Voices on Vertical Pro 2025

Jennifer Lönz, Marketing for Artificial Climbing Walls, Deutscher Alpenverein e.V. (German Alpine Club):

"Vertical Pro offers us the perfect stage to bring the climbing and gym industry together and present the latest developments. The strong turnout at the booth and the clear interest in new products demonstrated just how essential personal exchange is for the community. Our sections in particular use the fair intensively to engage in dialogue and to network professionally."

Tom Müller, consultant and route setter, Kletterkultur:

"Of course, the current market situation in the outdoor industry is noticeable, but here at Vertical Pro we meet exactly the audience we want to reach. The feedback on our new products has been very clear, giving us confidence that we are on the right track with our developments. For us, the Vertical Pro remains the most important platform in Europe."

Vitus Wuhrer, CEO of Edelrid GmbH & Co. KG:

"This year, we were on site with three brands and are very satisfied in the sports segment, including our business with Red Chili. The new hall layout led to high traffic at our booth – this should definitely be maintained for future editions. As usual, we had a knowledgeable and professional audience and were able to focus on maintaining existing relationships. Unfortunately, compared to previous years, we reached slightly fewer new customers at Vertical Pro and missed having more international visitors. For us, however, the event remains a valuable opportunity to bring together different high-altitude disciplines and foster exchange. We fully support the concept and remain open to discussions on how we can further strengthen especially the industrial segment of Vertical Pro."

Bernd Nehrke, owner of ropesolutions:

"Overall, the trade fair proved satisfactory for us. We had good conversations with the consistently knowledgeable audience, while strengthening and expanding existing relationships. These factors make participating in the trade fair a success for us, and that has been the case since the very first Vertical Pro."

Gerd Federer, recovery specialist and SRHT instructor, I.S.A.R. Germany:

"We exhibited at Vertical Pro for the first time. We are very pleased that our demonstrations were so well attended. We also had many conversations at our booth and were able to make our work more visible. It is definitely a benefit that so many specialist disciplines are represented here, enabling an exciting exchange for both sides. We can very well imagine participating again next year and would like to see even more live demonstrations. They generated even more traffic at our booth."

Ulla Lohmann, volcanologist and expedition photographer:

"For me, Vertical Pro is the first trade fair I've ever attended and I was able to gain many valuable impressions and experiences. You can tell that this is a highly qualified audience that has engaged deeply with my topics. My presentation was also very well attended. Afterwards, several visitors approached me with further questions. The organization and support before and during the fair were smooth and very friendly. I also consider the 'Women at height' format very important and well implemented – it definitely deserves even more attention. I feel very comfortable at Vertical Pro, and among all the vertical professionals there is a truly family-like atmosphere. In exchanging ideas with like-minded people, I was also able to learn a great deal.”

Alex Ruiz, Co-founder & CCO, Shiny Wall:

"The Start-up Area was a great success for us. Many visitors came specifically to see us. This kind of interaction is exactly what young companies need to further develop their solutions. For us, Vertical Pro was, in the best sense, a showroom for all of Europe this year – we gained visibility, built valuable contacts and truly understood how our approach is perceived within the industry. This kind of direct exchange is irreplaceable."

Carsten Gollhardt, Sales Manager DACH, Béal SAS:

"We consistently had strong traffic at our booth, significantly more than many competitors. The audience was very diverse, and the conversations were extremely lively, making the exchange particularly valuable. For future editions, I would find an even greater mix of booths exciting, as this could generate additional walk-in traffic. Vertical Pro is a fixed date in my annual calendar because it is centrally located in the DACH region and allows me to meet all the relevant markets here. Despite parallel events, the quality of the contacts was high and I definitely plan to return next year. This year we were able to present several innovations, offering something for everyone. The response was very positive. Some were particularly enthusiastic about our new rope, others about our descender device, and still others about our new color system. Overall, we experienced a very diverse and highly engaged trade fair audience here."

Christian Kruk, Technical Representative for the Pro segment in Europe at DMM:

"We have the advantage of covering both the professional and the sport climbing segments. Accordingly, our booth was very busy, with a clear focus on sport climbing. In the professional segment, things were a bit quieter this year, partly because parallel events tied up many resources. The new hall axis ensured that we saw significantly more walk-in traffic and stronger synergies between the different areas. For us, it is clear that we will be back next year. I was very impressed by the supporting program, which was broad in scope and offered many practical insights. I found the focus on 'Women at Height' particularly strong, as it gives the topic of women working at height the visibility it needs. Ultimately, the organizing team also plays a key role in making the event a success. The collaboration is structured, reliable and provides the framework that makes this exchange works so well."

Christoph Driever, Country Manager, Petzl Deutschland GmbH:

"Vertical Pro is a very well-organized trade fair for us and takes place at an ideal time in the annual calendar. At the same time, we faced the challenge this year that other relevant events for the vertical industry were taking place in the immediate vicinity. As a result, many companies – including us – had to carefully weigh where participation would be worthwhile. Basically, we continue to fully support the concept of Vertical Pro, which brings together everyone who works on ropes. The quality of the audience remains very high and professionally strong."

Vertical Pro Homepage: www.vertical-pro.de

Follow on Instagram: @verticalpro_official

Press contact:

Emil Weikinn, Manager Media Relations
Phone: +49 7541 708-308
E-Mail: emil.weikinn@messe-fn.de