Raccoon Media Group has announced a new global platform designed to connect the business of sport with the people shaping demand, with significant investment in new events, a flagship Sports Week in Europe and regional editions in the Middle East, USA and China.
Organiser of ISPO, the world’s largest sports and outdoor trade fair, Raccoon says its aim is to bring together the sports ecosystem, from sourcing and manufacturing to retail, innovation and participation.
The initiatives will bring a collection of specialist events together in each city, “connecting”, organisers say, “the commercial engine of sport with the people and communities shaping demand”.
Each regional edition will be a week-long programme built around a central industry event. Around that hub, brands and visitors will be able to choose from business-to-business trade and networking, consumer-facing participation and brand experiences, and independent fringe events. The regional editions will take place in different markets at different points in the year where partners can choose the activities and editions that fit their objectives and teams.
The thinking is simple: sport is no longer shaped in the trade hall alone, the group notes, highlighting that clubs, athletes, creators and grassroots communities increasingly influence what people buy and the way they engage with Sport, while brands invest in separate trade shows and consumer activations to reach different audiences. ISPO Sports Week aims to bring these opportunities together.
Each Sports Week will feature a collection of focused, specialist events, each retaining its own identity and audience.
The launch will involve “significant investment” in developing new events and experiences around ISPO’s established trade platform, says Raccoon. This includes the introduction of PadelXpo and OutdoorXpo, two new events being developed for the Sports Week calendar.
Amsterdam will remain the flagship home of ISPO Sports Week. Anchored by ISPO’s established global trade event, the 2027 programme will include the ISPO Leaders Summit, International Running Expo (IRX), OutdoorXpo and PadelXpo, alongside a wider programme of sporting experiences, brand activations and industry events.
The Middle East edition is set to take place in Dubai in September 2027, with a programme developed specifically for the regional market. ISPO Source will connect manufacturing, materials and ingredient businesses with brands looking to develop and expand production, while ISPO Discover will provide a platform for emerging brands to connect with manufacturers, retailers and distributors. At the weekend, The Run Show, PadelXpo and OutdoorXpo will open the programme to consumers.
In Asia, the platform will build on ISPO’s established events in Shanghai and Beijing, with each city hosting its own edition of ISPO Sports Week Asia. Both events already connect manufacturers, brands and retailers across the sports industry, and there are plans to explore how additional sporting events, brand activations and community experiences could complement the existing exhibitions.
With five sports events already running in the USA, Snowbound Expo, Brand Match, E.L.I.T.E, Match Indoor and Sports Venue Summit, the organisers have plans to bring ISPO Sports Week to the US in 2028 with announcements expected in 2027.
Mike Seaman, group CEO of Raccoon Media Group, said: “For over 50 years, ISPO has connected the people and businesses behind the sports industry. ISPO Sports Week builds on that heritage, creating opportunities for brands, manufacturers and retailers to do business while connecting with the athletes, creators and communities shaping demand.
“Brands already invest in trade shows, product launches, sporting events and consumer activations, often separately. We see a huge opportunity to bring these activities closer together, making it easier for businesses to achieve their objectives while creating a much bigger moment for the industry.
“We’re making a significant investment in developing new events and experiences to support that ambition. Amsterdam will remain our flagship, with new regional editions in Dubai and plans for an event in the USA, alongside our established events in China. Together, they provide the foundation for a global Sports Week platform, with each region developing a programme shaped around its own industry and sporting communities.”
The ambition, says Raccoon, is to establish ISPO Sports Week as a defining fixture in the global sporting calendar, bringing together trade, innovation and participation.
For more information, visit isposportsweek.com
