ISPO, one of the sports industry's most closely watched trade platforms, has set its 2026 edition for Amsterdam. The event runs 3–5 November 2026 at RAI Amsterdam, Europaplein 24, with a leaders summit on the opening day and a full expo on 4–5 November.
The positioning line is short and deliberate: Sport. Culture. Commerce. That framing signals a shift away from a pure product fair toward a business-and-ideas event where brand strategy, retail data and consumer culture sit alongside hardware on the show floor.
How does the new format actually work?
The schedule splits into two distinct layers. Day one, 3 November, is a leaders summit — an invitation-style conference format where executives, retailers and investors talk strategy before the exhibition halls open.
Days two and three, 4–5 November, are the expo itself: exhibitor stands, buyer meetings and product launches running 09:00 to 17:00. Separating the two means decision-makers get a full day of agenda-setting before the sales conversations start, rather than trying to do both at once between booth appointments.
Exhibitor applications and visitor tickets are handled separately, a standard split that lets organisers balance brand mix on the floor while keeping buyer and press access open.
Why Amsterdam, and why now?
RAI Amsterdam is one of Europe's larger purpose-built exhibition venues, well connected by rail and air and within a short trip of the Dutch, German, Belgian and UK markets — a practical advantage for buyers travelling on tight schedules.
The timing matters too. A November slot lands after the autumn/winter retail push and just as brands lock in the following year's ranges, making it a natural window for order conversations and category resets.
What should attendees expect to see?
Sports trade shows have become a proving ground for connected technology: wearable sensors that track load and recovery, AI-assisted sizing and fit tools, recycled and bio-based materials, and retail software that stitches online and in-store inventory together.
Expect those themes to dominate the summit stage as much as the stands. For smaller brands, the pitch is straightforward — three days of concentrated access to buyers, distributors and media that would otherwise take months of individual meetings to assemble.
Registration for both exhibitors and visitors is open through ISPO's official channels ahead of the November dates.