‘Back to the drawing board’: OutDoor 2025 is paused

OIC: Messe München GmbH and the European Outdoor Group have announced that the OutDoor 2025 trade show has been paused, and their future partnership has been intensified. What were the main factors behind pausing OutDoor?

Lena Haushofer: The decision to host OutDoor as a trade show within the ISPO Group in Munich was taken to implement a second strong format for the outdoor industry beyond ISPO Munich. This was meant to provide a clear added value for all participants. Considering the show’s development in the last six years and its current outlook, we had to decide where this added value could be created this year. For OutDoor, the committed goals of the industry and Messe München of 20% more exhibitors, 20% more visitors, and 20% cost savings could not be achieved. Without these goals, we cannot justify the investment of all those involved in an independent outdoor event in 2025. Therefore, we decided to focus on ISPO Munich 2025, welcoming the entire outdoor Industry at the event.

OutDoor trade show needs more time for realignment

OIC: In the past, it has often been the case that the trade show has gone ahead despite the realization that it may not be as successful as anticipated. Is that a lesson learned? Rather than providing more ammunition for criticism, the pause seems an honest and reasonable measure.

Lena Haushofer: I think you can say that, yes… because the satisfaction after the last OutDoor show was not what we had hoped for. During OutDoor 2024, it was already openly stated that satisfaction would be even lower and participation would be questioned if the trade show would be held in the same format again. Therefore, a new concept was developed jointly in record time with key industry players to address the community’s needs. Finally, it turns out that we, as Messe München, but also our partners and the whole community need more time for realignment and new strategic orientation. It should also be noted that many brands must manage their budgets more tightly due to the current market situation and are increasingly focusing on major international industry events. The outdoor industry repeatedly emphasizes the importance of a global platform for networking and exchanging information. Even in 2025, we will try to address these needs as there will still be great opportunities for brands to get actively involved at ISPO Munich despite OutDoor being paused. Apart from that, I am very pleased to continue our partnership with the EOG, as they will again be actively involved in the Sustainability Hub at ISPO Munich 2025 and strongly support the content of the conference topics.

Christian Schneidermeier: Exactly, that’s right. As the new director of the EOG, I find it a key concern to create a strong industry platform for the entire outdoor industry. Cooperation within the industry is essential, and I see my task in promoting this through suitable platforms. However, we realized that OutDoor 2025 could not be the ideal platform this year, so we decided to take a break. Nevertheless, we want to continue to offer opportunities to network and exchange ideas. One of these opportunities will be ISPO Munich 2025, where we will continue to drive forward essential industry topics as part of the Sustainability Hub. Despite the criticism of previous trade shows, the feedback was clear: sustainability plays a central role, and the trade show is an ideal meeting place to present these topics and work on them actively. In addition, we are currently also planning to organize a Sustainability Conference, which is planned to take place at the time of the originally planned OutDoor in May at the exhibition center in Munich. That way, we hope to ensure that dialog within the industry is still taking place in 2025.

OIC: Would this replace the EOG’s European Outdoor Summit, or is it a separate event?

Christian Schneidermeier: A separate event, but it is linked to what I call “a year of transformation” for the EOG. We will use 2025 to do some soul-searching, review all our activities, and get started with new, fresh ideas and people to hit the ground running in 2026 with various formats – a new European Outdoor Summit and a new OutDoor. At the end of the month, we will have our EOG General Assembly, where new Board members and a new Presidency will be elected. Putting it all together, it’s the ideal opportunity to use the ongoing year to focus on all formats and work on them without pressure. This is how we can rebuild the much-needed satisfaction in the industry in 2026.

“Positive momentum in the EOG”

OIC: That’s a lot of news. EOG also just announced that membership has risen to 150…

Christian Schneidermeier: We have positive momentum in the EOG – detached from the OutDoor topic. And it’s such a shame that we’ve recently put so much energy into the challenging trade show discussion. The time we spend talking negatively about the show can be used for better things. I want us to go into 2026 with positive energy and work with joy and enthusiasm again, not with permanent doubt.

OIC: What about the existing commitments for OutDoor 2025? Some contracts were already signed.

