If business events are meant to be more than functional appointments – if inspiration, exchange and sustainable added value are at the heart of the experience – then choosing the right location becomes crucial. And why not meet where the name alone stands for both cult status and a place of longing?
As a renowned alpine town, Kitzbühel has been combining tradition and innovation for centuries and has long established itself as a first-class destination for Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Events (MICE). Embedded in an impressive mountain landscape, Kitzbühel offers the ideal setting for events that leave a lasting impression.
That Kitzbühel knows how to deliver outstanding events is evident not least from the legendary races on the Streif or the ATP tennis tournament in summer, where the world’s best players and their fans come together. Kitzbühel stands for alpine inspiration, genuine hospitality and the highest quality standards in event execution. More than 750 years of history shape the town, while at the same time it is modern, cosmopolitan and professionally positioned, with a very special charm.
It is precisely this combination that makes Kitzbühel so attractive for companies planning meetings, congresses or incentives with real added value.
Whether an exclusive board meeting in a small circle, an international conference or a multi-day incentive for employees: the destination offers flexible, modular event spaces, high-quality conference hotels and extraordinary locations – from traditional Tyrolean mountain huts to modern business spaces with panoramic mountain views.
In both summer and winter, Kitzbühel is “Your Place to Meet”
In addition, there is a wide range of options for inspiring supporting programmes – whether sporty or culinary. Event managers know that a successful event does not thrive on content alone, but above all on emotion, created through memorable experiences. Kitzbühel offers more than 50 activities and experiences that can be perfectly tailored to incentives, teambuilding activities or networking formats.
In winter, dreamlike snow experiences, ski adventures or atmospheric evenings in mountain huts await. In summer, hiking, biking, golf, lakes and culinary discoveries take centre stage. Whether sporting challenges, creative workshops or indulgent breaks – the alpine landscape creates space for new perspectives, while motivation and genuine connections emerge along the way or during relaxed stops at traditional inns.
Kitzbühel offers the perfect setting for events of all size
One of the cornerstones of the MICE destination is the modern congress centre, which can host events ranging from several hundred up to a thousand participants. This is complemented by a wide selection of certified conference hotels and extraordinary event locations – centrally located, technically state-of-the-art and individually adaptable. For those seeking seclusion, this is equally possible, ensuring that every group finds the right place to meet and connect.
Overall, Kitzbühel’s unique atmosphere offers 58 km² of space for encounters between 800 and 2,000 metres above sea level – 365 days a year, across all four seasons.
Another key advantage: short distances. Hotels, venues, restaurants and leisure activities are all quickly and easily accessible within Kitzbühel. This not only simplifies logistics, but also enhances the overall quality of the event experience. Despite its alpine location, Kitzbühel is easy to reach – by train directly to the town centre, by car, or via international airports such as Innsbruck, Salzburg or Munich. Shuttle services and well-designed mobility concepts provide additional flexibility on site.
Sporty supporting programmes create the perfect basis for team building
A decisive advantage for organisers is the professional on-site support. Kitzbühel Convention Services (Verlinkung: https://www.kitzbuehel.com/convention-services/?utm_source_platform=online-marketing&utm_medium=button&utm_source=ispo&utm_campaign=ispo-magazin-mice) acts as the central point of contact for the entire event planning process. From the initial idea through to successful implementation, an experienced team accompanies every step – competent, efficient and personal.
The range of services includes location scouting and site inspections, coordination of regional partners, organisation of incentive programmes and sustainable mobility solutions. The goal is to save time, use budgets efficiently and at the same time create a customised, high-quality event experience.
Kitzbühel offers 58 km² of space for encounters between 800 and 2,000 metres above sea level
Sustainability in Kitzbühel is not a trend, but a lived philosophy. Many businesses are certified with the Austrian Eco Label and focus on regional value creation, resource-efficient concepts and short supply chains. As a result, Green Meetings and sustainable events can be implemented here just as credibly and professionally – without compromising on quality or comfort.
For companies that wish to take responsibility and design their events consciously, Kitzbühel offers clear added value and strong positioning.
