Amsterdam takes over from Munich: ISPO sports trade fair opens 3 November
Ski displays at ISPO in Munich, January 2014. Photo: Ordercrazy via Wikimedia Commons, CC0
For the first time since 1970, ISPO does not open in Munich. The trade fair for sporting goods, outdoor and winter sports starts on Tuesday 3 November 2026 at RAI Amsterdam. Its two expo days, 4 and 5 November, are where shops start to choose the skis, boots and clothing for the next winters.
In short
- ISPO runs from Tuesday 3 to Thursday 5 November 2026 at RAI Amsterdam, in eight halls of 45,000 m².
- Day one is the Leaders' Summit; the expo opens on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 November.
- Visitor numbers in Munich fell from 85,000 in 2017 to about 55,000 in 2024.
- Raccoon Media Group now leads the show, with Messe München as partner.
- Expo tickets started at €29 for 3,000 early buyers; the full price is €99.
From Munich to Amsterdam
ISPO started in Munich in 1970, according to skiinformatie.nl and I Love Ski. The last Munich edition ran from 30 November to 2 December 2025.
In October 2025, Messe München set up a joint venture with the British Raccoon Media Group. Messe München said in a statement published by the German trade fair association AUMA that the industry wanted an earlier date. That date did not fit the Munich fair calendar in 2026. A later return to Munich is "explicitly possible", the statement adds.
The British company leads the show. Harald Kirchschlager of Messe München told TextilWirtschaft, as reported by The Spin Off, that "Racoon will take the lead, with Messe München as a strategic partner". The same report says the show moved forward by four weeks.
| Date | Step |
|---|---|
| 28 October 2025 | Messe München and Raccoon Media Group announce the joint venture and the move |
| 30 Nov – 2 Dec 2025 | Last ISPO in Munich |
| 2 April 2026 | Ticket sales open; more than 500 exhibitors and brands registered |
| 3 November 2026 | ISPO Leaders' Summit, RAI Amsterdam |
| 4–5 November 2026 | ISPO expo days, RAI Amsterdam |
Why the show left Munich
The numbers in Munich went down for years. Visitors fell from a peak of 85,000 in 2017 to around 55,000 in 2024, WWD reported. Modaes gives the same 55,000 for 2024.
Industry insiders told WWD that "nobody was really writing huge orders at ISPO anymore". Messe München itself points to falling visitor and exhibitor numbers. It also names a change after the pandemic: sporting goods makers now sell much more directly to their customers.
The RAI names travel as the main reason for Amsterdam. Schiphol has good flights to North America and Asia, and many large brands have their European offices in or near the Netherlands. "Amsterdam is one of Europe's best-connected cities," said Mike Seaman, CEO of Raccoon Media Group, in the RAI announcement.
The show in numbers
| Item | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Halls at RAI Amsterdam | 8 halls, 45,000 m² | RAI |
| Expected visitors | more than 50,000 | RAI |
| Expected professionals | more than 25,000 | ISPO press release, 2 April 2026 |
| Exhibitors registered by 2 April 2026 | more than 500 | ISPO press release |
| Expo ticket | €29 early bird, then €59, full price €99 | ISPO press release |
| Investment programme | €3 million | ISPO press release |
The two visitor figures differ: the RAI counts all visitors, and ISPO counts "key opinion formers and industry professionals". The final exhibitor count was not public as of 2 November 2026. Skiinformatie.nl expects more than 2,000 exhibitors and about 60 sessions on six stages.
The ISPO press release of 2 April 2026 names Head and Scott among the first exhibitors. It splits the €3 million into three parts of €1 million: a programme for 500 invited buyers, the talks programme, and grants for sport participation and nature protection.
What is on for skiers
The snowsports page of ISPO lists a talk on how BOA dials change ski boots, given by Patrick Hackl of BOA Technology. A Leaders' Summit panel covers climate risk in winter sports, with speakers from SIA and Protect Our Winters Europe.
Rock A Rail brings a freestyle rail jam to the RAI on 4 and 5 November, with a real bus in the course. According to skiinformatie.nl, the rail jam outside the halls is free to watch. The International Running Expo runs at the same time in the RAI.
What this means for your skis
A trade fair in November is about the next seasons, not this one. Shops use ISPO to choose their orders, so most new skis shown in Amsterdam will reach the shops later. For this winter, the skis in the shops are the 2026-27 lines.
Two of the first brands named for ISPO 2026 already have 2026-27 skis in our catalog. The Head Discovery 82 Pro leads Head's new Discovery line with an 82 mm waist. The Scott Sea 85 is the new narrow, piste-biased model of Scott's Sea range, with an 85 mm waist at 174 cm. Our top 5 all-mountain skis compare more of this season's models on the makers' figures.
Not sure which width or length fits your skiing? The Pick-A-Ski selector compares the current catalog on your level, terrain and size.