Lena Haushofer: The registrations were non-binding – we wanted to get a sense of interest and commitment to the event to gauge the mood realistically. Exhibitors who have already registered will be informed by me personally by telephone or e-mail immediately. I am also available for more in-depth personal discussions afterward. Bookings that have already been made will, of course, be canceled free of charge. We will ensure that all confirmed exhibitors and the entire outdoor industry will find a perfect place at ISPO Munich 2025 during this “year of transformation.”

OIC: When you say that you are now thinking about the trade show in a completely new way, does that mean you are returning to the drawing board? Or are certain things that were previously announced, such as the “Freestyle” or “Village” areas or “20-20-20”, staying the same?

Christian Schneidermeier: I am currently in close contact with Harald Kirchschlager, Executive Director Corporate Strategy & Development at MMG, because, in addition to the pause for OutDoor 2025, we are also working on the renewal of the strategic partnership between MMG and EOG for the next three years. As part of this partnership, we will look again at how we can further develop both formats – ISPO Munich and OutDoor. I believe we have received enough serious feedback to restart from scratch and consider on a blank sheet of paper how we can best cover the needs of the respective industries with these two products. In this transformative year of 2025, we also need to take the time to thoroughly re-examine these formats and put them on a footing that the industry desires.

Lena Haushofer: In addition, I would like to say that ISPO and Messe München clearly believe in a separate event for the outdoor industry – complementary to ISPO Munich and thus adding value for all related industries. We will support this approach in the form of a strategic partnership, regardless of where the event takes place. With the change of leadership on both sides [Tobias Gröber’s departure from MMG and Christian Schneidermeier as EOG’s new Director], we are changing not only our event product but also our team structure and way of working. Together with our strategy department, I now have full responsibility for MMG’s sports business events, which are currently ISPO Munich and OutDoor. I also believe that this offers opportunities to fundamentally rethink the idea of sports business events and create a new type of cooperation with the industry – in other words, to set up new boards and steering committees and involve the industry even more in the conceptual approaches than already done before. In 2025, we will take the opportunity to realize a very focused and clear profile for ISPO Munich. We shall use the pause to resume intensive discussions with the community and then, depending on the outcome, see what the new world will look like and how we can use this momentum to gain fresh impetus.

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”It is unacceptable that the big players pursue their selfish interests”

OIC: We’ve been talking for some time about the need to recreate or renew trade shows, but no one has come up with a feasible idea – in Europe and internationally. There were attempts in the US, but they never really worked out in the end. What makes you so optimistic that you will manage to “reinvent” a show like OutDoor?

Christian Schneidermeier: I want to expand on that because one reason for this whole trade show situation is that the environment and the industry have changed. And I have noticed that we in the industry have also become more selfish and are looking less at the community, which is, of course, understandable on the one hand. On the other hand, however, the large players must realize that pure selfishness will not lead to success at the end of the day because all market participants depend on a good overall situation. It is unacceptable that the big players pursue their selfish interests without contributing to the community. After all, the industry thrives on diversity. This diversity must be supported jointly through various activities and formats. It is the task of the EOG to ensure that the sector reaches a different level of cooperation. Because we know that we, as individual brands, are not our biggest competitors. Our competition is other sectors – all those also wanting to evoke positive emotions, such as the automotive industry or computer games. And the better we stand up to them, the better off the industry and every individual participant will be. We currently lack such understanding, and we will work on re-establishing it. To do that, we need a suitable platform, which we will analyze and develop together with Messe München and other stakeholders. Once we have done that, we will see how it goes.

OIC: But aren’t you planning to work with other industries, too? This leads me to yet another question: Who do you consider part of the outdoor industry – for the trade show, the EOS and the planned Sustainability Conference? There are already strong, established specialist trade shows for some “outdoor” categories. So, who belongs to this circle that is supposed to put emotions before competitive thinking?

Christian Schneidermeier: Theoretically, they all belong there [from mountain sports to skiing and cycling to watersports], but on the other hand, of course, you can’t get lost in arbitrariness. Of course, there are many synergy effects and commonalities that we need to make better use of, and we will do so. That’s why I can’t say who is or isn’t part of it, but it’s part of our task to think about who we’re organizing the trade show for and with whom we’re doing it. We will achieve our goals once we activate this critical mass of exhibitors. At that point, knowing where and when the show takes place will be of secondary importance, which were also recurring discussion points. The task is to attract that critical mass of exhibitors who want to run this platform with maximum energy and commitment. If we succeed, we can win over the entire industry. We are now in the process of determining how we can achieve this.