More about Kitzbühel – Your Place to Meet as a business event location in the heart of the Alps:
Outdoor clothing is no longer just for extreme mountain tours or multi-day trekking adventures. Today's consumers have diverse interests and lead active, spontaneous lives, so they need clothing that is as versatile as possible and can accompany them on all their adventures. The boundaries between everyday life, leisure, and the outdoors are becoming increasingly blurred, and traditional activity categories are losing their significance. Alongside clothing for demanding outdoor enthusiasts in extreme conditions, today's consumers need clothing that can adapt to any situation: functional, reliable and suitable for everyday use. Whether it's a city commute, a microadventure or a multi-day hike, function meets lifestyle!
In the Spring/Summer 2026 season, Marmot is putting this mindset at the heart of its collection, setting new standards for the brand with greater versatility and comfort. Leading the way is the evolution of the best-selling PreCip line, first launched over 25 years ago, which has undergone continuous development ever since. The previous best-selling PreCip Eco jacket has been replaced by the PreCip EVO, while the PreCip Eco Pro — one of the brand's best-selling rain jackets — has been replaced by the PreCip EVO Pro. The latter is now lighter and is made from 3-layer NanoPro™. Thanks to an additional integrated chest pocket and more comfortable, lowered hand pockets, it is also more versatile. A brand new highlight offering unbeatable value for money is the PreCip EVO Flex Jacket, which Marmot has added to its range. Combining waterproof, breathable weather protection with high wearing comfort, it is made from 2.5-layer NanoPro™ material consisting of 100% recycled polyester ripstop with mechanical stretch for maximum freedom of movement. Matching rain pants, which are also available in full-zip versions and different lengths, complete the line.
Click here for the PreCip Evo Flex Jacket from Marmot
Marmot also has innovations in store for sleeping bags and is keeping a close eye on changing customer needs. One example is the Wraptor series, which is made from 100% recycled polyester ripstop. Marmot has dispensed with zippers and used magnetic closures instead to allow for more comfort and flexibility in different sleeping positions. The sleeping bags are available in different lengths and with down or synthetic fillings. Marmot has also developed the HiberNest series, which is equally comfortable and versatile, but with a zipper. The zipper runs along the entire foot box, providing additional ventilation and allowing you to walk around in the sleeping bag. The spacious design provides ample freedom of movement while sleeping.
Marmot's new Trailfin tent, available for two or three people, is a new solution for outdoor enthusiasts who like to travel light and compact when trekking or bike packing. Short aluminum poles ensure a smaller pack size for this freestanding tent, which has two entrances and a tent packaging that features external attachment straps to secure it to a bike.
Want to find out more about what's new at Marmot? Jan Schapmann, Managing Director of Marmot, explains in an interview what the new brand direction is all about, why classic activity categories no longer make sense today, and which product highlights the brand is launching for the SS26 season.
Jan Schapmann: The brand orientation is not entirely new. We carried out a comprehensive consumer analysis for our 50th anniversary and discovered that there are very loyal Marmot consumers and that they know exactly what Marmot stands for. What is new is that we are much more focused in our product development and our consumer approach because we know which of our brand values are perfectly in line with consumer expectations. For example, the durability of our products has always been important to us - and customers as well as retailers appreciate this and rely on it. Our sub-claim “Tested. Worn. Loved.” expresses this relationship with the longstanding favorite product.
Of course, our consumers' expectations and the way they use our products have changed over time and we address this in our Brand Guide. We don't (just) develop our collections for ourselves but focus on the consumer. You can also see this in our campaigns. It's about the people and their experiences and that hasn't changed in 50 years. However, we wanted to look ahead and asked ourselves what role the Marmot brand will play in our consumers' lives in the future. 18 months ago we appointed a new Global General Manager for Marmot, Jon Graden. Jon has questioned all our “business basics”, especially around collection development and the Go-to-Market process. What do we know, and what do we only think we know because that's how it's always been? With this attitude, “Know what you don't know”, we have brought a new dynamic to the entire team and the brand.
Our consumers and customers trust Marmot and our products when it comes to functionality, performance, innovation and sustainability. Nothing has changed in this respect. However, the demand is more and more to buy a versatile and timeless product to build up a relationship over many years and many outdoor adventures. People who are active outdoors today are often much more versatile than in the past and are always open to new experiences. That's why we don't pigeonhole our consumers into activity categories, but are just as open and flexible in our product development as our consumers are in their use. We have therefore placed great emphasis on the color palette and versatility of our products. Innovation and sustainability have always been part of our brand pillars; our customers expect this and it is firmly anchored in every step of the collection development.
Our PreCip collection has been setting standards for 25 years when it comes to the waterproof/breathable category in the sub €200 price range. To further improve the collection, we have perfectly combined the two basic requirements of functionality and comfort.
