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Munich buzzing with style
Held from February 4th to 7th 2007, ispo winter 07 can look back with pride on another new visitor record. In 17 halls covering 180, 000 square meters, the show took up the entire expanse of the New Munich Trade Fair for the first time.
A total of about 64,000 industry professionals came to the event throughout the four days, representing about 5% more than last year.
The interest of retailers in new trends, new directions and focused preparation for the upcoming winter season was immense. A total of 1,970 exhibitors presented product innovations and fashion collections for the coming winter season 2007/8 in Munich. The ratio of international participation was as high as before, with 65% of visitors and 85% of exhibitors from foreign countries.
Increased visitor numbers and purchasing interest was noted in particular in the textile and footwear segments, which validated the Sportstyle orientation of the show. In 2006 about 40% of visitors indicated an interest in textile products - from technical apparel to sports oriented leisure fashions, this winter the number rose to more than 50%.About 22% of visitors were primarily interested in skiing, 10% boarding, 9% outdoor hardware, and 9% fitness and running. The buzz in the A halls was felt by everyone so these statistics come as no surprise here at SGB UK.
Manfred Wutzlhofer, chairman of Messe Munchen said: "The ispo winter 07 will be remembered as a record show. Following an increase in exhibition space and exhibitor numbers,we also welcomed a record number of visitors. The increasing participation and the growing interest from the textile and footwear retail segments validate the continuing development of ispo as a unique platform for the selection of sports-oriented leisure wear in addition to technical and functional products. The atmosphere at the show was positive despite the difficult winter season. Manufacturers came to the show prepared with a lot of innovations, and visitors expressed very high interest in the new trends, collections and products."
Good feedback to show’s new concept
ispovision and the newly laid out Sportstyle ispo halls with their stylish design, received a positive response from exhibitors and retailers alike. The former special community ‘Sportswear ispo' was replaced by 'Sportsyle ispo' and halls A5 and A6 were divided into segments named ‘Snowwear’ and ‘Winterstyle’. In addition to the new layout, the two Sportstyle halls also featured a very clear infrastructure, with all fashion shows held on a new central stage in a black box.
Organisers focused on premium sports style, thus the selection of brands was even more stringent. Ispovision winter was newly segmented into two new topics: "Premium sports style" and “Special Editions". The former ispovision catwalk was replaced by the socalled "lebenswelten" (life styles). Several times per day the show offered a number of different lifestyles and provided the audience with a comprehensive representation of the relationship between personal style and fashion, individual interests and athletic activities, taste in music and more.
Morgan Boeri, a buyer for Galerie Lafayette Paris said: "The ispo has changed in a good way, the atmosphere in the halls is positive. I especially liked the ispovision offering gorgeous brands and products. Last year I discovered Orage, This year I found the collections by Luis Trenker and Hell is for Heroes especially attractive." The new ispo SPORT & STYLE, to be held from July 8th through to the 10th at the New Munich trade fair, will expand the Sportstyle focus even further.
For many years, ispo's organisers have been working hard in the sector of brand and trend scouting, and this winter presented 50 awards for product innovations by fashion, hardware and footwear suppliers, and designers.Volvo presented the glittering GQ Style Night, with various sports personalities in attendance.
SGB UK for one would like to congratulate the ispo team on the seamless organization of this event.
