A former professional badminton player, as well as sports lawyer, Emma P. (Mason) Zwiebler is the Interim CEO at the World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI) since November 1, 2023 taking the baton from previous WFSGI President and CEO Robbert de Kock.
Emma will be on the main stage on Wednesday to present the McKinsey 2024 Sporting Goods Industry Report, ‘Time to Make Your Move,’ an in-depth study of the trade’s various markets.
Emma is delighted to have the opportunity to lead the WFSGI team, and to drive its collective purpose on behalf of the industry. WFSGI proudly represents over 70% of the global sporting goods industry.
Focused on addressing key global issues for its members, the WFSGI will unveil to member companies at ISPO Munich its new strategic plan, which aims to collaborate with key stakeholders to find the most effective solutions to members’ challenges in navigating today’s increasing pressures in the sporting trade.
As a former pro-athlete, Emma is proud to lead an organisation that actively promotes physical activity, which yields clear benefits, ranging from preventing diseases to enhancing well-being and mental health. However, the current statistics are alarming, with over a quarter of adults insufficiently active and the next generation marking the lowest activity levels in history. The WFSGI is aiming to help significantly lower these figures by building on its historic memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the World Health Organisation (WHO) to get the world moving.
Since joining WFSGI in 2018, Emma has led the industry’s relations with the International Olympic Committee and International Paralympic Committee (IOC/IPC), the International Sport Federations, and the United Nations Agencies relevant to physical activity, sport, and health. In 2023, she guided the WFSGI’s efforts to finalise the new WFSGI IOC Suppliership Agreement for Paris 2024 and the MOU with WHO.
Emma remains passionate about her sport and is committed to providing greater support for athletes transitioning from their sporting careers to life after sport. She is proud to be a Trustee of Switch the Play Foundation, the only UK based charity undertaking such work across all sports.
Emma is also graduate of UK Sport’s International Leadership Programme, and a WeAreTheCity Rising Star in Sport.
ISPO Munich is packed with keynotes, meet & greets and exciting discussion panels. Here you can find an overview of all the exciting events at ISPO Munich 2023.
Exchange new perspectives and shape the future together: The greatest minds of the global sports business community will meet at ISPO Munich 2023 from 28 - 30 November. More than 1,600 exhibitors will present their innovative products and show "New Perspectives on Sports". We asked brands what they have planned for you at ISPO Munich 2023.
More than 50 years ago, the starting signal was given for the first ISPO Munich. Since then, the world's largest sports retail trade show has continued to evolve - into a driving force that spurs social change in key areas such as innovation, sustainability and health, makes the industry fit for the future and is closely linked to other lifestyle sectors such as travel and fashion.
Tobias Gröber, Head of ISPO Group, explains which new perspectives on sport ISPO Munich (November 28 to 30, 2023) will offer, how it is increasingly becoming a festival of sport, and which innovations visitors and exhibitors should not miss.
Tobias Gröber: Exactly, because that's what the industry needs: new perspectives on the sport, a new self-image. The business is still in a permanent state of upheaval. We at ISPO want to accompany this and support the brands and all market participants through our platforms. Of course, Munich is also about the classic buyer-seller relationship, i.e. innovations, new products, transactions. Still important factors for retailers and brands.
But beyond that, new topics have been added - such as sustainability, which has long since ceased to be a trend, but is also a maxim for the entire sports industry beyond the sporting goods sector. Brands have to react to this and adapt their brand positioning, and ISPO Munich offers the international platform for this.
Because the importance of sport has changed significantly in the wake of the pandemic. Today, sport is an important, recognized factor for physical and mental health as well as a social glue for society. This is also recognized by politicians, who want to, or rather must, encourage an increasingly aging population to exercise more. Otherwise, health costs will explode, and our industry has the most natural and cost-effective solutions at the ready: exercise and everything it takes.
And sport is also environmental protection: if I, as an athlete, spend a lot of time outdoors, I have an increased interest in preserving my "playing field". That's why, among other things, the German Sustainability Award is ISPO's new cooperation partner. You have to think of sports in a broader way today: It radiates out into many areas of life and has the power to change society. Brands have to take this up as a theme.
