Trends, insights and inspiration for the outdoor world

The first day of OutDoor 2024 is over, and over 600 exhibitors, more visitors than on the first day of 2023 and numerous inspiring speakers rocked the thing! Product - Planet - People, these are the three pillars on which OutDoor 2024 is based. 

The day starts with the opening of the Green Stage. Experts appeal to the brands: Let's do more for biodiversity NOW! 

Nature and tourism are terms that increasingly clash? They don't have to be. Michaela Kaniber, Bavarian State Minister for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Tourism, presented the “Respect your boundaries” initiative to show how people, animals and nature can work together more respectfully in the future. 

On day one, the focus was on the first pillar: Think New. And what was on offer here? “11 Mindshifts to think out of the door”, presented by Chris Beaufils. Inspiring! It was also clear that textile and fashion expert Louisa Smith let the upcoming megatrends out of the cage. Want a little foretaste? Revolution thanks to AI! 

And OutDoor without awards? Unthinkable. There were well-deserved trophies, adrenaline at three Gatherings and the premiere of the Final Gathering.

Last but not least, some hot news: OutDoor will be revamped in 2025 - the key factors of the new concept are Built Environment, More Opportunities and Creating More Business Value.

To the highlight article

Breathing exercises with Chase Tucker in the morning, dancefloor ecstasy at the VAUDE Sustainability Party in the evening: this frames day two of OutDoor, which once again had all kinds of highlights in store.

Insights, inspiration, surprising food for thought - especially on the topic of sustainability. In keeping with the motto of the day: Think Sustainable! Your Planet - If you love nature, you have to protect it.

One focus topic: Circularity. Sounds good at first, but even better if the results are measurable! Especially as the textile industry still causes far too many emissions. That's why Martha Willis from the textile recycling project Accelarating Circularity presented results and learnings.

Dr. Katja Middelhoff, Dr. Diana Born and Dr. Marc Herz know exactly how much green claims can blow up in a brand's face. Using specific examples, they explained that advertising promises should be transparent and truthful in order not to damage a brand's trust.

The Runner's World Run & Trail Summit marks a trend summit. Fittingly, it also marked the launch of the Road Running League - the brand new international road race format.

Perhaps the biggest heroine of the 2nd OutDoor day is... Nasim Eshqi! The climber and human rights activist from Iran wins the 21st Century Adventurer Award.

Want all the insights and highlights from the second day? Then this way:

TO THE HIGHLIGHT ARTICLE

The third day of OutDoor 2024 was all about “Think Together”.

The political responsibility of the outdoor industry in the EU election was discussed intensively: “Make sure to vote, as a community we can swing this.”

Emotional highlights were offered by the films “Julie” and “The Mirage” in the OutDoor Cinema powered by EOFT, which provided in-depth insights into personal stories.

Innovative material design was demonstrated by leather made from fungi and cellulose from bacteria in the Material Lab, while the EU Green Deal was highlighted as a significant opportunity for the industry.

The Trail Running Test Track offered participants the opportunity to test new running equipment and futuristic product designs showed the next big trends in outdoor sports.

Want all the insights and highlights from the third day? Then this way:

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A communications graduate, sports journalist and Adidas Terrex athlete: Kimi Schreiber is a true all-rounder and has been an integral part of the trail running scene for years. On her blog and in her podcast, she talks about body positivity, female empowerment and climate change. In short: she is strong on the trail and determined when it comes to marketing herself.

And the best thing? You can meet her at OutDoor 2024.

All about Kimi Schreiber

Nasim Eshqi is a renowned Iranian climber and adventurer known for her impressive achievements in outdoor sports. The professional climber inspires with her long career and excites with her efforts to advance the sport of climbing - especially in regions where women are rarely represented in the sport.

She is therefore rightly one of our Heroes as well as one of the 10 female athletes who inspired us in 2023 and won the 21st Century Adventurer Award, which was presented at OutDoor 2024.

All about Nasim Eshqi

Chase Tucker is an Australian mountaineer, blogger, fitness trainer, strength and conditioning coach who empowers other hikers through his work and education. Over 240,000 people follow "Chase Mountains" on social networks. In 2012, the all-round talent founded a base camp in Australia, where he prepares Australian hikers for trips, hikes and via ferratas outside Australia. To reach more interested people and make them mobile, he also offers online programs and personal training.

All about Chase Tucker

Full warehouses and slow supply chains, growing inflation and fluctuations in the market are unsettling consumers and slowing down consumption. In 2024, the outdoor industry must reposition and consolidate itself. Brands must face up to reality and ask: Which strategies will lead to success? How do I communicate effectively with business partners? How do I maneuver through a year full of challenges?

The OutDoor Industry Navigator 2024 provides the answers and offers deep insights and practical strategies to meet the current challenges and find future-proof paths.

Download now for free

Are you also overwhelmed by the current regulations & changes in the area of sustainability?

