Sports Business/09/07/2022

Statements From Enthusiastic Exhibitors & Retailers

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New Perspectives on Sports! This is the motto of ISPO Munich 2022, the indispensable leading trade fair for the sports industry. Every year, it enables sports business professionals to network, enter into collaborations, and tap into new markets. This year, it has a very special focus on showcasing new perspectives from innovation, diversity and much more. These retailers and exhibitors tell us what they are most looking forward to!

Martin Stolzenberger, Managing Director / Bergzeit GmbH

Why is your company participating in ISPO Munich 2022?
ISPO Munich was and is the leading international trade fair for sports. A place where the industry meets, exchanges news and trends. After Corona, we find such events more important than ever.

What appeals to you personally most about ISPO Munich?
Within a short period of time, you have many personal contacts with important partners that you otherwise only meet virtually.

Which topics of the trade show play an important role for your company (category management, circular economy, sustainability, digitalization, material and product innovations, ...)?
Category management, product innovations and personal exchange.

What are you dealing with first and foremost in your company right now?
Extending the product life cycle as part of the circular economy.

Matthias Rucker, CEO / SportScheck

What are you personally looking forward to most at the fair?
"New perspectives" is the keyword! Just as the sport/sports trade has to redefine itself, we also want to consciously break new ground in order to differentiate ourselves, develop further and ultimately reshape the future of sport.

SportScheck is not just a sports retailer - we are a sports experience brand. In order to credibly stand for this, we have to be open, innovative and creative. And ISPO Munich is the industry meeting place for us to enter into dialogue with strong brands and partners, to discuss innovative approaches and to experience our idea of the new sports retail together.

Christoph Schmid, Managing Director / Sport Förg GmbH & Co. KG

Why are you and your company participating in ISPO Munich 2022?
We are happy that there is an ISPO Munich again after more than 2 years. There is no better place to maintain or make contacts. In addition, the search for new products and innovations is the focus for our company.

What are you personally looking forward to most at the show?
I'm looking forward to meeting up again with numerous business partners I didn't see during the pandemic, or only digitally.

Which topics at the show play an important role for your company (category management, circular economy, sustainability, digitalization, material and product innovations, ...)?
I think all these factors play an important role when visiting a trade show. Nevertheless, I would say that trend scouting and finding innovations for the further development of our assortment strategy will be in the foreground.

Which topic is your company primarily focusing on at the moment?
In general, the focus for us is on the topic of sustainability and climate neutrality, as well as the switch to an omni-channel business model.

Chantal Caron, A&P Manager Globetrotter – Head of assortment buying Category Manager Frilufts Retail / Globetrotter

Why are you and your company participating in ISPO Munich 2022?
We are looking forward to the personal exchange with our partners and the opportunity to see brands and collections at the trade fair that we don't currently have in our range.

What are you personally looking forward to most at the trade fair?
The exchange with partners and other trade fair participants and I hope for inspiration with regard to new brands, concepts and future ideas.

Which topics of the trade fair play an important role for your company (category management, circular economy, sustainability, digitalization, material and product innovations, ...)?
Products, innovations, new initiatives to improve the sustainability of the collections, forward-looking ideas/concepts for outdoor retail.

Frank Wolff, Division Manager / L&T Lengermann & Trieschmann GmbH & Co. KG

Why are you and your company participating in ISPO Munich 2022?For us, it is important to learn about new technical developments in the products at an early stage. At the same time, we appreciate that many important contacts of the corresponding suppliers are on site.

What are you personally looking forward to most at the trade fair? A trade fair always serves to network with the appropriate partners, to get this back is indispensable. Because personal contact has simply been neglected in recent years.

Which topics of the trade fair play an important role for your company (category management, circular economy, sustainability, digitalization, material and product innovations, ...)?
In the past years before Corona, the ski worlds and outdoor themes were always our highlights. In addition, we are looking for new concepts and sales ideas. The topic of sustainability is becoming more and more noticeable and our commitment through our own sustainability report shows us where we have to start. The trade fair helps us with this.

What is your company's main focus at the moment?
When it comes to product ranges, we focus very much on the topic of bike/mobility. As well as the 360 degree approach to pick up our consumers more digitally. The further development of CRM should be mentioned in exactly the same way.

Manuel Winninger, Managing Director / Intersport Winninger (Austria)

Why is your company participating in ISPO Munich 2022?
We want to discover trend sports, such as paddle ball, network with the community and conduct product tests. If that is fulfilled, then I'll go out - because you can't find that anywhere else, ISPO Munich has a unique selling point!  Moving the date to the end of November was absolutely necessary.

Rens Schenkkan, Director Buying & Merchandise / Bever (NL)

Why are you and your company participating in ISPO Munich 2022?
Meeting the people behind the brand in person is one of most important reasons to visit a physical trade show. It is a very efficient way to maintain your network in our industry. Also as a high end Outdoor retailer, the trade show provides us a way to lookout for innovations, trends and the newest brands and products.

What are you personally most looking forward to at the trade show? As a peoples-person, I get really energized by meeting up with people in real life versus meeting them on screen during the pandemic. 

