For decades, the winter sports business revolved around a familiar set of products: skis, boots, bindings and the equipment needed to keep people moving on snow.
At Prowinter 2027, that definition is getting wider.
The Bolzano trade show is expanding its winter outdoor section, bringing traditional ski and snow-sports brands together with companies serving a broader range of activities in the mountains. The move reflects an industry that is looking beyond the ski slope as changing weather patterns and growing demand for outdoor experiences reshape the winter market.
The 27th edition of Prowinter will run from January 10 to 12 at Fiera Bolzano in northern Italy. Organizers say the dedicated outdoor hall will grow again in 2027, supported by partnerships with groups including Snow Industries America, the Scandinavian Outdoor Group, China Outdoor Association and the European Outdoor Group. The Scandinavian Village will also return alongside the Italian Outdoor Village.
Winter is becoming a broader outdoor season
Prowinter itself describes the shift as an attempt to rethink “winter outdoor” around a mix of seasons and different ways of spending time in nature.
That matters because Europe’s winter tourism industry is already adapting to less predictable snow conditions. The European Environment Agency says snow cover has generally declined across Europe, particularly at lower elevations, while snow seasons have become shorter in many regions. Winter tourism is identified as a significant climate risk, especially for lower-altitude destinations and parts of central and southern Europe.
For ski resorts and the businesses that supply them, diversification can mean looking beyond products tied exclusively to downhill skiing.
Outdoor clothing, footwear, equipment for hiking and other mountain activities, and products designed for a wider range of winter conditions can give retailers and rental businesses more ways to serve customers when snow is limited or seasons become less predictable.
Prowinter does not claim that skiing is disappearing from the market. It remains one of the event’s two core sectors. But the growing outdoor hall shows that the commercial definition of winter sports is becoming less dependent on a single activity.
Climate questions are moving closer to the business agenda
The environmental backdrop will continue after the trade show closes.
From January 12 to 14, Fiera Bolzano will host the fourth Ski Industry Climate Summit, bringing brands, suppliers, retailers, resorts, researchers and policymakers together to discuss regulation, changing markets, climate science, materials and supply chains.
The program includes sessions on EU legislation, decarbonisation, product durability, repair, recycling and lower-impact materials. It also looks at how changing consumer expectations and climate conditions could affect the business of winter sports.
That gives the expansion of Prowinter Outdoor a larger context. The question for the industry is no longer simply which ski equipment will sell next season. It is also what winter recreation looks like when snow conditions, customer habits and product expectations are changing at the same time.
Prowinter 2027 will still be a ski show. It is increasingly becoming something broader as well.
Prowinter 2027 will take place from January 10 to 12 at Fiera Bolzano in Bolzano, Italy.