Last year we already launched the Future Lab which was very well received by the industry. Innovation is the overarching theme here, and in various forms: from brands to digital solutions to Start-ups.
Our goal is to complement the trade show booths by offering additional opportunities to stage messages, get in touch with new target groups, media and influencers, and overall promote dialog and thus reach.
This year we will continue and expand this 'festivalization'. We are expanding the stage program in the Future Lab: with exciting panels and renowned international speakers. In addition, there are many new forms of participation and presentation for brands.
We are also installing new formats such as Scenario Planning, Masterclasses and workshops on important topics such as Supply Chain, Employer Branding or ESG Finance. We want to educate, share information and present best practices. And find new solutions in our ISPO Innovation Labs with experts from inside or outside the industry. These Inno-Labs together with NOW Partners will be offered throughout the year.
By looking at the entire value chain: The sporting goods industry is part of the overall sports industry and not isolated in itself. Sport not only influences fashion, but is also closely linked to travel and tourism, for example. This ranges from the consumers to the product to the service providers, i.e. the ski instructors, the restaurant, the camping site, the mountain guides, the lift operators...
We want to show this entire context of the sport. We have developed new concepts for this purpose. In the SportsTravelHUB , for example, the focus will be on approaches to promoting sustainable, active tourism. To this end, we have invited partners from different industries and tourism regions to discuss in networking areas how we as a community can find solutions for the future.
You mean besides the legendary ISPO parties? Since it's the sport that connects us, there will once again be plenty to try out, touch, and participate in. For example, in our PadelVillage or on the Pickleball Court.
Or in the GameChanger SportsHUB, where together with sports brands, TechCompanies, athletes, universities, NGOs and retailers we will look at how exergaming sports, AI developments and digitalization concepts can lead to real movement and into sports.
We will also put more focus on the athletes*. They are now not only authentic brand ambassadors, but often also credible influencers for social issues or environmental protection. We will promote this potential, this inspirational power, with a special offer for young athletes.
Very big! In the fall of 2022, the participants from Asia and some overseas were unfortunately not able to come to Munich because of Corona, but now they are back. We will occupy more space and have more exhibitors on site. We are growing again, despite the current challenging market environment.
We are aware that the situation is not easy at the moment. First, supply chains collapsed during the pandemic, but demand increased. Now the warehouses are full, but demand is stagnating. As a brand, you have to maintain a dialog right now - with retailers, with the media, with consumers. In this context, it can be wise to no longer define oneself solely by the product, but to seek new types of cooperation, to engage in networking, to sharpen the brand image, to occupy topics and to medialize them skillfully. Our Future Lab, for example, offers many options and forms of participation. There, we want to open minds and reach hearts. And fundamentally, platforms like ISPO Munich are the most efficient and thus also the most cost-effective tools for positioning oneself globally, communicating, networking personally, and working together on solutions.
After all, establishing new groups of buyers who have not previously had any contact with a brand is an important success factor. This is also the aim of the concepts Zeitgeist at ISPO or ISPO 520M concepts, our cooperation with Highsnobiety. Because what the pandemic has positively brought forth is a new target group: the so-called Cultural Pioneers. These are fashionistas who discovered nature for themselves during Corona - and with it outdoor fashion. The product remains the same, but is placed in a new fashion context and reinterpreted, thus appearing in lifestyle media and appealing to entirely new target groups in the premium sports fashion sector. And all these stakeholders will meet at ISPO Munich 2023.
When the sports and outdoor industry meets at ISPO Munich, it's always something special. In an interview with ISPO.com, project manager Lena Haushofer tells us why there is great anticipation for November 2023 - and why ISPO Munich 2023 will be a unique experience.
Hello Lena, OutDoor by ISPO 2023 in June is already very well booked. Now the industry is already looking forward to ISPO Munich in November. What can we expect there?
