Ispo visitor attendance up 4%

By

Bruno Joly

Published
Feb 11, 2013

The Ispo under a blanket of snow set a new record. Following an increase in exhibitors, the organizer Messe München reported a rise in visitor attendance of 4%, more than 81,000 people, 66% of whom were non-Germans. “A good Ispo, much better than the 2012 edition with many French leads. The atmosphere is also better,” said Fabrice Arbey, Schöffel. “We are recording the largest gains from Europe and Asia. It is particularly gratifying that Spain is back on the winning side and has managed to become one of the top ten countries,” said Klaus Dittrich, president of Messe München.

The statistics bear out his satisfaction. The number of French visitors jumped 19%, British/Irish attendance was up 10% and South Korea rose 13.5%. Holland sent 9.5% more visitors. In contrast, the number of German buyers was stable compared to last year. However, there was a discrepancy in buyers' interests across segments.

The were a lot more French visitors in the Outdoor halls. “I don’t know what bug bit them, but we were approached by some one-hundred customers compared to the usual fifty at the Ispo,” said Jean-Pierre Touchard from Salewa. Pierre Agnes, CEO of Quiksilver Europe, which is now back at Ispo, said the surf brand scanned 8,500 badges at its booth just on Sunday alone. “In my opinion, French customers did not come out in numbers due to the snow in ski areas. The trade show is necessary for the industry but the importance people give it is subjective,” said Yves Loisance, head of Odlo's France operations. And it is true that some exhibitors also reported that the number of French has increased, but retail chains and Decathlon play an important role there.