Lindsey Vonn and Tom Foley join ISPO 2026 lineup as organisers reveal €1 million content investment

Sports & Championship

Lindsey Vonn and Tom Foley join ISPO 2026 lineup as organisers reveal €1 million content investment

Organisers of ISPO, the world’s leading trade event for the sporting goods, outdoor and winter sports industries, have announced the first details of the ISPO 2026 agenda, confirming that global sports icon Lindsey Vonn and INTERSPORT International Corporation (IIC) CEO Tom Foley will headline the newly launched ISPO Leaders’ Summit.

The Leaders’ Summit is designed as an exclusive C-suite forum, bringing together senior executives, policymakers and changemakers from across the global sports ecosystem. Vonn and Foley join a high-profile roster of speakers that includes filmmaker and mountaineer Jimmy Chin, Decathlon’s Celine Del Genes, The North Face founder Hap Klopp, UEFA Vice President Professor Laura McAllister, Pentland Group Deputy Chair Andy Rubin, Burton CEO John Lacy and former IKEA Chief Sustainability Officer Pia Heidenmark Cook.

The summit will feature keynote sessions, fireside chats and panel discussions addressing critical issues shaping the industry, including sustainability, fair trade, participation and the future of sports retail and innovation.

Lindsey Vonn, the most successful female alpine skier in history and a four-time World Cup champion, brings elite sporting experience to the stage. An Olympic gold medallist and one of only six women to win World Cup races across all five alpine disciplines, Vonn recently returned to competitive skiing after coming out of retirement, rejoining the U.S. Ski Team with ambitions to compete at the 2026 Winter Games. She said the summit presents an opportunity to explore the similarities between elite performance in sport and leadership in business.

Tom Foley, CEO of INTERSPORT International Corporation, brings more than two decades of experience in global sports retail. Before joining IIC, Foley served as CEO of French retailer Go Sport and led its Middle East operations. He is also the founder of the Independent Sports Retailers Alliance in Ireland and is widely recognised for his leadership in navigating change within the evolving retail landscape.

Mike Seaman, Group CEO of Raccoon Media Group, said the Leaders’ Summit will unite some of the most experienced voices in the industry, offering attendees rare access to insights shaped by decades of leadership across sport, retail and sustainability.

Alongside the speaker announcements, organisers confirmed a €3 million investment to reimagine ISPO from 2026 onwards. Of this, €1 million will be dedicated specifically to content across the Leaders’ Summit and the ISPO Expo, with the aim of delivering a more immersive and memorable experience for attendees.

Kate Jamieson, Content Director at Raccoon Media Group, said ISPO 2026 will move beyond the traditional trade show model by balancing commercial insight with inspiration and engagement. Content programming will span all three days of the event and include interactive activations such as a Rail Jam with live stunts, an interactive climbing wall, avalanche simulations, virtual reality experiences, a “Shop of the Future” concept and multiple on-floor theatres delivering educational sessions.

Established ISPO features such as BrandNew, a pitch platform for start-ups, and the Functional Clothing Swap will also return, alongside a series of fringe networking events hosted by leading industry associations.

Organisers say the redesigned ISPO 2026 aims to deliver a fully immersive experience across its show zones, ensuring that attendees leave inspired, informed and confident that their time and investment have delivered lasting value.