Organisers of ISPO, the world’s most influential trade event for the sporting goods, outdoor and winter sports industries, unveil the agenda for the NEW Leaders’ Summit which will feature newly announced IIC - INTERSPORT International Corporation CEO Tom Foley and World Cup and Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn amongst the stellar line-up of industry experts taking to the stage.
They will join Jimmy Chin (Filmmaker and Mountaineer), Celine Del Genes (Decathlon, Global Game Changers), Hap Klopp (Founder, The North Face), Professor Laura McAllister (Vice President of UEFA), Andy Rubin (Deputy Chair, Pentland Group), John Lacy (CEO, Burton) and Pia Heidenmark Cook (Former Group Chief Sustainability Officer Ingka/IKEA).
The new ISPO Leaders’ Summit will be an exclusive C-suite conference uniting senior executives, policymakers and changemakers from across the sports ecosystem. Foley and Vonn join an inspirational list of experts who will share their insights and experience via keynote speeches, fireside chats and panel discussions, debating pressing issues such as fair trade, participation, and sustainability.
Lindsey Vonn is the most successful female alpine skier in history. Winning gold in downhill skiing at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Vonn also has four World Cup Championships and a record eight World Cup season titles to her name. She is one of six women who have won World Cup races in all five disciplines of alpine skiing – downhill, super-g, giant slalom, slalom and super combined. Adding to her legendary status, Vonn recently came out of retirement to rejoin the U.S. Ski Team, making a historic comeback to the World Cup circuit this season with her sights set on the 2026 Winter Games.
Vonn said, “There are so many parallels between competing at a high level and leading a business. I’m looking forward to joining the Leaders’ Summit in Amsterdam and connecting with the people behind the brands we all love.”
Foley's career in the sporting goods industry is well-documented. Prior to his appointment as CEO of IIC – INTERSPORT International Corporation, he served as the CEO of French retailer Go Sport and led the business’s Middle East division. Foley is also the founder of Independent Sports Retailers Alliance in Ireland which he led until 2011. With 20+ years’ experience in global sports retail, Foley is renowned for navigating the challenges of an evolving retail landscape and identifying what is required to thrive in this competitive environment.
Mike Seaman, Group CEO of Raccoon Media Group said. “The Leaders Summit will see a veritable who’s who of the industry share decades of experience. There is very little that our speakers haven’t seen or experienced and we’re honoured to have them all attend and share their learnings, insights and knowledge. The Summit is an event not to be missed.”
The full Summit can be viewed at https://www.ispo.com/visit/ispo-leaders-summit
Raccoon Media Group and partners Messe München have committed €3 million to reimagine ISPO from 2026, with €1million of this investment allocated to content across the Summit and Expo, delivering a truly memorable experience for all who attend.
“ISPO 2026 will be so much more than a trade show.” said Kate Jamieson, Racoon Media Group’s Content Director. “ISPO will meet the needs of the head, the commercial side of what makes our industry vibrant, profitable and thriving. However, we will place equal focus on the heart. Why we do what we do, what drives us every day and what inspires people to move. This will be reflected in the content too, important business insight, coupled with a healthy dose of fun!”
ISPO’s content investment extends across all the three days of ISPO2026. The Expo will feature multiple visitor activations such as a Rail Jam outside the RAI with stunts and demos, the ‘Screen to Summit’ interactive Climbing Wall, Summit Sprint, The Runway, Avalanche Simulation, Shop of the Future and VR Powder Run to name a few. The event will feature four show floor theatres which will deliver educational content whilst some ISPO favourites remain too, including the Functional Clothing Swap and BrandNew, a Dragon’s Den style pitch zone for start-ups. Several fringe networking events will also take place hosted by the leading industry associations which form the backbone to the sporting goods, outdoor and winter sports sectors.
“We are curating an immersive, interactive experience across the three show zones which ensure all attendees walk away engaged and inspired. Ultimately, every component of ISPO 2026 is designed so that attendees leave feeling they’ve experienced something special, and that their time and investment were well spent.” Jamieson adds.
*** ENDS ***
For further information or to arrange an interview, please contact:
ABOUT ISPO
First hosted in 1970, ISPO is the world’s premier sports, outdoor and winter trade event welcoming over 50,000 global attendees annually. From 2026, ISPO enters a new chapter led by Raccoon Media Group, in partnership with Messe München. The joint venture combines the heart, agility and entrepreneurial spirit of Raccoon Media Group with the competence, scale, and global reach of Messe München. The refined strategic direction addresses the cost base to make attendance more affordable, aligns the event with global buying cycles, and ensures accessibility for a broader international audience.
