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Report from ISPO MUNICH 2018, Europe's largest outdoor and sports equipment exhibition: A roundup of the hottest items of the future that will whet your appetite for more

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Written by Yasushi Hisatomi

We finally participated in ISPO MUNICH 2018, known as the largest general sporting goods exhibition in Europe!

Up until now, OGZ has covered outdoor gear exhibitions around the world, such as "Outdoor Retailer" in North America and "The Outdoor Show" in Europe, but "ISPO MUNICH" is on a different level in terms of both quality and quantity compared to those exhibitions. It is truly a monster event, like the final boss of sports business trade fairs around the world

This time, I participated in ISPO MUNICH for the first time and walked 120,000 steps over five days, covering every corner of the event. Based on my experience there, I would like to report in detail on the current state of the global outdoor sports industry, including introducing some notable items

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What kind of event is ISPO?

ISPO, the international sports exhibition that has been running for over 40 years

ISPO MUNICH began as an international sporting goods exhibition in 1970 with 816 companies from 25 countries. In the 40 years since then, it has grown into a huge sporting goods and related business trade fair, with over 2,700 exhibitors in 2017, and approximately 85,000 visitors from 120 countries around the world

The cutting edge of the world's sporting goods business is right in front of you

Due to the region and the season, the majority of exhibitors are from the winter sports market, but in fact, ISPO has opened its doors to the entire sports business since its inception

As a result, it has grown into an event that boasts unparalleled breadth and scale, bringing together a wide variety of sports-related products, including winter sports, outdoor activities, action sports, team sports, health and fitness, and lifestyle, as well as consumer products and materials and parts manufacturers, and it continues to evolve even today

In addition to the exhibition booths of each brand, the venue also features the "ISPO Award" and "ISPO Brandnew" areas, which display the year's most innovative items, as well as areas dedicated to particularly popular topics such as digital features, sustainable (environmental measures) features, textile features, and wool features

This year, continuing from last year, the theme of "Sports and Women" was also emphasized, with discussions featuring key female athletes and celebrities, as well as tours of the booths of manufacturers who are branding with women in mind

In certain places, "job information" and "university recruitment information" are posted, giving the impression that all information related to the sports industry is gathered in this place

The ISPO Academy, where lectures and talk shows are held, provides a wide range of information and insights on the latest trends in all aspects of the sports business, from digitalization to social media utilization and new forms of branding, and this year more than 300 programs were held

If you look outside the event venue, the whole city of Munich will be transformed into "Sports Week" for the week, with many of Munich's sporting goods stores hosting events such as workshops, presentations, and autograph sessions. Also, on January 27, 2018, the day before the ISPO opening, a trail running event called the ISPO Munich Night Run was held at Olympiapark, which is similar to Yoyogi Park in Tokyo

In short, ISPO MUNICH is an event where you can experience the cutting edge of sports business and industry, as well as all the industries involved in the process from when products are created to when they reach the hands of users, all as a whole, as a "connection." As far as I know, this kind of experience can only be had here, not only in Japan, but around the world

I'll be introducing some of the hottest items of the near future that I came across at ISPO

Enough of the introduction, let's move on to introducing some of the items that caught our eye from among the thousands of items on display

As always, just to be safe, the products we will be introducing below are models that will be released in each local market, and are listed based on local reporting permission. Please note that we have no idea whether they will be available (legally) in Japan in the same way

Featured Items Part 1: The latest gear that has become smarter through digitalization

The wave of "digitalization" in sports equipment has finally arrived in the past few years, and this time the momentum is accelerating even more. For better or worse, the digitalization of all elements of the sports business is no longer a question of "will we do it or not," but rather "when will we do it?" I couldn't help but get the impression that things that were once considered conceptual until recently are now approaching a practical level

O-Synce USEE

This is the future... The world's first helmet-mounted head-up display for bicycles, developed by a German startup, displays useful information such as speed, distance, and navigation information, all displayed in 3D using a small beam of light, allowing you to check it without distracting yourself. (ISPO Award Gold)

Talking Head

This is also from Germany, and it's the world's first smart ski helmet with Bluetooth connectivity that allows you to make calls, play music, and use an intercom. The helmet can also communicate with other helmets, making it incredibly useful for backcountry skiing in groups

LIVALL BH51M Helmetphone

Smart helmets are becoming more and more popular in every way. These are smart headphones for bicycles that allow hands-free calls, turn signals, and music listening. It's no longer surprising that a Chinese brand would produce such a cutting-edge item. (ISPO Award Product of the Year)