We have developed the material of the EVO Jacket so that it is significantly softer, making it more comfortable to wear without compromising performance. New is the 2.5-layer EVO Flex Jacket, which offers a high degree of mechanical stretch. In addition to comfort, this also contributes to the versatility of the jacket and pant.
In the 3-layer PreCip EVO Pro, we have revised the feature set with additional pockets. In addition to the versatility of the construction, the focus here is on the durability of our 3-layer material, which is also very comfortable and not as crunchy as other 3-layer laminates.
First and foremost, we used our consumer insights to see how the activities and expectations of outdoor users have developed. While our raw materials team evaluated all materials in terms of functionality and ecologically sustainable alternatives, the design team scrutinized each feature to determine whether it offers real added value to the user or whether there are better alternatives.
In doing so, we worked with global teams with diverse backgrounds and expertise and questioned “old beliefs”. A good example is the new PreCip EVO collection. We have made bold decisions, such as leaving out the underarm zippers on the EVO Jacket. In combination with the new material, this offers much better comfort. For this target group, the breathability and climate regulation without the additional zippers is completely sufficient. With the EVO Flex and EVO Pro, however, ventilation is a feature that is useful and important for the target group.
Our target group makes conscious, long-term purchasing decisions. Since all of our products already offer a high level of functionality, it was mainly about creating colors and color combinations that are interesting but not limited to one or two seasons. In doing so, we have addressed a consumer need that is also very important for our retail partners.
Colors like Thunderhead, discreetly combined with Honey Glaze, stimulate consumers to buy because the colors are new. However, the combinations are neutral and timeless and are not perceived as an old collection at the end of the season.
We offer our retail partners continuity and stability in the development of the collection and can therefore react very flexibly to changes in demand. PreCip has always been and will continue to be a reliable product range component for our retailers. In addition, our AirExchange collection with sun protection is developing into a core runner for the summer season because customer needs and collection development also fit together very well here.
Finally, sleeping bags are very important to us. We have expanded our successful down and synthetic portfolio in the backpacking range with two innovative series. The Wraptor and Hibernest models are aimed at consumers who value versatility and a little more comfort and perfectly complement the Gas Bag and Mad River series.
Today's retailers must have a range of sleeping bags that meets a wide variety of consumer needs. In addition, cash-flow and stock rotation are particularly important in this category. We have geared our range and our entire order and inventory management to these requirements of our retail partners so that the retailer can shine with competence and product selection and at the same time work highly profitably.
What does the future of hiking look like – and how can we actively shape it?
This is a question outdoor footwear brand Merrell has been exploring through consumer research in recent years. Their latest answer: the Merrell SpeedARC Matis, a hybrid hiking sneaker combining innovative performance and futuristic design. With its disruptive style and advanced features, it speaks to a new generation of outdoor enthusiasts: young, urban, fashion-forward, and eager to live their passion for the outdoors in everyday city life.
But how does the new model resonate with these consumers? The answer: through real-world feedback from the ISPO Collaborators Club community.
In the ISPO Collaborators Club, sports brands work closely with passionate athletes to test their latest products, gather direct feedback, and integrate it into future product development. This ensures a deeper understanding of what consumers truly value.
For the Merrell SpeedARC Matis, a dedicated test was carried out with handpicked collaborators – selected from over 30,000 members of the Merrell and ISPO community.
This shoe is designed to make hiking possible anywhere – not just in the mountains or countryside but also on urban trails and city streets. Accordingly, testers were chosen across a variety of European cities and environments: from the urban jungle of Berlin to the coastal cities of Portugal and the Dolomites of South Tyrol.
Thanks to this direct connection with the target audience, Merrell gathered detailed insights not only on performance and terrain compatibility but also on design and urban style.
Collaborators tested the Merrell SpeedARC Matis thoroughly on walks, hikes, and short runs through the city, as well as in everyday life. The immediate comfort and fit stood out. "I would 100% recommend the shoe – and I already have," said collaborator Pedro. "Overall, the experience was very positive. The shoes are super light and very comfortable, at least for the shape of my feet." Combined with innovative upper materials, they provide an optimally fitting shoe with the lightness of the ultimate running feeling underfoot. Testers of the Merrell SpeedARC Matis appreciated this. "For occasional hikes, they are by far the best shoes I have ever tried, and daily walking is incomparable," reported collaborator Fabian. The shoe's quick lace system, which allows for easy on and off and quick adjustment of the fit, was also highlighted.