Raccoon Media Group, organisers of ISPO the world’s most influential trade event for the sporting goods, outdoor and winter sports industries, confirms its commitment to ensuring an enduring impact by joining the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA) as a Sustaining Member and revealing more details of the newly established ISPO Impact Fund.
Recognising that sustainability is non-negotiable, these announcements underscore ISPO’s long-term dedication to environmental responsibility, industry stewardship and collaborative action across the global outdoor community.
Tracy Bebbington, Managing Director, ISPO at Raccoon Media Group, said; “As ISPO enters a new era under new management and prepares for its next chapter in Amsterdam, it is essential that sustainability sits at the heart of everything we do. Joining EOCA and launching the ISPO Impact Fund reflect our belief in collective action and our responsibility to drive direct and meaningful change. We’re not just advocating for change; we are committed to making it happen. Not only that, we have appointed an external agency to closely analyse the carbon footprint of the event itself and we will make a solid commitment to being transparent about the footprint and, from day one, actively take steps to reduce it.”
Respecting and safeguarding the natural environments in which we play
ISPO is proud to announce its formal commitment as both a member and Sustaining Member of the European Outdoor Conservation Association (EOCA). By becoming a Sustaining Member, ISPO will provide ongoing funding and strategic support to EOCA’s mission to conserve and restore wild places, support biodiversity, and enable outdoor participation that respects and safeguards nature. The partnership further aligns ISPO’s environmental values with those championed by brands, retailers and industry associations across the sector.
Dan Yates, Executive Director of EOCA, said: “We are delighted to welcome ISPO, and the newly expanded team at Raccoon Media Group, as a member, and importantly, a Sustaining Member of EOCA. Their commitment sends a powerful message: that major industry platforms must not only showcase innovation but actively support the landscapes and ecosystems that inspire it. ISPO’s involvement will allow us to reach more organisations, fund more conservation projects, and amplify the urgency of protecting the wild places the outdoor community depends on.”
The €1 million ISPO Impact Fund
As part of their long-term commitment to supporting positive change, ISPO is investing one million euros into a new charitable organisation, the ISPO Impact Fund. The fund will support grassroots, charitable and non-profit initiatives that originate within the sports, outdoor and winter sports communities, or that have a direct and meaningful connection to these sectors.
The ISPO Impact Fund has been established as an independent organisation to ensure transparency, structure and the highest levels of governance expected of grant awarding bodies. The three founding trustees, Hannah Lewis, Finance Director at Raccoon Media Group, Andrew Denton, CEO at the Outdoor Industries Association, and Mark Held, founding Secretary General of the European Outdoor
Group are responsible for shaping the ISPO Impact Fund to ensure high standards of fairness, transparency and responsibility.
The Impact Fund will focus on three core areas:
· Nature Conservation & Environmental Stewardship – Supporting projects that protect biodiversity, restore natural environments, and reduce the environmental impact of sport and outdoor recreation.
· Equitable Access & Participation – Enabling more people – regardless of gender, ethnicity, ability, income, or background to access and enjoy sport, winter sports and outdoor recreation.
· Fair, Ethical & Responsible Supply Chains – Investing in initiatives that improve the welfare of workers throughout the supply chain and strengthen the processes through which sport and outdoor products are made, marketed and sold.
An independent advisory panel of industry experts and community representatives is currently being recruited to oversee the allocation of the €1 million fund, assessing all applications, reviewing their potential impact, and awarding grants based on clear and transparent criteria.
The team are actively recruiting members of this panel and welcome applications from the Sports, Outdoor and Winter sports industries. To apply, please contact
“Our advisory panel will help ensure that the funding is fairly and appropriately allocated across projects which get more people active, protect the places in which we play and ensure products are ethically created. From local community initiatives to huge global projects, we expect hundreds of applications. It’s important that these are assessed for their impact so that funds can be carefully allocated, and more importantly actually invested correctly to impact change on an individual level.” said Andrew Denton.
The application process for the ISPO Impact Fund will open online in Spring 2026, with the awarded grants being announced in November at ISPO 2026 at RAI Amsterdam.
*** ENDS ***
For further information please contact:
ABOUT ISPO
First hosted in 1970, ISPO is the world’s premier sports, outdoor and winter trade event welcoming over 50,000 global attendees annually. From 2026, ISPO enters a new chapter led by Raccoon Media Group, in partnership with Messe München. The joint venture combines the heart, agility and entrepreneurial spirit of Raccoon Media Group with the competence, scale, and global reach of Messe München. The refined strategic direction addresses the cost base to make attendance more affordable, aligns the event with global buying cycles, and ensures accessibility for a broader international audience.