Which topics of the trade show play an important role for your company (category management, circular economy, sustainability, digitalization, material and product innovations, ...)?
Durability will be more important than ever, so we are paying a lot of attention to what steps brands are taking here. As said, we will always keep our eyes open for product innovations, especially in this field . Another, and ongoing, important topic for us is how we can get better digitally aligned with our suppliers and brands (EDI) as today there is (still) no industry standard or platform.  

Which topic is your company focusing on first and foremost at the moment?
We focus on durability and sustainability on many different levels. Not only when it comes to the products we sell, but also by implementing initiatives to recycle and repair garments and gear. Investing in our employees is another focus point for us. Their know-how and expertise are the key to our success, so we work hard to ensure we have a stable team of experts working in our stores and our online channel. 

Hans Conrad, Managing Director / Sport Conrad

We look forward to ISPO for many reasons. First and foremost, the many personal conversations that we have missed for 2 years. Then, of course, the specialist topics, above all the topic of sustainability. Here, the industry and the trade must close ranks. The trade show is the ideal platform to present this most important topic of the future and to hold the necessary discussions. ISPO is the leading trade show in our industry and must live up to its function on this topic. Where else can you find the density of decision-makers, small innovative concepts and the big players with a lighthouse function. If we are to succeed in sustainability, we need this platform for exchange.

André Weinert / Decathlon

What appeals to you personally most about ISPO Munich?
ISPO Munich is always a great opportunity for my team and me to exchange ideas with experts from the sports industry. It's a place to meet at eye level and it's always fun.

Which topics of the trade fair play an important role for your company (category management, circular economy, sustainability, digitalization, material and product innovations, ...)?
As one of the largest sporting goods manufacturers and retailers, DECATHLON is diversely positioned. That's why we like to think outside the box when it comes to a wide variety of topics - regardless of whether it's digitalization, sustainability, or innovations in products or retail. It is precisely this enormous variety of topics that makes ISPO Munich so special.

What are you focusing on first and foremost in the company right now?
DECATHLON Germany has a clear goal in mind: We want to become the No. 1 sports platform for people in Germany. On the way to this goal, many topics play a role, from customer-first thinking to the expansion of sustainable services to an omni-shopping experience.

Reinhard Klier, Chairman of the Board / Wintersport Tirol AG & CO Stubaier Bergbahnen KG

Why is your company participating in ISPO Munich 2022?
My main buyers create fixed lists of manufacturers that they work through successively - and they have half a day to look at innovations at the trade fair. The Future Lab and all the other initiatives at ISPO Munich are well suited for this.

Armin Wegener, CCO / Engelhorn

Why is your company participating in ISPO Munich 2022?
ISPO comes at the right time, as the sports industry is undergoing an absolute upheaval. Our team values the exchange with our partners. This is crucial for shaping the future. How are we and the industry aligning ourselves?

What appeals to you personally most about ISPO Munich?
Here I can discuss the major challenges and important topics of the sports industry with the right people and together create new approaches to brand building.

What are you dealing with first and foremost in the company right now?
In our discussions with decision-makers in the industry, we always start with the "big picture," but of course we at Engelhorn are also currently focusing in particular on sustainability and digitization.

Rainer Angstl, Managing Director / Sport Schuster

Why is your company participating in ISPO Munich 2022?
As always, Schuster will be attending the trade show with at least 30 people from purchasing/sales/online/marketing. We are all looking forward immensely to the exchange and product viewing. OutDoor by ISPO was already incredibly stimulating and very successful from our point of view.

What appeals to you personally most about ISPO Munich?
Personally, I've been going to trade shows at home and abroad for over 40 years. Seeing new product highlights, talking to product managers and decision-makers are the best days of the year for me.

What are you dealing with first and foremost in the company right now?
Unfortunately, two crises have taken their toll. Nevertheless, we are fully focused on selecting the best assortment in terms of brand/price/quality claim/sustainability for our customers* and presenting it in both channels. In addition, we find out about the advertising campaigns of the respective brands and how we can implement them at the trade show booths and in discussions.

Martin Jennewein, Sports retailer / Sporthaus Jennewein - SPORT 2000

Why is your company participating in ISPO Munich 2022?
It is significantly more efficient to go to an ISPO Munich than not to go - I cannot send my people to every product presentation of a manufacturer in the tight staff situation. I have to prepare my staff for the coming trends - so to speak: "the salespeople get to see the big, wide world".

What appeals to you personally most about ISPO Munich?
I myself want to have conversations and get to know the people behind the products as well as get my hands on the new products and be able to touch them myself - hard goods as well as clothing. At ISPO Munich we can also make direct comparisons between the individual manufacturers and products.

We can also exchange ideas with other retailers and show our strength if necessary! It is also important to get the ski schools and associations on board and to win them over as visitors to ISPO Munich.

What are you dealing with first and foremost in the company right now?
The stationary sports retail trade in general. Our greatest achievement in sports retail is: "To correct the mistakes of the internet."

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