November 22, 2025
At the intersection of rope access, climbing sports and rope rescue, Vertical Pro creates a space for genuine peer-to-peer exchange: The fifth edition of the trade fair once again demonstrated the diversity of vertical work and sports. 2,430 trade visitors from sectors including rope access technology, working and rescuing at height, climbing and bouldering gyms, as well as high and forest rope courses, attended the international trade fair to exchange ideas on new solutions, trends and best practices. Compared to the previous year (2024: 2,618), visitor numbers were slightly lower. However, the trade fair once again impressed with a highly specialized audience from 46 countries, seeking practical, hands-on exchange.
Around 200 companies from 29 nations, including 61 first-time exhibitors, showcased their latest products and services at Vertical Pro. "Vertical Pro has reaffirmed its position as the leading platform for the vertical industry. The interactions at the booths were highly professional, underscoring the importance of personal dialogue in this industry. That’s exactly why the vertical community comes to Friedrichshafen," says Klaus Wellmann, CEO of Messe Friedrichshafen.
"We experienced a highly qualified audience: People who knew exactly why they were here and which contacts they wanted to make. Although the industry was spread across several events in Europe during a tightly scheduled fall weekend, this did not diminish the significance of the Vertical Pro format. We are already initiating the first planning steps to give the 2026 edition even more space to grow. In discussions with exhibitors, we’ve already gathered initial ideas and impulses that we plan to pursue further," adds project manager Sharon Kommer.
"Halls & Walls" as the sporting anchor
With its established industry gathering "Halls & Walls," the German Alpine Club (DAV) once again played a key role in shaping the sports segment of Vertical Pro. In halls A7 and A5, numerous companies showcased their solutions for climbing and bouldering facilities under this umbrella, connecting with operators, route setters and gym teams. Between hold modules, wall segments and climbing gym technology, intensive discussions unfolded about current requirements and developments in climbing gym operation. "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 trade fair intensively to engage in dialogue and to network professionally," sums up Jennifer Lönz from the German Alpine Club.
Tom Müller from Kletterkultur also emphasizes that the trade fair is a key meeting point for the indoor climbing community: "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."
This year, the sports-focused Start-up Area was particularly dynamic, with 37 young companies presenting their products and services. "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," says Alex Ruiz, Co-founder & CCO of the interactive climbing wall manufacturer Shiny Wall.
Even beyond the purely sporting sector, numerous players from industry, rescue and rope access underline the importance of personal exchange at Vertical Pro.
For example, industry heavyweight Edelrid has been using the trade fair in Friedrichshafen since its premiere in 2021: "This year, we were on site with three brands and are very satisfied in the sports segment, including our business with Red Chili. As usual, we had a knowledgeable and professional audience with us and were able to focus on maintaining existing relationships. Unfortunately, compared to previous years, we reached slightly fewer new customers at Vertical Pro. For us, however, the event remains a valuable opportunity to bring together different high-altitude disciplines and foster exchange," reports Vitus Wuhrer, CEO of Edelrid.
Carsten Gollhardt, Sales Manager DACH at Béal SAS, also emphasizes the importance of the trade fair for his company: "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."
Convincing supporting program
With numerous live demonstrations, presentations and workshops, the accompanying supporting program offered deep insights into current developments and promoted direct dialogue between disciplines.
Christian Kruk, Technical Representative for the Pro segment in Europe at DMM, highlights: "I was particularly impressed by the accompanying program, which was broad in scope and offered many 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."
The height rescuers from I.S.A.R Germany, who were at Vertical Pro for the first time with two live demonstrations, also draw a positive conclusion: "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," says recovery specialist and SRHT instructor Gerd Federer from I.S.A.R Germany.
The next Vertical Pro will take place on November 13 and 14, 2026.