Clearly more of what excited exhibitors and visitors at the restart of ISPO Munich in 2022 after the Covid break - and many new ideas and concepts. We already have more booth bookings than in the same period last year. Many well-known and great brands that were still on hold last year are back. As well as even more international associations with their own presences and exciting first-time exhibitors.
The Future Lab as the heart of the trade show will beat even stronger. In concrete terms, this means that, in line with our motto "New Perspectives on Sports", we will be bringing renowned speakers to the Future Lab who are also well-known outside the sports industry and who will open up special perspectives for us. We will increase the number of stages, offer master classes and workshops, expand the presentation of the ISPO Award and ISPO Brandnew, offer even more networking opportunities - and celebrate the sports community at our parties.
What makes ISPO Munich so special? Why can't you miss it?
For me, there is no other trade show in the world that combines business, inspiration and emotion as much as ISPO Munich. On the one hand, ISPO Munich is of course a business platform where the sports industry and retailers meet, where international contacts are made, business is initiated and innovations are presented.
But the sports industry is probably the most emotional business in the world. Hardly anyone wears a suit and tie here. Here, every businesswoman and businessman is also an enthusiastic sportsman or woman and carries the sport in their hearts. We reflect this emotionality and deep connection with sports by making ISPO Munich 2023 highly emotional and full of inspiration.
What are the major themes of ISPO Munich?
The theme that sums it all up is our motto: "New Perspectives on Sports."
At the latest since the Covid 19 pandemic, we know how important sports are for society. So, in addition to classic and new sports products, we are looking at all the major megatrends and their impact on the global sports business.
The core topics in the Future Lab are innovations, digitalization and sustainability - from digital and sustainable transformation, sports tech, digital healthcare and wearables to new solutions through artificial intelligence. We are also opening a platform for urban, streetwear, fashion sports brands in the Future Lab hall with Project ZEITGEIST.
How do the "New Perspectives on Sports" show up in the other halls?
All areas of sports and sports business now need inspiration and exchange in a professional network. That's why there will also be crystallization points in the other halls to discuss the important topics of our time. This can be seen, for example, in the new thematic focus on "Sports Tourism" in the Outdoor halls. Or in the two Textrends halls, where not only innovative fibers and fabrics will be on display, but of course the topics of sustainability and circular economy will play a very important role.
The cooperation with Highsnobiety was also new last year. Will it be continued in 2023?
2022 was the starting signal. Together with Highsnobiety, we are building the 520M brand. With Highsnobiety's expertise, we are able to address the fashion-oriented GenZ generation and millennials and win them over as a new target group at ISPO Munich.
The snowsports community is facing many challenges. How are you responding to them?
In Hall B2, we will present the entire value chain of winter sports and create a new world of experience - including a community meeting place - especially for the young and trendy ski manufacturers. Many of these innovative brands have just discovered ISPO Munich for themselves.
In addition to enjoying the innovations in winter sports, it is particularly important for this community to find new perspectives and solutions for the current challenges facing winter sports. These will be addressed by having a Speakers Corner here where the winter sports community can exchange ideas on topics such as digitalization and mobility.
At OutDoor by ISPO, you will be using colored admission tickets for the first time to better distinguish between visitor groups. Is this also planned for ISPO Munich?
We see ourselves as a platform that facilitates new business contacts, strengthens the sports community, and thus accelerates the development of the sport as a whole. To make it easier to identify the peer group that is relevant to me, we introduced color coding for retail, media and other trade show participants as a first step at OutDoor by ISPO in June this year. This is a test that we will also implement for ISPO Munich if it is successful.
A brief look into the future: What can we expect from ISPO Munich in the coming years?
First of all, I have to disappoint everyone who wishes for an ISPO Munich like in 2019 or 2020. We are not looking back, but forward. We are planning an ISPO Munich that presents a wider range of topics than ever before - and does so in a much more entertaining and emotional way. That means: full focus on content and sports community. Less quantity. More quality.
Already this year, no major player in the international sports business will be able to afford not to be at ISPO Munich. I can only recommend to everyone: Come to ISPO Munich 2023, whether as exhibitor or visitor, and let's shape the future of sports together. And celebrate together.