Fresh start: Inside the first Ispo in Amsterdam
After more than 55 years in Munich, the first edition of the Ispo sports trade fair took place in Amsterdam this week. While international sporting goods companies from Northern Europe, the UK and the US were receptive to the new location, German businesses in particular seemed to hold back and wait out the inaugural edition.
Parts of the German industry may have sat out this year or only explored the trade show as visitors, says Tracy Bebbington, managing director of Ispo. Overall, she drew a positive conclusion after the three-day event. Even in the weeks leading up to the fair, she had sensed a “curious positivity”. Brands, retailers and manufacturers were heavily involved. First impressions suggest that the previously announced investments in the hosted buyer programme, content and activations, as well as in the Impact Fund, the fair's charitable component, were successfully implemented. However, a reliable assessment will only be possible once participant feedback is available. For the next edition, the organisers plan to fine-tune existing formats and increase the return on investment as well as the “return on engagement” for exhibitors and visitors.
Shorter and earlier than in Munich
A comparison with the final edition in Munich shows just how much the trade fair has changed. At the end of 2025, 1,750 exhibitors from 54 countries presented themselves across nine halls over three days in Munich. For Amsterdam, Ispo had announced 2,000 exhibiting companies and 25,000 visitors in advance. According to an initial projection by the organisers, around 20,000 visitors attended. In 2024, the Munich trade fair had recorded around 55,000 trade visitors.
The actual trade show was shortened to two days. It was preceded by the Ispo Leaders Summit, a dedicated conference day for executives. In addition, the date was brought forward by around four weeks from late November and early December to the beginning of November. For the first time, the International Running Expo (IRX), a running trade fair, ran in parallel and was accessible with the same ticket. Ispo is now organised by a joint venture between London-based Raccoon Media Group (RMG) and Messe München.
Buyers want more brands
For the next edition, buyers primarily want to see more brands, says Bebbington. “Buyers want to see who is coming next.” She sees an answer to this in the Brandnew area, which Ispo brought over from Munich and organises in Amsterdam together with Japanese zip manufacturer YKK. Emerging brands that meet specific criteria can exhibit there for a fixed price and present themselves on stage. The buyers' lounge was deliberately positioned so that the route leads directly through this area.
These brands included South Korean sports shoe start-up Darimati, which was only founded in April via a crowdfunding campaign on the Kickstarter platform, explained chief executive officer (CEO) Hyunuk Hwang. The company was created in response to the growing popularity of the Hyrox fitness competition in Seoul. The focus is on hybrid sports shoes with a special sole designed for stability to minimise the risk of injury. Following its direct-to-consumer (D2C) launch in South Korea and the US, the brand has already won over several retailers and fitness clubs there and now wants to establish partnerships in Europe.
In this area, YKK also showcased products integrating its own zip innovations, such as the UltraLayer Jacket by Belgian cycling apparel manufacturer Bioracer and the running-focused Colibri Light rain jacket by Austrian sporting goods company Löffler.
Running trade fair returns
Everything also revolved around running at the IRX, which took place in Amsterdam for the second time. Exhibitors were primarily suppliers of accessories and nutritional supplements, though several apparel and sports shoe brands were also represented, including US company Skechers with its running category, as well as Scott. The Swiss sporting goods manufacturer reports that its strongest market is France, followed by the US, Italy and the German-speaking region. The company showcased footwear and apparel for running. This included a collaboration with Romanian long-distance runner Mădălina Florea, which launches next year and comprises two shoe models for different distances.
Overall, the company was satisfied with the edition, said Peter Cable, head of running at Scott. However, there were not many buyers and retailers on site, he noted, pointing to the importance of wholesale for the brand. A spring edition might therefore work better for this category, where current spring/summer looks could also be presented. Greater participation from other sporting goods companies in the category would have both pros and cons. Additional brands would liven up the floor, though major brands would also take up more space again. Currently, buyers are able to take more time for smaller brands and supplementary products.
German outdoor brands absent
A similar picture emerged on the Ispo brand floor, where companies were partly grouped by country and region. Participation from outdoor brands, which are an integral part of the trade fair, was rather low. Names from Germany in particular, such as Jack Wolfskin, Lowa or Deuter, were missed, said a representative of British outdoor brand Craghoppers. Consequently, retailers from the German-speaking region did not accept his invitation to Amsterdam. By contrast, partners from the UK as well as from Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg were significantly more satisfied. Only a few interested parties came from sports retail group Intersport, which was represented as a retail partner of the trade show. Under these circumstances, the brand will have to consider whether and in what form to participate again.
Will Stanton, head of UK and ROI sales at Equip Outdoor Technologies, the parent company of Rab, also heard from buyers that they wanted more brands, especially smaller and as yet unknown ones. The British down specialist itself, whose range extends from sleeping bags to heavily padded jackets, was very satisfied. All key accounts from its domestic market were on site, and the brand even welcomed guests from North America and New Zealand. According to its own figures, the brand generates 90 percent of its revenue in wholesale, almost half of it in the UK market. Above all, Stanton sees the good transport links as an advantage over Munich. Under these circumstances, the trip to Amsterdam is worthwhile even for a single day at the fair.
Major appearances from China and US
Tanboer had one of the largest stands, framed among other things by a climbing scene featuring mannequins. The Chinese premium down jacket brand, which is targeting revenue of three billion Chinese yuan for 2026, is participating in Ispo for the fifth time. New to the range is a hybrid running and hiking shoe, marking the brand's first foray into this category. Launched in October, the model is set to be followed next by a shoe for professional climbing.
