SHERIDAN, WYOMING – July 1, 2025 – spoga+gafa 2025 has firmly established outdoor living as a central pillar of the modern lifestyle economy, setting new benchmarks for the global garden and outdoor sector. Drawing around 26,000 trade visitors from more than 100 countries and over 1,600 exhibitors, the world’s leading trade fair for garden lifestyle & BBQs concluded on a high note, despite ongoing economic uncertainties and geopolitical headwinds. This strong turnout confirms spoga+gafa’s position as the leading platform of the garden industry.
International Momentum Signals Market Resilience
The top visitor nations included Germany, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Italy, France, Poland as well as the USA, Australia and Canada — a remarkable result that sends a positive signal for the new schedule. The fair focused on key themes currently moving the industry: the wish for emotional relevance, strategic orientation, and market-relevant innovations. As Oliver Frese, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse, stated, “In a year that is currently still characterised by economic restraint, spoga+gafa underlined the key role it plays as an international industry meeting point.” Frese summed up the event’s success and vision: “This success not only underpins the international relevance of the event, but also stands for a visible transformation that we will consistently shape with spoga+gafa over the coming years. Progress is not possible without change.”
Ambitious 2026 Concept Targets Sustainability and Structure
With a revised concept for 2026, spoga+gafa is ensuring itself a sustainable position close to the market. It is reacting to the frequently expressed expectations of the industry for a clearer structure, stronger target group orientation, and a targeted reaction to new leisure time and consumer habits.
New Theme World: Own Hall for Outdoor Adventure
The “Outdoor Adventure” section will enhance the established theme sections “Living”, “Creation & Care” and “BBQs” with an own hall from 2026 onwards. Here, adventure, activities, and outdoor lifestyle will meet product innovation and community building. The idea behind this: “The outdoor section will become an experiential area for exercise, balance and adventure.” spoga+gafa is selectively expanding its target groups to include outdoor distributors, content creators, and brands wanting to stage the Outdoor Adventure theme emotionally and tell a different story.
New Alignment in the Furniture Section
The outdoor furniture section will be restructured as part of the new concept. Curated exhibition space exclusively for outdoor furniture manufacturers, who convince with sustainable production, short delivery routes, and high design quality, will arise in Hall 9. This focus on origin, quality, and style not only strengthens the European market but also creates an unmistakable profile on the international trade fair scene.
Garden Sourcing Hub and Flavour Market Provide New Accents
Other product sections are also being realigned: The theme Asia-Sourcing will in future be bundled in an own hall under the name “Garden Sourcing Hub” specifically for international buyers. Furthermore, every two years the “Flavour Market” will create a stronger interlinking in the BBQ Hall between BBQ technology, culinary offers, and cross-selling potentials from 2026 onwards.
Future-Proof Scheduling Enhances Global Participation
The next spoga+gafa is scheduled to take place in Cologne from Monday, 22 June to Wednesday, 24 June 2026. This will be the standard schedule in even years in future. In uneven years, the trade fair will continue to start on a Tuesday. This flexibility in the schedule guarantees a high international participation, optimal travel planning, and the best possible scheduling with regards to rival trade fairs.
Koelnmesse Continues Strategic Expansion
Koelnmesse is the world’s top trade fair organiser for the areas of Living, Contract and Public Spaces. Alongside the new trade fair duo imm cologne and interior design days cologne (idd cologne), other formats hosted at the trade fair hub of Cologne such as ORGATEC, interzum, FSB, spoga+gafa and aquanale are among the most internationally renowned and established industry gatherings. These fairs comprehensively represent the interior and design segment, the furniture and interior construction industries' supplying sections, the kitchen world, all topics for the modern working world, garden lifestyle as well as modern work environments, the garden lifestyle, public spaces, sports and leisure facilities, along with saunas, pools and wellness centres. Koelnmesse continues to strategically expand its portfolio with events in key growth markets around the world.
Learn more about upcoming events and spoga+gafa’s evolving concepts at spogagafa.com.