Having never been to an IWA Outdoor Classics before, I’m not really sure if either the protesters or the transit strike were surprising to veteran attendees. I was told the threat wasn’t new, but actually striking seemed to surprise many. The anti-military show protests, although boisterous, were more amusing than a problem.
As far as the show itself, the more than 1,000 manufacturers, wholesalers, dealers and media members in attendance seemed happy enough with the results. The vast majority of attendees (83 percent) were from outside Germany, as were the more than 25,000 trade visitors and media attendees.
However you judge it, there is one overall conclusion drawn between SHOT and IWA: this is an industry that relies- heavily- on relationships, global networking and dependable partnerships. Stefanie Leege, Exhibit Director for IWA summed it up pretty well when she said “IWA is an internationally oriented show, across all areas. Professional discussions in every world language and business channel is something you’ll only find here in our industry.”
Exhibitors came from 49 countries. Attendees represented 121 nations, with Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, France, the UK, China, Turkey, Switzerland, Spain and Denmark registering the most attendees.
As Leege explained, “What we experience here is more than a product show – it is a global network that intensifies, renews and strengthens itself over four days. For many businesses, particularly smaller retailers from niche markets or highly specialized suppliers, IWA is a decisive moment in the business calendar: they can meet international partners, test products, make comparisons and take strategic decisions on the spot.”
One surprising part of IWA was the heavy emphasis on knives, especially since we were warned in advance against having knives due to new German laws. Inside the IWA halls, knives were there in abundance. In fact, there was a Knife Demonstration Area where there were hands-on demonstrations and even an IWA Knife Awards competition, with 63 competitors across two categories (fixed blades/folders).
IWA has a decidedly different atmosphere from SHOT Show. It features a far more leisurely pace, lots of coffee in the mornings and plenty of beer in the afternoons. Nuremberg, unlike Las Vegas, is built around mass transit and is extremely easy to transit- unless there’s a transit strike. Even then, fleets of cabs make it possible to get around far easier than you might expect.
The next IWA OutdoorClassics is set for March 4-7, 2027 in Nuremberg. I’m thinking it might be worth a second visit, but as always, we’ll keep you posted.