Messe München is still counting, but the total number of visitors declined to around 80,000 at the last Ispo Munich show from 83,606 a year ago in terms of daily passages through the turnstiles. Many cancelled their trips to the show because of heavy snow all over Europe, and others shortened their stay. The Brenner pass between Italy and Austria was closed on Saturday Feb. 2, on the eve of the four-day trade show. On Sunday, 550 flights to Munich's international airport were cancelled. Another 150 were cancelled on Monday. Some of the small retailers didn't show up on Sunday because of the weather. Furthermore, the number of visitors from China declined by 855 because of the Chinese New Year. There was no big change in the number of American visitors in spite of the fact that the Outdoor Retailer & Snow Sports show in Denver had finished just a few days earlier. Overall, there were more visitors from Germany and fewer from Asia. Internationally, the largest contingents of visitors came from Italy, France, Switzerland, the U.K. and Russia. Digitalization, e-sports and sustainability were big topics at the fair. Messe München will again organize an Ispo Digitize conference next July 3 and 4, coinciding with the end of the new OutDoor by Ispo show (see below) and just before Ispo Shanghai on July 5 to 7. In 2020, Ispo Munich will run earlier in the year, from Jan. 26 to 29.

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