"The shoes feel really great, and even on hikes with over 1,000 meters of elevation gain, I felt super comfortable. Normally, I feel my hips a bit after my short favourite hike near home, but with the SpeedARC Matis, there was no pain, and I even set a new personal best." The high energy return from the SpeedARC sole construction, where the foam in the midsole provides improved rebound and the flex plate in the midsole platform adds extra stability, was also positively evaluated during the tests. "The shoe was super comfortable to wear, and the sole really helped push me forward," said tester Lea. "The sole is excellent in my local terrain, which is mostly muddy or sandy and crosscountry. And that without feeling fatigue," added Pedro. The sole grip of the shoe was also rated as exceptional in rain and wet conditions.
“Extremely comfortable and stylish. Great to wear in urban environments, like for a walk – finally a hiking shoe that doesn’t look like a hiking shoe,” says triathlete and collaborator Maria.
Lea agrees: “I could definitely see myself wearing them not just for hiking – and I probably will.” She and collaborator Sebastian praised the cushioning and comfort, especially for long days on your feet – like during travel or in everyday life. The versatility of the shoe was also praised:
“I love that I can wear them while traveling. That means I don’t need to pack a heavy extra pair of hiking boots – and when I arrive, I still have a solid pair for hikes.”
Maria adds: “The up-to-date style is perfect for a walk in the city or park. I might even use them for my daily commute.”
For those intending to wear the shoe primarily for hiking, there was one practical tip:
“If you’re planning to use them only for hiking and not as lifestyle shoes, I wouldn’t recommend the white color – they get dirty quickly. But I do love the white design for daily wear,” says Lea.
Since the shoe comes in different colourways, personal preferences can easily be accommodated.
The shoe’s progressive look also played a big role:
“As I said – they’re super practical for travel and cover a lot of ground. Style-wise too – they go great with a technical or gorpcore outfit,” adds Lea.
With the SpeedARC Matis, Merrell has delivered a progressive shoe packed with style and technology – one that brings hiking into the city and shapes the future of outdoor footwear. And among the active testers of the ISPO Collaborators Club, it clearly found its place between urban adventure and everyday life.
Do you want to become part of our sports-enthusiastic community and be involved in future product tests and campaigns? Then join the ISPO Collaborators Club.
Recognizing the importance of sustainable material alternatives, Bosideng actively researches and develops materials that reduce environmental impact while meeting the highest performance standards. Bosideng has received several prestigious ISPO Textrends Awards in recognition of its commitment to this cause. For example, Bosideng developed 100% bio-based nylon fabrics that won the Global Selection Award in the Film and Coating category. Other bio-based fabrics received the Top 10 Product Award in the Functional Finishing category, and new high-elastic fabrics won the Top 10 Product Award in the Film and Coating category.
These innovations have been proven to reduce the environmental impact of products. Fabrics made from Bosideng's 100 percent bio-based nylon and bio-based spandex have been shown to reduce the carbon footprint by 23 percent, demonstrating the company's commitment to sustainable development and carbon reduction.
In collaboration with GORE-TEX, Bosideng has taken another significant step towards sustainability by launching down jackets laminated with the new, more sustainable GORE-TEX ePE membrane. ePE stands for expanded polyethylene, which has been proven to reduce the carbon footprint of even highly technical materials. These advanced fabrics are lightweight, durable, and free from harmful perfluorinated compounds (PFCs). By using innovative fabrics, Bosideng is able to reduce the carbon footprint of its products while ensuring durability and performance.
According to ISO14067 and PAS2050 standards, Bosideng has confirmed the carbon footprint of several key products, obtained the China Quality Certification (CQC) Center’s CO2 certification and successfully made them zero-carbon products. These include the Polar Down Jacket, the Light Warm Goose Down Jacket, the Mountaineering Down Jacket, the Ski Down Jacket and the Urban Light Outdoor 1.0 Anti-Sun Wear Apparel.
Bosideng's commitment to sustainability extends beyond material innovation to encompass the entire design process. The company took the lead in drafting the group standard T/CNGA 33-2021, which defines the “Technical Specification for the Assessment of Products with an Environmentally Friendly Design in Down Clothing”. This standard is incorporated into Bosideng's standard operating procedures (SOPs) for product design and ensures that the use of chemicals is carefully managed from the start of the design phase. By considering the use of chemicals at an early stage, Bosideng ensures that hazardous substances are eliminated at source, minimizing their environmental and health impacts.
