On February 27, ISPO BEIJING 2013, the 9th edition of the Asia Outdoor & Sports Fashion Exhibition, hosted by Messe München, grandly opened in Beijing. The scale of this edition has once again expanded, with top-tier sports brands such as Adidas and Li-Ning participating for the first time.
This edition of the ISPO BEIJING exhibition attracted more than 567 outdoor, skiing, extreme sports, and street fashion brands from 22 countries, covering an exhibition area of over 40,000 square meters across two floors of the China National Convention Center.
Notably, traditional sports giants such as Adidas and Li-Ning have developed outdoor product lines and made their debut at the industry exhibition. A report released on-site at the ISPO BEIJING exhibition showed that by 2011, the scale of China’s outdoor sports industry had reached nearly 11 billion yuan, expanding at an annual growth rate of over 40%, making it one of the fastest-growing retail segments. In contrast to the increasingly evident decline in the traditional sports industry in recent years, the outdoor sports market, which still holds significant potential for development, has become a new blue ocean. Traditional sports brands, and even traditional footwear and apparel brands, have collectively "pivoted," extending their reach into the outdoor industry.
In addition to traditional sports brands, international outdoor giants are also shifting their focus from the increasingly saturated European and American markets to the rapidly expanding Chinese market.
MAMMUT, Hagl
At the exhibition brimming with new products, high-end professional outdoor gear remained the mainstay, but an increasing number of fashionable and light outdoor items also began to appear. Analysts believe that high-end equipment caters to the professional market, while the light outdoor trend, which combines functionality with fashion, has tapped into a much broader market. As a result, outdoor brands are not only enhancing product functionality to meet the demands of outdoor sports, but are also continuously integrating fashionable elements, making outdoor apparel a trendy highlight in everyday wear. To this end, ISPO BEIJING specially set up a sports fashion trend release area and a sports fashion trend forum at the event, and released the "2014 China Sports Fashion Trend Report," providing insights into the trends of outdoor clothing in terms of functional product development, future popular colors, and design styles.
It is reported that this edition of the ISPO BEIJING exhibition will also host concurrent events such as the Sports Industry Forum and the Snow Industry Forum, and will release professional market reports including the "2012 Annual Outdoor Brand Department Store Business Report" and the "2012 China Outdoor Products Annual Report." There will also be exciting activities such as skateboarding performances by top skateboarders and bouldering exchange conferences, challenging and stimulating the sporting senses of the audience.