Tanboer also plans to tap into new markets via Ispo. Currently, the brand generates 90 percent of its revenue in its domestic market. The majority of this comes from brick and mortar retail across around 700 points-of-sale, roughly 55 percent of which are standalone stores. Now the company wants to gain a foothold in Europe and is particularly targeting the German-speaking region, said Ivan Wang, chairman’s assistant at Tanboer. To achieve this, the brand initially wants to make a name for itself in the ski and snowboard sector and network with the community and associations. This includes an existing partnership with the Austrian snowboard team and a collaboration with the German team starting next year.
The equally large neighbouring stand was occupied by US sportswear brand Fabletics, which already has a strong presence in Germany. After skipping the farewell edition in Munich, the brand returned in Amsterdam. On the first day of the fair, which had significantly higher attendance overall than the second, the team spoke with only a few German partners. However, they held good discussions with retailers from Italy, France and the UK, said Mark Ralea, general manager Europe at Fabletics. The brand did not showcase major novelties at the stand, though it announced plans to bring its denim segment to Europe from the first quarter of 2027. It has been part of the US range since last year.
Suppliers, testing areas and sustainability
Away from the brand areas, several of the surrounding halls were reserved for the “Manufacturing & Ingredients” section. This is where the supply and manufacturing side of the industry presented itself. Producers of materials, components and finished products were looking to win over brands as production partners. The offering ranged from zips, table tennis bats and trophies to sportswear manufacturers.
There was plenty to try out across the entire trade fair. Visitors could test products in a dedicated padel hall and a small pool, while snowboarders and skiers showed off their tricks on the ramps outside.
There was also a dedicated area for sustainable suppliers. Exhibitors there included the Südwolle Group from Schwaig near Nuremberg, one of the largest manufacturers of worsted yarns made from wool and wool blends. Also represented was The New Zealand Merino Company (NZM) from Christchurch, which markets New Zealand merino wool and is responsible for the ZQ certification for ethically produced wool. Alongside this, there was once again a special sustainability hub presenting topics such as water consumption in jeans production, outerwear wear and tear, and recycling.
Textile trends for spring/summer 2029 and autumn/winter 2028/29
The Ispo Textrends boards illustrate the extent to which the circular economy and digitalisation are shaping the industry. For spring/summer 2029, the trend forum formulates three megatrends. Under “Looping the Loop”, circularity shifts from a nice-to-have to a core business task, driven by textile-to-textile recycling, new feedstocks and bio-based alternatives to fossil raw materials. “Smart Shift” describes how artificial intelligence (AI), automation and data accelerate design, production, sourcing and sales. Meanwhile, “Play On!” assigns the industry the task of getting people back outdoors and bringing them together. At the material level, natural fibres such as wool, hemp, linen and silk with new performance properties (“Natural Bounty”) sit alongside ultra-light, packable constructions (“Quantum Leap”), recycled fibres with archival references (“Back to the Future”) and cleaner chemistry along the textile chain (“Bio Logic”). The latter explicitly focuses on the dyeing and finishing processes of natural fibres.
Similar themes run through the forecast for autumn/winter 2028/29. The “Unconditional” megatrend links responsibility with regulation and compliance. “Divination” views digitalisation as the backbone of the industry, from AI-supported sewing machines to cloud-based production models designed to combat overstock. “Social Spirit” positions physical activity as a counterweight to screen time and ongoing political crises. In terms of textiles, the focus is on durable, protective outdoor materials (“Brevity”) and irregular surfaces alongside new welding techniques, for instance in down jackets (“Off-base”). Added to this is a coexistence rather than competition between natural and synthetic fibres (“Raw rationality”), as well as wearables, printed sensors and app-controlled heating systems (“Stalwart”). In terms of colour, the spectrum ranges from soft rose and grey tones to sepia nuances with copper and gold for trims. For SS29, purple is a new addition to the core palette.
An international jury of textile designers, trend experts and journalists selected the exhibits in September. There were no radical innovations, concludes David Shah, editor-in-chief of trend forecasting publication View Magazine. Instead, manufacturers focused on price and value in a market where costs are once again playing a major role. Textile and sustainability expert Kutay Saritosun observed many textile-to-textile recycled fibres made of polyamide and polyester, frequently combined with wool. Collagen as a fibre was new to him. Louisa Smith, international textile trend consultant, highlights finishes free from per- and polyfluorinated chemicals, as well as dyes derived from food waste.
Heading into the future with a new concept
Ispo had already outlined where the journey is headed for the trade fair at the kick-off on Tuesday. Under the umbrella of Ispo Sports Week, the trade show, public events and community formats are set to come together in a joint event week in the future. Amsterdam is to remain the main location and will grow in 2027 to include the new PadelXpo and OutdoorXpo formats. A first edition in Dubai is planned for September 2027, while the existing trade fairs in Shanghai and Beijing will become spin-offs of the Sports Week. The US is also set to follow in 2028.
“We want Ispo Sports Week to become a celebration of sport,” says Bebbington. Ideally, the week will comprise around 50 events, by no means all of them organised by RMG. Third parties are to be explicitly encouraged to schedule their own events during this period. Bebbington does not intend to alter Ispo itself in the process. It will remain a one-day summit and two trade fair days in order to keep costs manageable for exhibitors. The hall plan, however, will be adjusted. An additional hall will be added next year, and the IRX is to connect directly to Ispo. Bebbington is in no rush with the restructuring. “This is our first year, and we know it is a learning process. I always say it is a marathon and not a sprint.”