Image credit:
Messe München GmbH
Image credit:
Messe München GmbH
ISPO Munich/12/05/2024

High-tech, High Fives, Health & Highlights: ISPO Munich 24 -That's a Wrap!

We need your consent to enable the rating function!

This feature is only available when corresponding consent is given. Please read the details and accept the service to enable rating function.

Rate
Bookmark

Health, technology and sustainability are the big drivers of the sports world - and at ISPO Munich 2024, all of this met with concentrated innovation, exciting new products and genuine enthusiasm. An event that not only showed the trends, but also put everyone in a good mood!

The figures speak for themselves: 81% of children do not get enough exercise. The consequences? A challenge for healthcare systems, the economy and society. But instead of just issuing a warning, ISPO Munich 2024 set an example: The future of sport starts here and now - with pioneering innovations, inspiring minds and a clear mission.

ISPO Munich 2024 was the perfect meeting place for everyone who wants to actively shape the future of the sports industry. With 55,000 participants from 113 countries and nearly 2,300 exhibitors from 50 countries, ISPO Munich offered a stage for future thinkers. Six visionary partner conferences - SPORT MARKE MEDIEN, Sports Tech Nation, German Trainers' Summit, Ski Industry Climate Summit by Atomic, therapie MÜNCHEN and the BIOTEXFUTURE Fall Forum - brought global topics such as health, tech and sustainability into focus.

“I really love what I have seen. […] And I love these panel discussions. I love how it brings the entire industry together. We have so much knowledge and suddenly the discussion is becoming so much broader than what it used to be in the past, […]. Now we're really bringing the entire industry from different angles together. A lot of expertise, a lot of exchange and networking, and I really love the vibe that I'm now feeling today. Here.”
Marina Moguš, SVP/GM Central Europe at adidas

Technological innovations offer a preview of the future

From wearables that measure muscle fatigue in real time to AI-controlled fitness devices and VR-supported regeneration tools: ISPO Munich 2024 was the place-to-be for new technologies. Bright minds met in the Future Lab to present and discuss trends and products. With 150 groundbreaking innovations, ISPO Munich thus offered a foretaste of the future that makes you want more.

Visitors marvel at the latest technological innovations up close
Image credit:
Messe München GmbH
“If we can use technology to ensure we're more active throughout our day, we could have a much more active lifestyle. […] The speaking topics at ISPO this year have been phenomenal. They’ve been very diverse, covering different ages, genders, products, and challenges. You name a topic – it’s here”
Grace McNamara, Founder & CEO of The Collective

Sustainability: from trend to duty

The Sustainability Hub in collaboration with Patagonia was about more than just green visions: The circular economy, innovative materials and new production methods showed how the industry is taking responsibility.

"ISPO is a place where like-minded businesses come together—businesses that share our mission of connecting people with nature. But what Patagonia does alone isn’t enough. We’re just one small part of a much bigger picture. If the outdoor and sports industries unite and use our collective voice to push for stronger environmental protections, we can drive the systemic change our planet urgently needs"
Beth Thoren, Environmental Action & Initiatives Director EMEA at Patagonia

Brands such as Adidas and Gore-Tex presented high-performance products that are also sustainable. Game changer: algae as the raw material of the future!

Numerous bio-based materials derived from waste and natural raw materials were presented in the Material Lab
Image credit:
Messe München GmbH

Rethinking health: sport as the key

The shocking truth: 81% of children worldwide do not get enough exercise, explained WHO representative Fiona Bull on stage at the ISPO Future Lab. The economic and health consequences are enormous and require urgent action. The ISPO audience was unanimous: these staggering figures do not mark a state of affairs that the sports industry is prepared to accept. The exchange at the event clearly showed that a common will is forming to initiate a turnaround here.

Emma P. (Mason) Zwiebler, CEO / World Federation of the Sporting Goods Industry (WFSGI), underlined the urgency:

“We talked a lot on this panel session about what's the opportunity with sports tech to get more people to be active, not just sitting on our phones. We need governments to come to the table, and that is where we fundamentally believe that ISPO has an amazing platform to bring together all the key stakeholders that are critical to this issue around tackling physical inactivity.”

However, ISPO not only offered a stage for debates and exciting product presentations from the worlds of sport and fashion, but also a space for innovative partnerships and concepts. therapie MÜNCHEN, the accompanying trade fair for medical rehabilitation and corporate health, added further perspectives and attracted a large number of experts.

The event thus impressively demonstrated how sport, health and lifestyle are increasingly merging. And partners such as KlosterKitchen and Yfood are also providing important impetus to jointly develop solutions for a more active and healthier society.