In addition, Bosideng has created a “Supplier Chemical Control Manual” that requires suppliers to comply with Bosideng's Restricted Substances List Requirements (RSL) for Chemicals. By adhering to these strict requirements, Bosideng ensures that raw materials, semi-finished products and finished products meet high environmental and safety standards. The company is also a member of the Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) initiative, which works to eliminate toxic and hazardous chemicals from the supply chain. Through careful management and analysis of suppliers' sustainability reports, Bosideng is on track to eliminate the use of hazardous chemicals throughout its supply chain by 2030.
Bosideng aims to engage with consumers to inform them about the benefits of innovative materials and strict regulations on chemical management. The company is using or plans to use various channels – including its official website, WeChat account, e-commerce platform and product labels – to educate people about the importance of chemical safety in textiles.
By providing relevant product certifications and clear information about the chemicals used in its products, Bosideng empowers consumers to make informed decisions and raises awareness of chemical safety in the fashion industry. This commitment to transparency and consumer education is a key element of Bosideng's broader social responsibility efforts.
Built for polar researchers and technical alpinists, the Pelliot Limit Mountaineering Down Suit pairs extreme protection with human-centred mobility and a clear strategy: warmth to −50 °C without the usual penalties.
There are moments on an expedition when everything narrows to one simple equation: keep moving, keep warm. In the dark hours between shifts, when the wind scours the tent and frost blooms on your hood, the garment between you and the elements is not decoration but survival. The Limit Mountaineering Down Suit begins from that urgency and refuses the usual trade-offs: warmth that still lets the wearer climb, haul and work.
Fit is the suit’s first story. Pelliot analysed more than 10,000 Asian body scans to sculpt a genuinely 3D-articulated pant and underarm geometry. The result is a suit that allows a 160° arm raise and a 110° stride. These are measurements that matter when you haul sledges, climb a technical face or unzip through a bivi shoulder. Rather than squeezing mobility into a blocky shell, designers freed the joints and tuned cavity volumes so the garment moves with the body. In practice, the suit behaves like a well-trained partner: it resists wind and snow when you need protection and yields when you need reach.
Protection is zoned, not uniform. High-pressure points such as shoulders and waist are built from stretchable reinforced shell fabrics to withstand harness load, abrasion and repeated wear; low-friction silk-feel linings reduce chafe where movement is constant. The mid-layer is a 1000-fill-power, highly water-repellent RDS-certified goose down arranged in zoned 3D honeycomb chambers. This architecture traps heat where it’s needed, prevents cold bridges and retains loft longer in damp conditions. A PrimaLoft® Active inner layer adds practical intelligence: it captures kinetic energy from movement to improve microclimate regulation while on the move and seals warmth during rest.
Materials used are both pragmatic and progressive. The outer shell combines a sustainable PERTEX® QUANTUM regenerated nylon with high-strength liquid crystal aromatic polyester fibers, delivering wind resistance rated to level 12 and durable anti-abrasion performance for seams and shoulder patches. Waterless dyeing reduces water use by up to 80 percent and plant-based DWR treatments replace petroleum-derived finishes. Taken together, process and material choices cut the suit’s total carbon footprint by approximately 40 percent versus conventional production.
Field features show the designers’ experience mindset: oversized glove-compatible zippers, reinforced crotch and hem, accessible repair points and modular reinforcements that allow on-site patching rather than wholesale replacement. The architecture intentionally avoids bonded seams in critical movement areas, extending service life and making field repairs realistic. Pelliot’s circular plan goes beyond materials: the brand targets reclaiming 90 percent of down and 70 percent of shell material from returned garments, closing a loop that is uncommon at this performance level.
Who is this for? Polar scientists marching across an ice shelf, alpine guides leading complex technical routes, and residents who must live and work in extreme cold will recognise the suit’s uncompromising warmth, unimpeded movement and traceable sustainability story.
“Pelliot Limit Mountaineering Down Suit fuses extreme warmth with agile fit matched to its Asian target group. 3D anthropometric tailoring, zoned 1000-fill water-repellent down and an inner layer delivering energy as warmth offer reliable polar protection while lowering environmental impact.” ISPO Award Jury