Where better to judge the innovations and novelties of the outdoor industry than in the middle of the Austrian mountains? The second jury meeting of the year took place in beautiful Hopfgarten in the Kitzbühel Alps, nestled in the picturesque landscape at the foot of the Hohe Salve. For two days, the six jurors took their time to consider the new products submitted for the ISPO Award by established sports brands and newcomers from all over the world.
The selection process is multi-stage: all submissions are checked in advance by the expert jury on the basis of the application documents to determine whether they have the potential to win the ISPO Award. Only once this first hurdle has been cleared do the brands send their products to the jury meeting so that the jurors can evaluate them live. Each product is observed in detail by the six-member jury, discussed in detail and, if possible, briefly tried out.
This time, it wasn't just the magnificent mountain panorama in Hopfgarten that provided the necessary outdoor atmosphere. As always, the jury meeting also included a sports session. This time, e-bikes were used to climb the Hohe Salve, whose 1,829-metre-high summit offered a breathtaking 360-degree view of over 70 three-thousand-metre peaks in perfect spring weather. The bike cracks did an extra lap, while the normal descent provided plenty of adrenaline for everyone else.
The range of new products submitted once again demonstrated the impressive innovative spirit of the outdoor and sporting goods industry. In view of the upcoming OutDoor by ISPO, the focus was primarily on products that are essential for outdoor activities: from tents, sleeping bags and trail running shoes to drinking bottles and bike helmets.
Each winning brand decides for itself when and in which trade fair environment it would like to present its winning product - at the OutDoor by ISPO 2024 in June or at the ISPO Munich 2024 in November. Many winners will already be on display in the special area at OutDoor by ISPO, which takes place from June 3 to 5 at the Munich exhibition center. The trade fair presentation will be complemented by a comprehensive communication package via various channels. For example, the winners will be published here on the desired date - depending on whether the brand wants to focus on the sell-in, the sell-out or another date.
As always, the jury is divided into two equal groups of experts representing different perspectives: Three industry experts, who accompany the award process as an integral part of the jury, are complemented by three knowledgeable consumer experts from the ISPO Collaborators Club. The consumer experts are selected anew each time and assess the products from the consumer's perspective.
And these are our industry experts:
- Martina Wengenmeir, outdoor journalist, Professor of Sports Journalism & Digitalization in Sports and Editor at Large of ISPO.com
- Andi Spies, magazine maker and snowboarding veteran
- Regina Henkel, textile expert and experienced trade journalist
From the ranks of the ISPO Collaborators Club came:
- Julia "Jules" Topp, a trail runner who writes about outdoor sports and veganism on her blog eatrunhike.de
- Harald Angerer, trail runner and winter sports enthusiast (blog: auffimuasi.at), who was taking part for the second time and, as a native Tyrolean, had a real home game
- Dorina Osztrogonácz, a passionate climber and mountaineer who writes about her mountain adventures and mindfulness on her blog odorina.de
The jury will also be assisted by journalist Ralf Kerkeling as moderator and the internationally renowned textile expert Louisa Smith, who will represent the jury of the ISPO Textrends Award jury jury. In order to avoid greenwashing, she supports the ISPO Awards with her expertise in the assessment of all product information in the area of sustainability.
Your brand was included this time? Then apply directly with your product - applications are possible all year round. The application phase for Q3 ends on September 7, 2024.
ISPO AwardStarting signal for the ISPO Award 2024!