MY ESEL

I really want one... A completely custom-made bicycle made using a locally-sourced wood frame. You can easily create a bike that fits you perfectly by choosing the frame type (city, cross, road, etc.) and the design and coloring, as well as your body type. The stylish design is great too! (ISPO Brandnew)

FitStation powered by HP

This "custom running shoe manufacturing system" was jointly developed by Brooks, Superfeet, and HP. It covers everything from taking a 3D foot impression to the finished product. All you need to do is input your data and within a few hours you'll have running shoes sized and colored to your exact foot shape. The manufacturing machine is small enough to fit in a large suburban mass retailer, and it's moving to think that this could become a reality in the future, even just a few years from now. (ISPO Award Product of the Year)

ICAROS ICAROS Home

Born in Germany, this training machine uses VR to train your core muscles in a game-like way. It has apparently already been introduced in Japan several times, but this was my first time trying it out at the venue. It's a VR game where you become like a flying Iron Man, using your whole body to lift, sink, and twist your body as you go through the hoops in front of you. It was only about a three-minute course, but I was unexpectedly covered in sweat on my forehead, and it certainly seems like it's good for your core, and above all, it's fun! Click here for the website . (ISPO Award Gold)

myontec MBODY

These smart spats, also from a German venture, use sensors woven into the fabric to record the activity of each muscle from the waist to above the knee in real time and in detail (including, of course, data such as heart rate). They are said to be used primarily by coaches of professional athletes to improve training efficiency and prevent injuries. I was shown a demo, and it was refreshing to see how the "which muscles are being used and with what tension" of the person squatting in front of me was displayed in shades of color on an illustration on the screen

HYDRO_BOT

A Swiss technology company has developed an "electronic humidity management system" that automatically controls the humidity inside a garment by processing the back of the outerwear (shown in light blue in the photo) with a special fabric. From the demo, when I saw it, the moisture inside the garment quickly turned into droplets and was expelled to the outside when sweating. This is a breathability speed never seen before with existing membranes. Conversely, in mild environments and situations, it is said to be possible to keep the garment mildly warm (or cool) without excessively increasing breathability

Featured Items Part 2: Eco-conscious Items

It may be hard to sense when you're in Japan, but the fact is that in Europe, the outdoor sports world is shifting towards materials with a lower environmental impact at an incredible pace. This year, many models that use a lot of materials that return to nature won awards given to outstanding products

At this point, the attitude that has been maintained up until now of simply pursuing convenience and economy is gradually being reconsidered, and it seems that the entire industry is serious about positioning the use of products that will enable people to fulfill their responsibility to maintain the fields they enjoy into the future as a ``new added value.''

To be honest, I still don't know whether users will actually accept these changes, especially since I live in a region like Japan where awareness is weak. However, it is difficult to rely on individuals changing their mindsets to bring about such a major shift in values, and it is something that the entire industry must work together to address. It will remain to be seen how far this major trend will go

Patagonia Capilene Air

This highly functional base layer combines warmth and breathability, made by seamlessly knitting recycled polyester and merino wool into a unique uneven structure... but it's actually been around since two years ago. Sales suddenly stopped last year, which made me wonder what was going on, and this year the country of origin for the merino wool has changed (from Patagonia to New Zealand), so perhaps there are issues with raw material procurement. (ISPO Award Gold)

VAUDE Green Core

VAUDE, a long-established German outdoor brand, has been one of the most eco-conscious brands in the world for the past few years. This is a multi-purpose backpack made entirely from organic materials, including organic cotton, castor oil, and milk, which feels like a last resort. Not only the fabric, but also the plastic parts such as zippers, buckles, and hooks are all biodegradable. (ISPO Award)

Bergans Strand

Among the many environmentally conscious Scandinavian outdoor brands, the latest down jacket from Norway's Bergans is a thoroughly environmentally conscious model, using 100% recycled polyester "SpinDye" for the outer and inner lining, and 100% recycled "Re:Down" for the down filling. "SpinDye" is an excellent new material that maintains high quality while reducing the amount of water used in the production and dyeing of polyester by 75%, the use of chemicals by 90%, CO2 emissions by 25%, and electricity by 30%. (ISPO Award Gold)

ORTOVOX ZEBRU JACKET

This insulation jacket is filled with high-quality Swiss wool, which is extremely resilient, lightweight, and provides maximum insulation. Wool and other animal-hair insulation materials have become increasingly common in recent years. It goes without saying that they are more environmentally friendly than synthetic fiber insulation. (ISPO Award Gold)

Next page: Introducing the latest winter gear from ISPO

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