The Green Stage at OutDoor 2024 provided all the necessary insights for a sustainable transformation in one go: 

✅ EU Green Deal: Impact on your company
✅ Purchasing behavior of eco-consumers
✅ Important regulations that affect your company
✅ Successful strategies for the circular economy and CO2 reduction

And much more! Find out all the insights from the expert discussions, best practices and concrete solutions on our sustainability topic page and in the day 1 summary. Make your company future-proof. 👍 

Come to OutDoor by ISPO from June 3 - 5, 2024 and experience the adventures of other outdoor enthusiasts in large format! The new OutDoor Cinema powered by EOFT will show you thrilling stories from past editions of the European Outdoor Film Tour (EOFT) and the Ocean Film Tour. You can also expect exciting interviews and insights. And a special highlight: the presentation of the 21st Century Adventurer Award. In 2023, Jonas Deichmann was the lucky winner. This year, the winner was climber and human rights activist Nasim Eshqi.

To the OutDoor Cinema 

With the future of running in mind, the Runner's World Run & Trail Summit also saw the launch of a brand new Road Running League. Jos Hermens, athlete manager, race organizer and former Olympic athlete, and start-up founder Marcel Muenster spoke on stage about a new, international road running format that is unique in itself and combines storytelling about global athletes with technology, sustainability and community. The two want to appeal to a market of 1.5 billion people worldwide and get them excited about exercise. “In a global comparison, some regions are more active in sports than others, but it is precisely these regions that we want to address and tell the stories of runners from there. You usually feel inspired and motivated by the community and the people around you. Ultimately, this also creates healthy routines,” says Marcel Muenster, explaining the idea behind the project.

Jos Hermens, who worked on the 1:59 Challenge with Eliud Kipchoge among others, sums up the aim of the event format quite simply: “We want to get people a bit addicted to the feeling of running.” The plan is to create a global inclusive league with event locations that will give both novice runners and elite athletes a common incentive to take to the streets to run. 

“When it comes to sustainability, many factors play a role. Firstly, the location, if CO2 is to be saved. This involves transporting the equipment, but on-site micro-mobility options for participants are also an important aspect. On the other hand, things like nutrition at the refreshment stations or the journey for runners and spectators play a major role. This is where we want to start with our format,” adds Marcel Muenster. The race venues are unique in this respect, but are currently still a secret. 

The first specific events and dates of the series are to be published in the fall.

To the program 

From June 6 to 9, 2024, the EU elections will take place in Europe, which will have a significant influence on the future of the European Union, especially with regard to sustainability. No question that this was also discussed at OutDoor: On the third day of the trade fair, a panel talk with Jan Lorch, CSO VAUDE, Tyler LaMotte, Product & Managing Director Patagonia EMEA, Mathias Basedow, Country Manager Germany/Austria Icebug, Sweden and Dan Yates, Director of Partnerships and Initiatives Protect Our Winters Europe will take place as the crowning finale.

The question is whether and how brands should get involved politically, especially in times of ecological and economic challenges. The tenor is clear: yes, they should. By no means through concrete election recommendations or political opinion making. But through education and training, mobilizing the community and calling on people to get out into nature more. Because experiencing nature always means understanding the importance of sustainability.

The takeaway from the talk and a strong appeal at the end: “Make sure to vote, as a community we can swing this.”

Changing world, changing OutDoor. 

“The world is changing. Will we change too?” ISPO and EOG answered this question with a resounding YES at this year's press conference. And not just with regard to industry insights and announcements such as the “11 Mindshift to think out of the door”, the introduction of the new Runners' League or Race to Zero. The main focus and highlight: the new OutDoor 2025 concept.

The trade show will be completely revamped and something will be created that is equally exciting and full of surprises for both visitors and exhibitors. The focus will be on three key changes: Built Environment, More Opportunities and Creating More Business Value.

Built Environment

The layout of the trade fair will change fundamentally. The goal: to create an exciting yet constructive way to explore OutDoor by ISPO. And with more budget-friendly exhibition options. To achieve this, a village layout will be used that mimics historic urban developments with winding streets and open squares to provide a varied exhibition space. In addition to the city concept, halls are also planned that will be more 'freestyle'.

More Opportunities

OutDoor 2025 will appeal to even more target groups. For some groups, the platform will now become even more valuable, including product design and development, marketing and market research, production and sourcing, technology providers, service and consulting providers, sustainability and social solutions, and adventure travel. Dedicated areas with new formats for presentations and workshops will improve collaboration and knowledge sharing between experts and industry insiders.

Creating More Business Value 

Added value for all: The “Village” layout will improve visitor flow in the halls, while there will be more first-row placements and more participation opportunities, for every budget. Ample meeting rooms provide opportunities for important private business discussions, and dedicated areas for previously unconsidered user groups increase exchange opportunities and enable efficient networking.

The outdoor world is changing – and so is OutDoor, which is expanding its offering as the largest international outdoor trade show and will have a few more surprises in store for 2025. The concept and packages for exhibitors for 2025 will be ready by the beginning of October this year.

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"Sustainability has become the standard and is a given for all winners in one way or another," write colleagues about the textile trends at OutDoor 2024. Find out how you too can track circular supply chains with monitoring tools and smart analyses, get tips from the pros and make sustainability a reality!

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"We can't do it alone" and "Together". As if the speakers at OutDoor 2024 had come to an agreement, these demands filled the exhibition halls more than once. The goal: to save the ecosystem and biodiversity. Here are 5 initiatives that show how outdoor fans and brands can work together to protect nature and preserve the ecosystem.

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