OIC: Are the order season and even the sales channels no longer the only decisive factors for attending a trade show?

Lena Haushofer: There is still a lot of traditional “ISPO order business” taking place during our show; however, as we all know, ordering and sales are also done via multiple channels, from digital to other types of smaller meetings and events. However, besides ordering and concrete sales, the sports business world has many more reasons for a global homecoming event. At ISPO Munich 2025, we want to provide a world for classic branding, sales and ordering, fundamentally enhanced by addressing the industry’s urgent future topics and transformational needs. That means retailers are still one of our core target groups, and we will invest to provide them with the perfect place to be at ISPO Munich. And as you also said, it takes this critical mass of brands. Our challenge is always to break this chicken-and-egg dilemma because retailers need the right brands to make it worthwhile to come to a trade show, invest in the travel costs, book a hotel, and spend two full days at the event. And, of course, at the same time, the brands also want to see the right buyers on site. Whether it’s an already-known buyer or a completely new one, that’s the great thing about a global platform: you can schedule meetings in advance and come across unexpected new contacts as well. And if retailers and brands see the added value and say that it’s worth investing in this platform because the conditions are met, then we’ve all done a good job.

Location is an open question for the next OutDoor show

OIC: We just briefly mentioned the location. This is still a well-known elephant in the room: How important is it that OutDoor takes place at the exhibition center in Munich-Riem?

Christian Schneidermeier: Well, what we said earlier applies here: we will use 2025 to think fundamentally about further developing the format. This also includes the question of whether a return to the MOC will be an option, although this has now become even more difficult due to a change of ownership. But this is one of the open questions in the context, and we can’t say anything more about this now. We even considered the MOC for the 2025 show, but it was unavailable.

Lena Haushofer: Besides working on ways to make a great OutDoor possible in Munich, we and the EOG have already agreed on our clear commitment to the industry: ISPO will strategically support any location that best suits the future of OutDoor.

OIC: As the owner of OutDoor, does the EOG entirely determine the show’s direction? How does the collaboration between MMG and EOG work in practice?

Christian Schneidermeier: EOG and MMG have been partners for many years, and we at EOG are very grateful for this long-standing partnership on an equal footing. That is why we are also planning to renew our partnership until 2028. At the same time, as the owner of the “OutDoor” product, we are free to decide how we want to conceptualize the trade show in the future.

The outdoor industry is working in a “promising long-term market”

OIC: A quick word about the industry in general: How do you assess the current situation, and where is it heading? Current financial reports give us hope; things seem to be picking up again. Is that also the tenor you hear from your members?

Christian Schneidermeier: One factor in the discussions surrounding the trade shows was, of course, the difficult overall economic situation, which also affected the outdoor industry and led to budgets being questioned and critically assessed. But even during the crisis, we repeatedly emphasized that the outdoor industry is working in an absolutely promising field, a long-term market. And we are now seeing the first signs that we are emerging from this trough, mainly caused by Covid-19, and can look to the future with confidence as an industry. That should be another reason for us to get together and move the industry forward together.

OIC: Finally, what would you like to say to those who have recently criticized the trade show?

Lena Haushofer: For me, it’s particularly important to say that Outdoor and ISPO Munich are still the most efficient way to get an overview of the entire industry in the shortest possible time and to meet all global stakeholders in person in one place in Munich. In the future, we want to create the emotions and moments that move people and the industry. These global platforms are the lever that will bring people together in the shortest possible time. Be it planned encounters, people you already know, or business contacts you already have, but above all, new contacts, new leads, and new inspiring people and personalities. And of course, this also leads to new business opportunities.

Christian Schneidermeier: I would like to take the opportunity to call for collaboration once again because I am convinced that the industry can only have a positive future if we work together. We need a strong sector with all the issues that await us, from the circular economy to political developments. I want to encourage industry participants not to consider community investments as unnecessary or unimportant and to eliminate them from their budget but rather to strengthen and expand the community through these investments.

OIC: When can we expect more news and updates?

Christian Schneidermeier: We will provide information on the plans for the Sustainability Conference and our participation in ISPO Munich as soon as possible. Of course, we will keep your readers and the entire industry up to date about OutDoor 2026. However, for now, we will take the time to develop a sensible new concept.

OIC: Thank you very much!
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