MUNICH, Germany — Outdoor, the European Outdoor Group (EOG)’s flagship trade show, will return to a different location in 2026 as part of a new initiative called European Outdoor Week, which will take place May 15-20 in Riva del Garda, Italy.
Show organizer Messe München, along with the event’s organizers, canceled Outdoor 2025 because of lagging registration.
Outdoor 2026 will take place May 17-18 as part of a multi-layered event including the Outdoor Impact Summit (which will kick off the week’s events on May 15-16), an EOG Assembly and a festival for trade and consumer visitors. The Outdoor Impact Summit will include a reimagined Outdoor Awards ceremony and networking dinner.
Riva del Garda is in the Trentino region of Italy on the southern edge of the Italian Alps and the northernmost point of Lake Garda.
The EOG will co-manage and co-market these events with the regional show Outdoor and Running Business Days (ORBD), taking place May 17-18. The association is working closely with MagNet Srl SB, which owns and organizes ORBD.
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“It’s important to emphasize that our first priority is to deliver a program that works effectively for the trade,” Christian Schneidermeier, EOG Director, said. “Stakeholders across the sector have been clear that they really value in-person events, but those gatherings have already changed in nature a great deal in recent years and to be successful in the long run, a genuinely fresh approach is needed.
“That is what we are bringing with the first European Outdoor Week — and the Outdoor business-to-business trade show platform will be at the heart of that.”
Festivalization will also bring a fresh approach.
“There have been many discussions over the years about adding a consumer-facing or ‘festival’ element to events like this, and aspects have been trialed with some success,” Schneidermeier said. “A setting like Riva del Garda provides a perfect stage to introduce something new and significant, providing a chance for consumers to engage directly with the industry in an incomparable Italian outdoor setting.”
Schneidermeier is a believer in trade shows, especially in challenging times.
“We are all in a difficult period at the moment, with many economic and political uncertainties at a domestic and international level. That situation is not limited to the outdoor sector, but sometimes we allow ourselves to feed a negative narrative by constantly questioning the value of platforms like trade shows and focusing on what hasn’t worked or needs changing.
“Our objective is to find a successful way forward for the benefit of everyone, through cooperation. By working together, we can — and will — accomplish more. With the European Outdoor Week, we have an opportunity to show up and show what we offer, to each other, to the wider sporting goods and business world, and to the general public.”
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