The ISPO white paper "The Future of Sport, Health & Retail" provides another exciting look at the topic of health with the results of a Europe-wide survey.

Top speakers and world stars: the heads of ISPO Munich 2024

Andre Agassi, Malaika Mihambo, Alexander and Mischa Zverev, Julian Nagelsmann and 78 other top speakers - the ISPO Munich stage was filled with stars, coaches, experts and visionaries who are driving change in the sports industry.

Andre Agassi shows full commitment in pickleball match against Patrick Smith
Image credit:
Messe München GmbH

Andre Agassi, former world number one, multiple Grand Slam champion and committed philanthropist, was enthusiastic about his visit to ISPO Munich:

“This was a great experience. ISPO here in Munich. I mean, to watch the sporting world come together from behind the scenes, from a technology standpoint, from an innovation standpoint, you know, it's great. It's everybody pushing to make sport bigger and better […] what a great place to express your vision for different enthusiasms and, yeah, it was a great experience.“

Of course, the exhibitors at ISPO Munich once again presented many outstanding new products and styles, impressively demonstrating the innovative power of the sports industry. Not only were there many trend-setting new products to discover, but over 80 products and services were also honored with the ISPO Award for their products. This seal of quality shows what really counts: Innovation and excellence. Whether groundbreaking technologies or pioneering products - the award winners set new standards for the sports industry.

Another emotional highlight: the ISPO Cup 2024 went to Verena Bentele, twelve-time Paralympic gold medal winner and President of the VdK social association. Verena was honored for her tireless commitment to inclusion and social justice. With her work, she impressively demonstrates how sport can unite people and promote social change.

National soccer player Lina Magull designed this unique piece for the "Love Everyone" charity campaign of ISPO Munich 2024 and the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation. A T-shirt with a powerful motif: hands reaching for the stars, forming the word "Love" and symbolizing the unifying power of sport. The campaign was supported by Flexfit and Unzer.

All proceeds go to sports social programs such as "Futbalo Girls" and "HIGH FIVE", which teach children and young people in Germany and Austria social skills and self-determination.

National soccer player Lina Magull signs the special shirt she designed for the 'Love everyone' charity campaign of ISPO Munich 2024 and the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation
Image credit:
Messe München GmbH

Global meeting place for visionaries

ISPO Munich attracted more than 300 start-ups, over 1,500 top designers and product developers, as well as leading developers from the sports, fashion, automotive, bike and lifestyle sectors. Whether material trends, circular design or cutting-edge technologies - ISPO Munich 2024 was a hotspot for all those who want to set new trends.

“I think what we are doing with ISPO is about creating a new experience for designers who visit the trade show. And I'm really grateful that ISPO has given me the opportunity to invite those people from other industries to come here, to share their insight, to give fresh perspective. And so it's just opportunities for people to meet and talk, and I'm sure that it's gonna create wonderful projects in the future.”
Florian Auger, Director of design, OUTERCRAFT

The bottom line: the future starts here and now!

ISPO Munich 2024 was a wake-up call, a platform and a laboratory all in one. It showed that health, tech and sustainability are the major drivers of the industry and that sport can achieve more than ever before - and can face up to this fact with courage.

For three days, the slogan "Love Every Contact" was: Make Experiences to experience innovations up close, Find Solutions for the challenges of the industry, Gain Insights through knowledge and trends, and Get Guidance to find orientation in the dynamic world of the sports business.

“These developments underscore the potential and importance of key topics such as health, technology and fashion for the future of the sports industry. There is a lot of talk about trends and innovations, which makes it all the more important for us to present a comprehensive spectrum of these future-oriented topics in a variety of ways, in order to give participants, the opportunity to learn and engage in dialogue with each other. Numerous conversations and encounters confirmed that with ISPO Munich we have successfully managed to merge technology and health, two factors which will determine the future of sports”
Tobias Gröber, Executive Director of the ISPO Group

The event also proved the importance of real personal connections and knowledge sharing. Hunter Lovins, Hunter Lovins President and Founder / Natural Capitalism Solutionssums it up perfectly:

“ISPO is a community. People come here to see each other. […] You can't replicate that on the Internet. The face-to-face conversations are what makes being in business really worthwhile. And when you come with a purpose, when you come to learn, when you come to engage, when you come to have these conversations, you go home with something you can't get anywhere else.“

One thing is clear: if you want to keep your finger on the pulse of the times, you can't miss ISPO Munich.

Save the Date: ISPO Munich 2025 - 02-04. December 2025

Topics in this article