【DE】ISPO Award confirms: Sustainable fibers, cycles, even lighter products are the big trends in the sports industry! |

60 products and services were in the main selection, 23 made it: In the selection round of the 2. In the quarter of 2022 for the renowned ISPO Award, they were awarded by the expert jury as the best and most innovative products and services in the sports industry. The trend topics of “sustainability” and “weight reduction” on the product stood out in particular. Most of the winners of the first and second selection round 2022 will be presented for the first time at OutDoor by ISPO and can be seen all year round on ISPO.com.

Photo: ispo.com

An ISPO Award is considered THE seal of quality in the sports industry – the award serves not only the media and retailers as a guide, but above all consumers as the basis for their purchase decision. The ISPO Award, newly designed at the end of 2021, offers even more proximity to seasonal trends with one jury meeting per quarter. This not only guarantees more opportunities for participation, but also the winner is present all year round.

Future trends in the sports industry

Sustainability, digitization, health and easy entry – these are the big trends in the sports industry! This is confirmed by the products that have previously applied for an ISPO Award. “In the award of the recent ISPO Awards, two strongly dominant trends emerged,” says Andi Spies, juror and editor at Large of the ISPO.com editorial team: “First of all, the topic of the weight of the equipment or the product plays an increasingly important role for many manufacturers, such as a very light headlamp or a feather-light trail running Lightweight products are a real added value for all athletes and improve user-friendliness in almost every sport. Furthermore, the topic of sustainability has been increasingly important in product development for years. This trend continues. Textiles made of monomaterial and functional clothing that can be fully composted are the benchmark here. The longevity of the products also contributes to sustainability. By using extremely durable materials and robust components, modern products maintain a long life cycle. From this point of view, an avoidably high price is also justified.”

Among other things, the following products were awarded an ISPO Award:

Silva: Terra Scout headlamp
Merrell: Rogue backpacking shoe
Schöffel Circ Pants Looop Pants
adidas Terrex: Free Hiker XPL Gore-Tex Parley Hiking Boot
BN3TH Apparel: North Shore Chamois Bike Pants
Tropicfeel: Shell Travelbag

Gradually, all winning products will be presented on ISPO.com with a review article. Since the award-winning companies can decide for themselves when their award will be awarded, there are also some products whose victory will yet be announced.

The ISPO Award

Companies from the entire sports industry – whether exhibitors at an ISPO trade fair or not – are welcome to submit their unique product or outstanding service for the ISPO Award at any time and throughout the year round! The winners will then benefit from a comprehensive and attractive benefit package:

The excellent product or service is presented with an editorial review article in three languages (DE, EN, FR) on ISPO.com. The time of publication is determined by the winner himself.
All review reports are communicated in consultation with the winner in a target group-oriented manner via various media channels – whether a B2B or B2C target group. • Exhibition of the product or service at one of the two ISPO fairs in 2022 (ISPO Munich or OutDoor by ISPO)
Publication in the new ISPO Award magazine, which is handed out to every trade fair visitor
Each award winner can participate in the Public Choice Award (award by end users of the ISPO Collaborators Club) free of charge on request.
There are no more different winning levels (gold, silver, bronze) and no category selection is necessary.
Registration is free of charge and only in the case of an award will the extensive and fairly calculated communication package be charged.
Applications are possible all year round. The brands that have won an award can determine the start of communication themselves and precisely define the target groups to be reached – whether B2B or B2C. Further information on the ISPO Award at https://www.ispo.com/award

The jury

Due to the expansion of the ISPO Award concept last year, the jury meetings now take place four times a year. The aim is to offer applicants the highest possible flexibility, especially in times of delivery problems and postponed sell-in timelines. Just in time for the upcoming OutDoor by ISPO, the second judging round of the renowned ISPO Award took place, which ensures clear rules and high standards. An independent jury of experts spent two days, from 13-14. May 2022, all submissions individually evaluated on the basis of criteria such as design, functionality, sustainability and innovative character in the SportScheck all-weather facility in Munich (Unterföhring).

The jurors, consisting of three renowned editors of ISPO.com and three carefully selected consumer experts from the ISPO Collaborators Club, found the best conditions here to test all products extensively and under realistic conditions.

Further information about the ISPO Group and the various platforms at www.ispo.com