‍After the great success of the first edition, the event will return to Riva del Garda from 8 to 13 May 2027

Encouraged by the excellent feedback, the remarkable numbers, and the excitement generated by the first European Outdoor Week, MagNet – in partnership with European Outdoor Group (EOG) – has outlined plans to build on the success of the first event, held in Riva del Garda (TN), Italy, from 14 to 19 May 2026. The initiative will return from 8 to 13 May 2027, hosted again in the fantastic setting of Riva del Garda. The full program will run once more, in a new order that reflects feedback from this memorable edition.

•   8/9 MAY: Activation Days
•   9 MAY: European Outdoor Media Day + EOG Summer Member Meeting + European Outdoor Award
•   10/12 MAY: OUTDOOR & ORBDAYS trade show
•   11 MAY: Innovation For Outdoor (In4Out)
•   12/13 MAY: Outdoor Impact Summit

EUROPEAN OUTDOOR WEEK 2026: KEY SUMMARY

Outdoor Impact Summit – 14/15 May

European Outdoor Week kicked off with the second edition of the Outdoor Impact Summit (OIS) from 14 to 15 May. The agenda for the two-day event was built around the theme of ‘No Excuses!’, and included keynote presentations, workshops, breakout sessions, networking and time outdoors. Content throughout the summit focused on direct actions that organizations can take to redefine the boundaries of responsibility in the outdoor sector and in the sport industry. After its debut last year, OIS grew in 2026, with over 220 delegates participating in the event.

Activation Days – 16/17 MAY

‍Trail running with Marco De Gasperi, six-time world mountain running champion; rock climbing with Alpine Guides; walking workshops dedicated to biodiversity monitoring; road running with running coaches; trekking with a musical happy hour; via ferrata routes; and slow flow yoga by the lake. These were just some of the free experiences featured during the first edition of the Activation Days – two days dedicated to the public and to outdoor sports enthusiasts, who had the opportunity to enjoy hands-on experiences and test new products in their natural environment, in a destination ideally suited for this type of activity. The beating heart of the event was the Village located close to Spiaggia Olivi, an amazing location on the lake, where the exhibiting companies’ stands were set up and from where all the scheduled activities started. A special thanks goes to RECCO, safety partner of the Activation Days.

European Outdoor Media Day by Garda Trentino & Trentino – 16 MAY

‍A new initiative that was launched during EOW, the Outdoor Media Day took place on the afternoon of 16 May, and was designed to foster engagement between exhibiting brands and journalists from around Europe. Over 110 media representatives signed up for the day, which was followed by a social event and the European Outdoor Award ceremony.

EOG Summer Member Meeting - 16 MAY

‍On Saturday, 16 May, the European Outdoor Group held its Summer Member Meeting, with representatives from among its membership of almost 170 organizations gathering for updates on the association’s key projects, such as its market data program. During the meeting, EOG Managing Director Christian Schneidermeier outlined the association’s aspirations for future development, including the publication of a political manifesto to inform and elevate public affairs activities on behalf of the outdoor industry. The meeting concluded with a presentation on AI and the outdoor industry by entrepreneur and podcaster Alex Jacobi. During its Summer Member Meeting, the EOG team shared the latest data insights from the European outdoor market that came from the Outdoor Market Intelligence Service (OMIS).

EOG Head of Data & Insights Hannah Piatok comments:

“Clear industry demand has driven us to update our approach to market data, shifting focus from sell-in to sell-out. Thanks to the roll out of OMIS, for the first time our industry can access up to date monthly sell-out data from Europe’s three biggest markets. The more data that we have from more sources, the stronger we are collectively, so I urge retailers and brands with a retail platform to contribute to OMIS as part of a pre-competitive exercise. Everything is done with genuine confidentiality through a third party, and the outputs are of huge value to the whole sector. Please supply data, and please take the opportunity to subscribe to OMIS and benefit from the insights that the project provides.”

For more information about OMIS and other EOG market data work, contact Hannah Piatok at  hannah.piatok@europeanoutdoorgroup.com.

European Outdoor Award – 16 MAY

‍The new European Outdoor Award scheme celebrated the best of the outdoor sector in 16 product and community categories. The awards showcased innovative product developments to support both sell-in and sell-out, while also highlighting diversity and inclusion, and best practices in environmental, social and governance work. Following an assessment by a jury of industry experts, the winners were revealed at a ceremony on the evening of 16 May. Details of all of the European Outdoor Award winners could be found in the dedicated award area at the main entrance of OUTDOOR & ORBDAYS.

OUTDOOR & ORBDAYS – 17/19 MAY

More than 400 brands took part in the highly anticipated trade show, which welcomed 8000 industry professionals from 60 countries. The event took place from 17 to 19 May, bringing together the return of the OUTDOOR trade show (which had been cancelled in 2025) with the popular Outdoor & Running Days (ORBDAYS), now in its 12th edition. The event filled five halls of the Riva del Garda Exhibition Center, and the outdoor areas around the venue. As well as the booths, there was a full program of events in and around the show.

Innovation For Outdoor (In4Out) – 18 MAY

‍A key feature of the new OUTDOOR & ORBDAYS was the Innovation For Outdoor (In4Out) program, which was designed for product managers and business decision makers and was an opportunity for start-ups to pitch innovations to investors and the wider industry. As well as a dedicated In4Out session at OUTDOOR & ORBDAYS, selected start-ups also had a stand presence on the show floor.

“The industry wants – and needs – in person events like this. It’s our job to make sure that such events are delivered to the standard required, and with relevant, valuable content. The first European Outdoor Week has achieved that, but we have already identified aspects that we can improve, and we’re excited about working with the MagNet Group to deliver an even bigger and better showcase for the outdoor sector in Riva del Garda from 8-13 May in 2027.”

Christian Schneidermeier, EOG Managing Director

“When we decided to join forces with the European Outdoor Group to launch the ambitious project of an entire week dedicated to all players in the outdoor industry, from every type of sector operator to end consumers, we were confident in the great potential of this evolution, building on what we had achieved through 12 editions of the Outdoor & Running Business Days. However, the enthusiasm and the response that the entire industry has shown toward this ambitious project have exceeded all expectations. This success is also the result of the outstanding teamwork carried out by the respective teams, each of which brought an incredibly effective added value”.

Benedetto Sironi, CEO of MagNet

EUROPEAN OUTDOOR WEEK 2026: KEY STATISTICS

Outdoor Impact Summit:

• 220+ participants
• 40+ speakers
• 13 keynotes
• 7 workshops
• 10 official partners

Outdoor Media Day:

• 110+ accredited media
• 45 confirmed brands
• 250 attendees
• Supported by Garda Trentino & TRENTINO

European Outdoor Award:

• 11 product categories
• 5 community categories
• 8 jury members
• 360 people attended the award ceremony

Activation Days:

• 35 participating brands
• 27 experiences/activities
• 700+ participants
• 6,000+ visitors to the village

OUTDOOR & ORBDAYS:

• 250+ exhibitors
• 400+ participating brands
• 8,000+ visitors
• 2,500+ buyers
• 60 countries represented, including Italy

Innovation for Outdoor Day:

• 20 startups
• 40+ investors and brands
• McKinsey’s involvement in DTC and AI topics

For more information about European Outdoor Week visit www.europeanoutdoorweek.com

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