In 2025, JOOR marks 15 years as one of the key drivers of digital transformation in wholesale—particularly across sport, outdoor, and fashion. Today, the platform connects more than 14,000 brands with 675,000 buyers in over 150 countries, supporting a transaction volume that exceeds $20 billion annually.
From immersive digital showrooms to streamlined order management and integrations with systems such as NetSuite, and Microsoft Dynamics, JOOR has consistently advanced how brands and retailers collaborate. This long-term commitment to usability and connectivity has made the platform a core infrastructure for sport, outdoor, lifestyle, and fashion businesses worldwide.
To mark its anniversary year, JOOR introduces JOOR Discover, a new matchmaking tool designed to help brands and retailers build relevant business relationships more efficiently.
Users can refine their search by city, region, price point, product category, or brand affinity, enabling targeted and meaningful outreach.
According to JOOR’s data, Discover generates a nine-times higher match success rate, and 78 percent of new connections lead to follow-up orders within a year. For brands expanding into new regions—from Vienna and Paris to Seoul—Discover reduces complexity and accelerates the process of finding aligned retail partners. Retailers gain structured access to labels that fit their assortment strategy, including performance, outdoor, and sport-driven brands.
A complementary update, the Shopify Connector, enables synchronized B2B and B2C order flows for retailers who operate on Shopify
As sport and fashion continue to converge, JOOR operates naturally at the intersection of both worlds. The platform’s strongest momentum comes from active lifestyle, performance leisure, and fashion-forward sportswear—segments that blend technical performance with contemporary design. Brands such as Colmar, Fabletics, and Descente reflect this crossover and resonate strongly across JOOR’s global retail network.
Retailers increasingly seek hybrid assortments that combine functionality with visual appeal—particularly in premium multi-brand environments. JOOR enables this shift by offering structured visibility into performance-minded, style-driven collections.
The platform will also be on-site at ISPO Munich 2025, supporting sport and outdoor brands with digital tools that extend their reach beyond the physical booth. Its presence aligns with ISPO’s focus on mobility, design, and new interpretations of performance culture
Meet JOOR at ISPO Munich 2025 here: BOOTH B1 405-1
As wholesale continues to evolve digitally, JOOR refines how brands and retailers collaborate across the entire lifecycle: from presenting collections and managing orders to identifying new partners and strengthening existing relationships.
The platform emphasizes clarity, transparency, and efficient workflows—qualities increasingly essential in a competitive global marketplace.
Looking ahead, JOOR remains focused on enabling a more connected, data-informed wholesale ecosystem that supports creativity, performance, and commercial growth across sport, outdoor, and fashion.
Now celebrating its 15th year as the fashion industry’s leading wholesale Digital platform JOOR processes close to $20 billion in transactions annually. Since its launch in 2010 JOOR has responded to the global fashion and sports sector’s evolving needs with industry leading digital solutions. More than 14,000 discerning brands and 650,000 curated buyers across 150 countries connect on the platform. JOOR’s advanced technology provides an end-to-end wholesale solution for presenting collections, building assortments, placing and managing orders, and handling complex billing and payment processing via JOOR Pay. With a commitment to fueling the advancement of both brands and retailers, JOOR offers unparalleled customer service and a dynamic marketplace enabling clients to discover new business partners and drive growth. JOOR has exclusive partnerships with 30+ leading global retailers using the JOOR Retail Partner platform including: Harrods, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges, Printemps, Shopbop, and Dover Street Market. JOOR is headquartered in New York City, with a global
employee base across North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific.
Subzero temps, moisture, crashes – winter can be brutal not just for outdoor enthusiasts, but for their smart devices too. Whether you’re carving down the slopes, gliding through cross-country trails, or climbing uphill on a ski tour, smartwatches, trackers, and smartphones are always along for the ride — and often pushed to their limits.
“Especially while skiing or snowboarding, devices often fail because of moisture and freezing temperatures,” explains Aaron Weyrauch, owner of the repair service that bears his name and partner of insurance provider Wertgarantie. “The batteries are usually the first to give up once the temperature drops below zero. Moisture and cold together – that’s pure poison for any smartwatch or phone.”
One of the most common mistakes? Storing devices in the wrong place. Many wear their gadgets on the outside of a jacket sleeve or clipped to their pants for easy access. But that’s exactly where they take the biggest hit from wind, snow, and falls. “I always recommend keeping your device in the inner pocket of your jacket,” says Weyrauch. “It’s better protected from cold, moisture, and impact there.”
