Track and field legend Allyson Felix joins speakers line up at the 2026 ISPO Leaders Summit as part of continued €1m content investment
ISPO, the leading global trade fair for the sport, winter and outdoor industries, announce that Olympic Legend Allyson Felix will join the speaker line up at the ISPO Leaders Summit on Tuesday 3rd November. This comes as part of a €3-million commitment to the development of ISPO, with €1 million specifically invested into a world-class content program with renowned experts and industry figures.
The ISPO Leaders Summit is a high level forum preceding the main expo, designed to deliver strategic insight and peer exchange to an audience of senior executives, policymakers and industry leaders from across the global sport, outdoor and winter ecosystem.Allyson, the most decorated track and field athlete in history, with a record 20 World Championship medals and 11 Olympic Games medals, will discuss her career, the development of her female-specific footwear brand Saysh, athlete agency Always Alpha, and the stories and motivations behind each. The conversation will also include insight on her retirement and subsequent return to elite competition, as part of an aim to qualify for the 2028 Olympics in her hometown of LA.
Allyson will join Jimmy Chin (Filmmaker and Mountaineer), Celine Del Genes (Decathlon, Global Game Changers), Hap Klopp (Founder, The North Face), Professor Laura McAllister (Vice President of UEFA), Andy Rubin (Deputy Chair, Pentland Group), and Pia Heidenmark Cook (Former Group Chief Sustainability Officer Ingka/IKEA).
For 2026, ISPO relocates to the RAI Amsterdam from Munich, following the acquisition of the brand by Raccoon Media Group. This co-location means ISPO joins sister show the International Running Expo (IRX) this November, and Allyson will also speak at the B2B running show on the topic of women-centric product design.
“Allyson represents the visionary leadership we want to spotlight at the ISPO 2026 Leaders Summit, with her impact extending far beyond athletic achievement. Allyson is a powerful voice for female sports, as well as innovation and advocacy, alongside her unparalleled sporting CV. We’re thrilled to welcome her to the Summit as we bring together the future of the global sports industry” said Mike Seaman, Group CEO at Raccoon Media Group.
Felix says about joining the ISPO speaker line-up “I’m excited to share my knowledge and insights as an athlete and entrepreneur and to hear from others in the space, while making some invaluable industry connections through both ISPO and IRX.”
