ISPO SHANGHAI 2017—Dynamic growth in the sports market of the future

From the latest fitness and outdoor trends to innovative technologies for textiles through to new equipment： ISPO SHANGHAI， held on July 6 – 8， gave around 14，000 trade visitors a glimpse into the latest trends and innovations. The number of exhibitors in the halls of the Shanghai New International Exhibition Center （SNIEC） has grown to 572 this year. The collaboration with Tmall， Chinas largest B2C online retailer， ensured an even higher reach also with end consumers， generating over two million likes and 40，000 comments.

Klaus Dittrich， Chairman and CEO of Messe München， said： “At ISPO SHANGHAI， it was clearly visible how much enthusiasm there is for new sports products and trends in China. The market is enjoying continual growth and there is a real thirst for knowledge.” What technologies will be put in sports shoes in future？ Which fabrics and colours are going to be on trend in the new season？ And where do experts see the biggest potential for the Chinese market？ At the ISPO ACADEMY， representatives from the sports industry provided the audience with valuable insights. The “Football Talk” discussion， with former professional soccer player and FIFA member Wynton Rufer and Emerson Shiromaru from Brazilian sports equipment supplier Penalty， showed that China is well on its way to the top of international soccer. Youth development， building infrastructure and new sales markets formed the focus of the discussion.

Running is one of the most popular sports in China， so there was barely a spare seat to be found at the Asia Pacific Trail Running Summit. This popularity was also demonstrated at the ISPO SHANGHAI Morning Run， with around 400 runners taking part. The ISPO Rock Climbing Show demonstrated， among other things， how Augmented Reality can be used in climbing to help get children interested in sports. This is also a top priority for the Chinese government. Together with the Shanghai Administration of Sport， ISPO SHANGHAI organized the China Kids Sport Industry Development Forum. Here， government representatives and sports experts discussed possible methods and solutions for motivating the next generation to get involved with sports.

There was also a great deal of interest in the subject of sustainability， which was given its own forum with the initiative “Brands for Good” at the trade fair for the first time. As well as showcasing sustainable products and sharing background information， tips on production processes were also provided.endprint

Successful partnerships

Thanks to the collaboration with Tmall， one of Chinas largest online B2C retailers， ISPO SHANGHAI gave its exhibitors direct access to Chinese consumers during the trade fair and thereby online reach beyond the halls. Users were able to purchase exhibitors products from the current collection directly online and inform themselves about the latest trends. A total of over two million likes and 40，000 comments were generated， ensuring good interaction between the industry and the consumer.

Sports Tech Asia was held in conjunction with ISPO SHANGHAI for the first time. Under the slogan“Outdoor Technology. Smart Sports. Future Fashion.”visitors were given the opportunity to make contacts from other industries and to learn more about technological innovations in the sports sector such as using 3D printing in the production of sport shoes.

ISPO SHANGHAI in figures

One day before the trade fair itself opened its doors， the ISPO Open Demo Day kicked off proceedings. More than 270 retailers， distributors， media representatives and sports enthusiasts took advantage of this opportunity to test the latest products on site and to make some initial new contacts. The lively atmosphere continued in full force over the days that followed. Around 14，000 trade visitors filled the corridors and halls of the Shanghai New International Exhibition Center （SNIEC）. A total of 572 exhibitors， an increase of 22 percent from the previous event， and 668 brands were in attendance to showcase their product innovations across three halls and were more than satisfied with how the trade fair went.

The growing size of the sports market in China is reflected in the exhibitor numbers for this years ISPO SHANGHAI. Exhibitors are making their way from Europe， the USA， and the Asia-Pacific region， with industry giants such as Fj？llr？ven， Gola， LP Support， Mac in a sac， Marmot， On， Pacsafe， Sea to Summit， and Skins among them. Joint exhibition stands from Korea， Pakistan， Switzerland， China Taiwan， and the Czech Republic add an international flair. Numerous new exhibitors contribute to the increased size of the trade fair， among them the Australian label Lorna Jane， Trespass from the United Kingdom， and Shuhua， one of Chinas leading fitness equipment suppliers.

Digital technology on the rise

900 million customers in China will be shopping online from their home or on the move by 2020. The country already has more online shoppers than Canada and Europe combined. The Peoples Republic is the second largest e-commerce market for sports and outdoor products. ISPO SHANGHAI gives its exhibitors access to this market， and in turn even greater reach during the event， through its collaboration with Tmall， one of Chinas largest B2C online retailers. The trade fair provides exhibitors with a platform to present their collections for the coming season to the trade audience and， thanks to Tmall， end consumers online. Online users will even be able to buy the latest products during a live streaming session.endprint

Knowledge transfer for the Chinese market

The Chinese government has set itself the target of getting 500 million Chinese people physically active by 2025 and its citizens are on board with this. Fitness and running activities are extremely popular and this trend is reflected at ISPO SHANGHAI. For example， there will be a “Fitness Studio Business Investment & China Fitness Industry Forum，” where studio owners can find out about business models and innovations at the trade fair. There are also many other events and talks planned as part of the ISPO ACADEMY， such as the Water Sports Forum and the China Kids Sport Industry Forum. The ISPO Rock Climbing Show will demonstrate how augmented reality technology can be used in climbing gyms and the program also includes a CrossFit competition and a Longboard Test Event. On the final morning of the trade fair， it will be time to head to the starting line for the ISPO SHANGHAI Morning Run in partnership with Sanfo， one of Chinas largest outdoor sports retailers.

The next ISPO SHANGHAI will be taking place from July 5 to 7， 2018. In the meantime， ISPO BEIJING is set to be held at the China National Convention Center in Beijing from January 24 to 27， 2018.endprint