For anyone who spends hours on skis or long days in the mountains, that small habit makes a big difference. Warmth, body proximity, and less condensation go a long way in extending the life of sensitive electronics.
Off the groomers, things get rough: freeriding puts smart devices to the ultimate test with crashes, snow, and freezing temps. Protecting your gear properly extends its lifespan — and saves you from costly repairs. Image credit:Robson Hatsukami Morgan/Unsplash.com
Even when temperatures are on your side, power supply remains the weakest link. The battery determines how long your smartwatch or tracker stays alive — and it’s also the component most likely to fail.
“I always tell customers: never let the battery fully discharge, and don’t keep it constantly charged above 80 percent,” explains repair expert Aaron Weyrauch. “Many manufacturers now limit maximum charge automatically, because it significantly extends the battery’s lifespan.”
But charging habits aren’t the only thing that matter. Many users only bring out their trackers seasonally — for winter vacations or specific training sessions. “If a device sits unused in a drawer for six months, the battery will eventually die,” says Weyrauch. “Charging it once a month is enough to prevent that.”
These small routines contribute to a bigger picture — the circular economy. Taking care of your devices means fewer repairs, and when repairs are needed, many can be done cost-effectively. That keeps valuable electronics in circulation and reduces resource waste.
“The ability to repair a device is one of the most effective levers to reduce environmental impact and extend a product’s life cycle,” emphasizes Konrad Lehmann, Board Member of the specialist insurer Wertgarantie. “As a cornerstone of a functioning circular economy, repair services help extend the lifespan of electronics and household devices and minimize environmental harm from disposal — including the loss of valuable raw materials.”
That’s why Wertgarantie actively supports repair services for electronic devices such as smartwatches and smartphones, helping ensure they stay in use longer rather than ending up as e-waste.
Precision meets finesse: in Aaron Weyrauch’s workshop, smartwatches, trackers, and smartphones get a second life — often through surprisingly small fixes that make a big difference in durability. Image credit:Weyrauch Repair
What many people underestimate: wearables don’t just suffer from crashes or moisture, but from improper cleaning, too. Connectors, charging ports, and sensors are extremely sensitive to dust and grime. “Never clean contacts with metal tools or cotton swabs — you’ll either tear something off or cause a short circuit right away,” warns Weyrauch. “Compressed air works best, even from a simple spray can. It can save you a lot of trouble — and expensive repairs.”
The repair specialist also sees plenty of avoidable damage in winter mountain biking. “Many riders use mounts made for city bikes, not for downhill or subzero conditions,” he explains. “When a phone takes off across the asphalt, we can spot that kind of impact right away in the repair process.”
Despite all precautions, accidents happen — and heading to a repair shop is often the most sustainable choice. A professional repair extends the lifespan of your tech and saves valuable resources. “With proper care and a bit of mindfulness, most devices can last much longer,” says Weyrauch. “And when something does break, repairing it is almost always more sustainable than buying new.”
Fittingly, Wertgarantie recently published a study titled ‘Repair Instead of Replace’, revealing that many consumers avoid repairs out of fear of high costs — a choice that harms the environment when it leads to unnecessary new purchases. According to the study, Germany alone generates roughly 355,871 tons of electronic waste every year (that’s 8.6 kg per household), as many devices are discarded rather than repaired. Even more striking: consumers drastically underestimate the problem, assuming an average of just 52,000 tons annually.
The takeaway is clear: building ecological awareness is key. Protect your wearables, and you’re protecting the planet — while staying smart, sustainable, and connected for longer.
Jumps, rails, hard landings — in the snowpark, even smartwatches and smartphones catch some serious airtime. Secure mounts and protective cases are a must if your tech is going to survive the ride. Image credit:Jorg Angeli/Unsplash.com
About Wertgarantie
Founded in 1963 and headquartered in Hanover, Wertgarantie is a specialist insurance provider offering tailored coverage for electronics, household appliances, bicycles, and e-bikes. Today, more than 8.4 million customers across Europe trust the company’s expertise and service. With its guiding principle “Repair, Don’t Replace,” Wertgarantie champions sustainability, customer focus, and a strong partner network within the specialty retail sector.
For outdoor enthusiasts, Wertgarantie offers customized protection plans designed for life beyond the pavement. In addition to wearables, outdoor gear such as cameras or other tech devices can also be insured. When damage occurs, Wertgarantie ensures quick and professional repairs — either through certified partner workshops or via its convenient online dealer and repair search tool.
