ISPO 2024 In early December (2nd - 4th), the outdoor industry has its Eurobike moment. In a similarly gigantic Messe - although this time in Munich, not Frankfurt - the global industry gathers to exhibit, buy, be inspired, learn, and network in a three-day event. This year’s ISPO had nearly 2,300 exhibitors (slightly down on the 2023 tally of 2,400) and 55,000 participants from 113 countries. Whilst it might not have quite regained its pre-pandemic numbers (2,800 exhibitors and 80,000 attendees), there was definitely a major buzz outside the exhibition from 10 a.m., with energy levels and crowds increasing markedly throughout the first day.

The first thing that strikes you - if Eurobike is your point of comparison - is that this is very much a different crowd attending the event. On the whole, I would say it’s much younger, more diverse (both in gender and race), and you’re much more likely to see people who are extremely fashionably dressed. This is due to the fact that by far and away the largest area of the show is given over to outdoor apparel, which by extension is more closely related to the fashion industry than the bike industry. This also means that you see far less branded merchandise, which is in abundance at Eurobike, because at ISPO, attendees are mostly wearing their own products, accessorised with carefully curated complementary brands.

This year’s theme - which was accompanied by an overhaul of their whole design identity - was ‘Love Every Contact,’ drawing parallels between contact in outdoor sport and contact in business. In my opinion, this was a stretch, but visually, it looked stunning. Just like Eurobike, there’s been a growing emphasis on diversifying the experience at the show. In this sense, there was real innovation in terms of what was on offer. Yes, there were several core halls with big brands like Patagonia, Berghaus, and Rab, but there were also lots of sports experiences: a padel court, pickleball demos, and a basketball hoop, as well as more sophisticated gallery-style exhibitions featuring high-end brands presented by Highsnobiety. This was next to the Zeitgeist area, complete with its pop-up shops for the likes of Bellroy, We Norwegians, and Snow Peak.

Like Eurobike’s increasing adoption of themed keynote presentations and formal networking opportunities - which has accelerated since its move to Frankfurt. In addition to the exhibition space, there was a five-stage conference track running at several different locations during the show. There was a huge main stage set in the round, which featured the likes of Julian Nagelsmann (current German National Team Coach), Malaika Mihambo (Olympic and World Champion Long Jumper), and Andre Agassi (multiple tennis Grand Slam winner). These were, of course, mixed with leading commentators and executives from the outdoor industry.

I particularly enjoyed the presentation by Locally, who describes themselves as the leading online-to-offline shopping solution. They made some very interesting points about the latest trends in retail and e-commerce. They were especially provocative in stating that most D2C companies tend to ignore what consumers actually want by forcing them down a particular path that only includes the products they sell. They also commented that the push to e-commerce - whilst fuelled by the pandemic - has now levelled off at 20%, which means the vast majority of people (in certain categories) still want to shop in physical stores. Marketplaces (like Amazon), not single-brand retailers, continue to hoover up most of those ecomm sales.

They presented a case study on how they worked with Trek to “Redefine the Future of Bicycle Retail,” using their platform to create a seamless omnichannel experience - with no dead ends for consumers - across its entire network (in both branded stores and IBDs). It’s a complex proposition that I can’t do justice to here, but it’s definitely worth looking into if you’re a brand looking to solve similar challenges. I mention this, of course, because this was one of only a handful of times that bikes featured at the show. No surprises, of course - the bike industry has its own show - but this was in marked contrast to the summer Outdoor by ISPO show I attended in 2023 and the last ISPO show in 2022, where there was much more crossover with bikes.

Given the recent pandemic-inspired bike boom of 2020 and 2021, outdoor businesses were very keen to get in on the action by 2022, with a number of brands launching products targeting this hot market. It’s fair to say that, by 2024, most brands have seen the heat go out of that market and reassessed their plans. I spoke to one senior executive from Equip (owner of Rab and Lowe Alpine) who said they are still selling their range aimed at cyclists, but it’s been put on the back burner so they can focus more on their core customers, where they’ve been enjoying growth in a flat market.

So, all in all, I would say that there wasn’t a huge amount for cycling companies to take away from the show. The opportunities for them to find new customers or markets were limited. For full transparency, it should be said that we were there because SHIFT wanted to expand the number of brands it works with in the space. But much like those at Rab/Lowe Alpine, our priority and focus remains firmly on the bike industry and the growing segments within cycling. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend attending as a bike brand, other than for inspiration and outside stimulation. Whilst we are often targeting similar - if not the same - consumers, the dynamics of the industry are different, with a lot more emphasis on fashion and faster-moving products.

There is one area where the bike industry as a whole can learn from the outdoor industry, and that’s in regard to the emphasis placed on sustainability. This is far, far more advanced than it is in our industry. Many of the leading brands are making seismic changes to their manufacturing and supply chain processes to decrease their negative impact on the environment. In contrast, the bike industry, in my opinion (with some obvious exceptions), is still using the fact that bikes are intrinsically more environmentally friendly than other forms of transport as a way to avoid looking closely enough at the whole impact of bicycle manufacturing and ownership. In the outdoor industry, they have long made the connection that they rely on the natural environment to provide the playground in which their consumers use their products, so they do everything they can to protect it. The bike industry is not there yet, but consumers will eventually get wise to this and demand more progress. Now is the time to get ahead.

Finally, a few weeks before we headed off to ISPO, Eurobike announced that it was “putting the megatrend of cycling and outdoor adventures at the centre of the trade fair.” So, it seems as if there’s little need for cycling brands to attend an outdoor show, as the outdoors is coming to them in 2025. It will definitely be interesting to see Eurobike’s new Adventure Area and what, if anything, ISPO does to respond. Could we see more for cycling brands at the 2025 show, which might just make the trip more worthwhile for cycling brands in the future?

Key Takeaways

• The Attendees: 55,000 attendees and 2,300 exhibitors, still recovering to pre-pandemic levels.
• Demographics: Younger, more diverse, and fashion-oriented crowd compared to Eurobike.
• Innovation: Focus on outdoor apparel, interactive sports experiences, and high-end exhibitions.
• Retail Insights: Physical stores remain dominant; marketplaces like Amazon lead e-commerce growth.
• Cycling’s Presence: Minimal presence; brands are refocusing on core outdoor markets post-bike boom.
• Sustainability: Outdoor industry is heavily focused on sustainability; the bike sector has room to improve, relying on moving by bike being good for the planet isn't going to be good enough for the long term.
• Overall: Valuable for inspiration, but limited opportunities for bike-focused brands, but let’s see what Eurobike 2025 has to offer as they incorporate more outdoor adventure into their show.