zealand Merino Company. But Mackenzie Muir, Market Relationship Manager European Market at The New Zealand Merino Company, makes it clear: "We can't do it alone." The outdoor industry has always been dependent on nature and now nature is dependent on the outdoor industry. Only together can our planet and biodiversity be safeguarded. It is now up to brands to support organizations and institutions. How? A fitting appeal from Tanya Bascombe, Joint General Manager EOCA, to conclude: "Start, just start!"

Michaela Kaniber, Bavarian Minister of State for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Tourism, also makes it clear in the panel discussion "Freizeitlust - Naturfrust?" that it doesn't work alone, but only in "togetherness". Together with Hilde Gerg, former ski racer, and Fabian Wöhrl, travel blogger and content creator, she talks about respectful coexistence between people, animals and nature and presents the "Respect your boundaries" initiative. "We need each other" for the protection of cultural landscapes, agriculture, panoramas and also for the protection of tourism. The tourism minister is naturally less keen to hear the term "overtourism". Instead, we should create solutions together. Be it the use of real-time data collection and AI innovations to relieve hotspots, ambassadors or regional personalities who create awareness for a respectful approach to nature, or initiatives such as "Respect your borders", which offers a guide for a sustainable nature experience with posters in natural areas. Because remember: "Nature does not belong to you alone." (Michaela Kaniber)

🤝 People: Think Together 🤝

Kimi Schreiber is not only an OutDoor testimonial, but also a professional trail runner, Adidas TERREX athlete and freelance sports journalist from Munich. In her keynote, Kimi will talk about sustainability in trail sports - from an athlete's perspective. Kimi has been trail running professionally for six years. During this time, the sport has changed and become increasingly popular. And that's understandable, who doesn't like being out in nature and clearing their head? But "you have to be conscious of nature as a playground and its resources and be aware that you are in nature," says Kimi. In Germany, around 15 million athletes regularly take part in outdoor sports, so the infrastructure should grow with them - as far as it can. But trails don't grow with you, nature and the earth only have a certain amount that they can provide.

Although athletes like Kimi use their reach wisely and do educational work, more needs to be done. Kimi talks about the Pro Trail Runners Association, an association of professional trail runners who see it as their responsibility to protect their sport and nature. Together, they developed a set of rules for sponsorship that includes points such as waste avoidance at events, sustainable transportation and the resource-saving use of new products. In order to make sport, and therefore the world, a little more sustainable, everyone has to work together: Brands, athletes, federations. And as Kimi concludes: "Trail running is sustainable, but it's in development and that's a process, just like everything else."

There was action all day at the Boulder Wall in the Climbing Hub, and in the afternoon it was the professionals' turn. Extreme mountaineer Dani Arnold climbed his way up the wall and was rewarded with bread rolls and a beer, while climbing pro Thomas Huber and mountain biker Gerhard Czerner also showed off their skills.

For all those who would like to try out the climbing wall: The Climbing Hub - just like the Trail Running Test Track - is also open to all visitors tomorrow from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm for testing.

The rain over the trade show doesn't stop the OutDoor Party on the opening day. With good DJs, an exuberant atmosphere, finger food and delicious drinks, the OutDoor crowd celebrates the first day in the old ISPO manner. The community knows how to party. And the next day, highly motivated to shape the future of the outdoor industry - that too. We are already looking forward to day 2.