It happens in a heartbeat: a curb edge, a slick carpet of leaves, or a rogue tree root—any road or trail runner needs total focus. One misstep and you’re suddenly on the ground. In the best-case scenario you’re left with a few scrapes that heal quickly. What most athletes forget to factor in beforehand is the smart tech they carry—and the risk of a total loss for smartwatch, smartphone, and the rest.
That loss can be a real dilemma. Price aside, today’s workouts rely on far more than lap times. Road runners track split pace and HRV; trail runners depend on offline topo maps, weather alerts, and live tracking for friends. If that device fails, the long run can end without navigation or an emergency call option.
A cracked display or a bruised battery pack, however, doesn’t automatically mean buying new. Specialist repair shops now swap out screens, seals, and battery cells in hours instead of weeks. A replacement screen for a multisport watch rarely tops €120, while a new premium model can easily cost four to five times that. And failures happen fast. “Devices break pretty quickly when they hit the ground hard,” notes Aaron Weyrauch, CEO of Weyrauch Repair—one of Wertgarantie’s authorized service partners. His numbers favor repair: seven out of ten smartwatches can be economically rescued because the main board and sensor stack are usually unharmed.
Every repair saves both money and the planet. Discarding consumer electronics that could still be fixed has heavy environmental consequences: according to a recent Wertgarantie study, Germany generates about 356,000 metric tons of e-waste each year because broken devices are scrapped instead of repaired—roughly 9 kg per household. Producing replacement devices adds around 2 million t of CO₂-equivalent emissions. Yet 77 percent of consumers opt against repair—often because the device seems “too old” or the quoted cost feels high. If the national repair rate rose by just one quarter, Germany could cut roughly 90,000 t of e-waste every year.
Repairing also extends a product’s life cycle and preserves its material value: sapphire glass, titanium housings—resources that don’t need to be mined again. Professional workshops provide six- to twelve-month warranties on replacement parts, reducing risk and building trust. At the same time, a secondary market for certified-refurbished wearables is emerging, giving newcomers a sustainable gateway into data-driven training. In short, repairs make the circular economy tangible.
That’s where Wertgarantie steps in, covering repair costs when accidents happen. With its “3-for-2 Complete Protection” offer, athletes can insure three devices—such as smartwatches or fitness trackers—against cracked screens, water damage, mishandling, and technical faults while paying for coverage on only two. Claim online, and you’re directed to one of about 2,400 partner workshops in Germany and Austria, achieving a 98 percent match rate for convenient, local repairs.
Good to know: Beyond potential repairs, your sustainability score rises when a battery lasts for the long haul. That comes down to day-to-day handling—often right at the wall outlet. “I always advise, and most manufacturers now agree, to stop charging at 80 percent and to avoid deep discharge. Many athletes use their trackers only in season, then leave them sitting for half a year. A full top-up once a month is enough; otherwise the cell dies and can’t be revived,” explains Aaron Weyrauch.
Hot-weather runners should grab power banks with thermal cut-off and park devices in the shade during breaks: overheating burns through charge cycles. “On long outings in direct sun, the gear overheats and the battery suffers. Take the phone out of the sun now and then—that’s crucial,” Weyrauch adds. Lithium-ion cells dislike cold just as much, so in winter the phone belongs in an inner pocket, never the outer shell. For off-season storage: leave about 50 percent charge, switch to airplane mode, and “wake” the unit every four weeks. Brief, moderate fast-charging is fine; hours of trickle-charging overnight strain the chemistry. Follow these steps and the battery can last five years or more—turning your wearable into a long-term training partner rather than disposable tech.
Sweat, dust, and rain are constant companions for runners. Regular upkeep wards off corrosion and connection failures. “Cotton swabs are tricky here,” warns Weyrauch. “Compressed air is best—no metal tools, no Q-tips.” A quick burst after each workout blows salt crystals out of sensor gaps. Anyone eyeing a trail marathon should first clean the seals and check the rubber plugs on charging ports. With these care routines—and the right coverage for your electronics—you can head into summer trail runs and the fall marathon season with a lot less to worry about.
Wertgarantie is a specialist insurer based in Hanover, Germany, founded in 1963. The company provides tailored coverage for electronics, household appliances, bikes, and e-bikes. Today, over 8.4 million customers across Europe rely on its services. Built on the philosophy of “repair instead of replace,” Wertgarantie stands for sustainability, customer focus, and a strong partner network in the specialist retail channel.
For outdoor sports, Wertgarantie offers customized protection plans. In addition to wearables, coverage extends to outdoor tech like action cameras or digital gadgets. Once damage is reported, devices are repaired either through partner workshops or by using the online dealer and repair locator.
