AMSTERDAM — A new venue, concept and investment in content, advocacy and hosted buyers is set to transform ISPO, a leading trade fair for the sporting goods and outdoor industry.
Messe München and the UK-based media and events company Raccoon Media Group are joining forces in this endeavor. ISPO will be making a historic shift after more than 50 years in Munich. Starting next year, ISPO will relocate to the RAI Amsterdam, Nov. 3-5, 2026.
The last ISPO in Munich will be held Nov. 30-Dec. 2, 2025.
Under the partnership, Raccoon Media Group will assume operational leadership while Messe München will contribute its trade fair expertise. In addition, personnel from Messe München will transfer into the new leadership structure to support the transition.
The joint venture was formed in response to declining exhibitor and visitor numbers in recent years. Exhibitors dropped from 3,307 in 2018 to 1,937 in 2024, while visitors fell from 80,000 in 2019 to 55,000 in 2024.
“By combining ISPO’s heritage with our community-driven approach, we are creating an event that not only reflects the future of sport and the outdoors but actively shapes it. For too long, ISPO has been led by the head and lost some of its heart,” Mike Seaman, Group CEO of Raccoon Media Group, said.
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The partnership also includes investment in the show. There will be $1.15 million invested in advocacy to support non-profit organizations protecting natural environments where sports occur. In addition, $1.15 million will be invested in its global hosted buyer program to ensure strong ROI for exhibitors while strengthening international business opportunities. Approximately $1.15 million will also be invested in programming to deliver cutting-edge insight, thought leadership and education, including the new ISPO Leaders’ Summit, an exclusive C-Suite forum for senior executives, policymakers and changemakers.
“The sports and outdoor market in Europe has fragmented over the last decade and needs a cohesive platform to discuss key issues, network and do business. In the USA we have seen the reduction in trade shows and the subsequent effects on the industry and associations — all during a time when advocacy and communal voice is needed the most on key issues like public lands. We need to build ISPO into an event that is necessary and needed by the sports and outdoor community. ISPO should help to protect the places we play, unite the industry and inspire the next generation of brands, leaders and businesses and that’s exactly what we plan to deliver,” Seaman said.
Harald Kirchschlager, Executive Director Global Strategy & Development of Messe München, weighed in on the change of venue.
“With the strategic realignment of ISPO, we are purposefully and effectively evolving our long-established flagship trade fair. There is a strong demand for a platform that fosters innovation, exchange and business opportunities,” he said. “Changing the venue, timing and structure sends a clear signal: ISPO is evolving.”
Reach Seaman at info@raccoonmediagroup.com; Kirchschlager at maximilian.heiler@messe-muenchen.de
