IWA OutdoorClassics, the leading trade fair for the hunting and shooting sports industry in Europe, will take place in Nuremberg, Germany, from February 27 to March 2, 2025. After a successful anniversary last year, the trade fair now wants to usher in a new era and is already unveiling a new brand identity. The current status of the exhibitors and new trend topics already give reason to expect exciting trade fair days in spring 2025. In order to guarantee the quality of the trade fair for all visitors, not only the brand image but also the visitor legitimisation will be adapted. We were also able to conduct an interview with Georg Loichinger, PR Manager of the IWA, on these topics.
IWA's new brand identity: sharpening the profile of the international trade fair
The relaunch of the IWA appearance will start on September 19, 2024. On the same day, all exhibitors who have already registered will receive their stand space confirmation and the visitor and press ticket shop will also open. The exhibitor and product database will also go online. A number of changes have been made to the design of the communication media. Probably the most striking: the triangles have been removed from the logo. The logo per se remains the same, as does the claim "Eyes on Target".
To build on the international success of IWA 2024 (1,100 exhibitors – over 80% of whom came from abroad – 40,000 trade visitors from a total of 120 countries), IWA OutdoorClassics exhibition director Stefanie Leege and her team have been working intensively on the positioning: a more precise profile defines the new brand identity, which will be seen for the first time in the communication for IWA OutdoorClassics 2025. "As a platform, the IWA brings together a wide variety of industry players and segments, including representatives from the hunting, shooting sports, outdoor and action sports industries," explains Leege. "What unites them all is the demand for the perfect shooting experience in a civilian environment and everything that is needed for this. And this is exactly what we are now focussing on in our planning," says Leege about the new direction.
This will be reflected in the new design language, for example: In future, this will be dominated by a circle. The IWA wants to use this to convey dynamism and precision – and direct the eye to where it belongs: the target! The circle also plays with various associations, including focussing, the view through a lens (such as a riflescope), or the path to the target or a deal.
IWA wants to focus even more strongly on the specialised trade in 2025: new legitimisation concept for more quality
The management of IWA OutdoorClassics has restructured the admission processes and criteria for trade visitors in order to ensure the quality of trade fair visitors in the future. Access authorisations have been defined more precisely and admission tickets will be issued on a personalised basis in future.
ID checks will be introduced on site for the first time to prevent the misuse of tickets. Technical solutions will be used to simplify and speed up access for clearly authorised trade visitors. "Our aim is to continue to guarantee the high quality of international trade visitors and at the same time make access as uncomplicated as possible," explains Stefanie Leege.
Outlook for IWA OutdoorClassics in 2025: the trade fair sees these trends
More than 700 exhibitors have already registered for IWA OutdoorClassics 2025. These currently occupy 90 per cent of the exhibition space. In addition to major industry leaders such as the Beretta Group, a number of new exhibitors and returnees, including DNT Optics, Belom Ammunition and Hawke Optik, will also be represented, IWA 2025 reveals in advance. According to the trade fair, the proportion of international exhibitors is 83 per cent. In addition to firearms, next year's IWA is expected to focus on the latest developments in thermal imaging technology and night vision devices.
In 2025, there is also an industry that will be making its IWA debut: the paintball industry. This is intended to expand the range of action sports on offer. For the specialised trade, the trade fair points to the growing range of hunting and survival accessories as well as the restructured outdoor hall, which provides a better overview of the entire offer.
Exclusive interview: Georg Loichinger, PR Manager of IWA OutdoorClassics in conversation with all4shooters.com
all4shooters.com: Mr Loichinger, IWA OutdoorClassics will have a new brand identity in 2025. What led to this decision and what goals are you pursuing with it?
Georg Loichinger: IWA OutdoorClassics has always combined tradition with state-of-the-art technology. With our new brand identity, we want to emphasise this combination even more clearly. Our aim is to be recognised as a driving force for innovation and to show that the industry is constantly evolving. The claim "Eyes on Target" sums this up perfectly: we focus on precision and progress. The dynamic design language of the circle stands for constant movement and renewal – attributes that we want to emphasise more strongly. In this way, we are strengthening the position of the IWA as the leading platform for the hunting and shooting sports industry and at the same time setting fresh trends in the sector.
a4s: What can visitors expect from IWA OutdoorClassics 2025? How does the upcoming trade fair stand out from the anniversary year?
Loichinger: IWA OutdoorClassics has always been the international meeting place for the industry, where top decision-makers from all over the world come together. We want to build on this strength in 2025. We are delighted that many of the leading brands will be represented again. One highlight will be the even more extensive supporting program, which is even more diverse this year. We are particularly proud of the IWA Vision series, which will include the presentation of a new white paper on the topic of retail. We also want to continue to prepare the trade for the constantly advancing social developments and provide it with a compass. Another focus will be on technical innovations, particularly in thermal imaging technology and night vision devices, which are revolutionising modern hunting. For the first time, the paintball industry will also be represented at the IWA, which will further broaden our range in the field of action sports.
a4s: What changes have been made to visitor legitimisation and how are these intended to improve the quality of trade fair visitors?
Loichinger: In order to keep the quality of our trade visitors at the highest level, we have fundamentally revised the legitimisation process. The criteria for access to the trade fair have been defined more clearly and tickets will be clearly personalised in future. This means that ID checks will be introduced on site to prevent the misuse of admission tickets. With these measures, we want to ensure that only truly authorised trade visitors enter the trade fair and that the trade fair experience is optimised for everyone involved. Thanks to technical solutions, this process is not only more secure, but also more efficient for the specialised trade.
