Latest trends and products from various areas of sports such as running, outdoor, health, fitness and water games were at display at the ISPO Shanghai, which took place from July 5 to 7. There were around 550 brands, while the supporting programme included a visit by Chinese football legend Fan Zhiyi and a keynote speech by Chinese mountaineer Xia Boyu.
The expo, China’s top networking platform for sports business professionals, was attended by 15,579 trade visitors. Overall there were 8 per cent more visitors in comparison to the last year.
Tobias Gröber, executive director Business Unit Consumer Goods at Messe München and director ISPO Group, said: “The atmosphere in the full halls was very good. The great interest underlines the importance of ISPO Shanghai as the leading platform for the international sports business in China.” In addition to previewing new trends, the fair offered the opportunity to expand the personal network in the Chinese market. Numerous exhibitors and visitors also used the matchmaking programme to meet the most important Chinese e-commerce providers and retail chains. A total of 470 meetings were held.
Visit of the Chinese football legend Fan Zhiyi to the International Football Forum evoked a lot of interest. The Bundesliga International with its clubs FC Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Schalke 04, Borussia Mönchengladbach, VfL Wolfsburg and Bayer 04 Leverkusen also turned out to be a great attraction. Chinese mountaineer Xia Boyu, who stood on Mount Everest at the age of 69, double amputated, enthralled the visitors with his life journey. “For the outdoor industry and numerous outdoor enthusiasts, he is a role model, an inspiration,” said Gröber.
Fashion trends were visible at a fashion show. Brands such as Aigle, Columbia, Kailas, Lafuma and The North Face presented their latest collections, which could then be purchased in the Tmall shop. The next ISPO Shanghai will take place during July 2-4, 2020.
