IWA OutdoorClassics 2026: The Nuremberg world's leading trade fair for the firearms and outdoor industry focuses on crisis management

IWA OutdoorClassics 2026 begins next Thursday at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre. The world's leading trade fair for the civilian firearms and outdoor industry is once again attracting trade visitors and journalists from many countries. The change in the trade fair concept is noticeable: "Made for Trade" as the motto, i.e. business and trade instead of show, plus a focus on the current world situation in terms of crisis and survival preparations.

A contribution from Ulrich Eichstädt21.02.2026

IWA VISION: Crisis at the centre of the trade fair — This year, the focus of the IWA VISION trade fair revolves around an unusual topic that is closely linked to the firearms and outdoor industry: survival and crisis preparedness – opportunities and possibilities for customers and retailers.

IWA OutdoorClassics, which begins next Thursday, 26 February 2026 in Nuremberg, Germany, and runs until Sunday, 1 March, has adopted the claim of being the world's leading trade fair for hunting, shooting sports, outdoor and private security in a civilian environment – although "civilian" does not mean that a trade fair with an estimated 30,000 visitors from over 120 countries and almost 1,100 exhibitors (according to last year's figures) can completely ignore global and regional political developments and crises: the problems must be considered globally, even if many solutions need to be clarified in the respective country.

© NürnbergMesse / Thomas Geiger
The almost 30,000 IWA visitors last year came from over 120 countries. The international approach is to be expanded even further from 2027, but the world's leading trade fair for the firearms and outdoor industry in Nuremberg already supplies products and information from the field of private crisis preparedness, which has only developed in recent years.

Joachim Herrmann Bavarian State Minister of the Interior — © NürnbergMesse
Joachim Herrmann, the Bavarian State Minister of the Interior, knows the IWA OutdoorClassics from many visits in recent years. This time he is the patron and will also be giving his own keynote speech.

The consequences of the power outage in Berlin a few weeks ago or similar incidents in Spain and Portugal in 2025 alone showed that the population cannot necessarily rely on government aid alone in such crises, but must also proactively prepare themselves. This is why this year's IWA VISION trade fair segment is also addressing the growing interest in emergency planning and sustainable security solutions with the focal topic “From survival to crisis preparedness – a new growth market”, which in turn also involves the specialized trade if it takes advantage of these opportunities for high-quality products and professional advice. The patronage of the Bavarian State Minister of the Interior, Joachim Herrmann, gives the topic additional relevance and political categorization.

Herrmann will address this still young aspect of IWA in his own keynote speech on the SHOOTING EXPERTS' Stage on IWA Saturday at 11.40 am. He explained in advance: "For decades, IWA OutdoorClassics has represented a highly professional, responsible and innovation‑driven industry. Today, the focus extends far beyond products for hunting and shooting sports — topics such as civilian security, resilience and supply capabilities are increasingly shaping the public debate. Especially in times when national and international events remind us how vulnerable modern infrastructures can be, crisis preparedness is gaining in importance. Qualified specialist retailers play a central role in this context: Many hunting and shooting sports retailers already take on essential responsibilities in civilian supply — offering equipment for crisis and emergency preparedness as well as security products, all accompanied by expert advice. These retailers possess decades of experience in handling sensitive goods, technical equipment and responsible customer interaction. Their expertise makes them ideal points of contact for people seeking to prepare for extraordinary challenges. Crisis preparedness is in good hands within the specialized trade — and the hunting and shooting sports retail sector has already provided remarkable support to the public in this regard."

IWA VISION 2026: expertise in crisis management for trade, industry and the media

Herbert Saurugg IWA 2026 — © NürnbergMesse
Herbert Saurugg,international blackout and energy transition expert and author of numerous specialist publications, will give the keynote speech at IWA VISION 2026 on Friday, 27 February 2026.

What happens if a large-scale power outage hits Europe? The keynote speech by international blackout and crisis preparedness expert Herbert Saurugg at IWA (on Friday, 27 February 2026, 11:30 to 12:15 on the Expert's Stage in Hall 1) will shed light on the causes, systemic vulnerabilities and social impact of a blackout – a topic that has unfortunately become more explosive due to real incidents and the changing security situation.

In the subsequent expert panel featuring Herbert Saurugg, crisis retailer Florian Würtenberger, Thomas Gessler (ÜberlebensHeld), survival expert Martin Linke, and Johannes Kouba (Critical Knowledge – Medical Training Solution), retailers will receive concrete guidance on which product groups will become increasingly important – ranging from energy management and emergency power to first-aid equipment and communication tools that remain functional without infrastructure

In the IWA Vision area directly behind the SHOOTING EXPERTS' Stage, manufacturers will present their crisis-relevant products and solutions, bringing the focus topic directly to the product level. Here, the trade can get a compact overview of practical approaches, equipment and services that are becoming increasingly important in the area of crisis preparedness.

IWA OutdorClassics 2026: the all4shooters.com/all4hunters.com team will also be there again and will report daily from the trade fair

IWA OutdoorClassics is a trade fair and admission is reserved for industry professionals and the trade press only. The team from all4shooters.com and all4hunters.com can therefore once again take on the role of mediator and moderator and, as in previous years, bring you the "hottest" new products and trends from Nuremberg in videos and text information. This will not only be done via the website here, but also via our social media channels on Facebook, Instagram and, above all, YouTube. We will start with the first trade fair report on Thursday 26 February in the afternoon, in which you will also find all the relevant direct links to the events. We have already compiled the most important links for your visit to the trade fair and our previous reports below.