The bicycle industry faces some bumps on the road, but the organisers of Eurobike, its premier trade show, are confident of a smooth ride in Frankfurt am Main, where the event will take place for the third time since its move from Friedrichshafen.
Eurobike has come a long way since its days as a gathering of mountain-biking enthusiasts by Lake Constance. Its relocation to Frankfurt, a bustling financial hub and a major air-transport node, signalled its transformation into a global platform for an industry in flux. The city also boasts a wider range of hotels and eateries, and a more efficient public-transport system, making it easier for visitors to reach the venue. The organisers are busy securing exhibitors for the show, which will run from July 3rd to 7th.
A broader scope for mobility
The representatives of fairnamic, the company behind Eurobike, were upbeat about the prospects of the 32nd edition of the show, when they met a handful of trade journalists in Frankfurt at the end of January. They expect to host about 1,900 exhibitors, covering 150,000 square metres of floor space in four halls (8,9,11,12) of the western section of Messe Frankfurt, the city’s exhibition centre. The aim is to attract 40,000 trade visitors, up from 34,000 last year. One way to do so is to expand the scope of the show to include all kinds of vehicles that are smaller than cars and do not run on fossil fuels.
Another way to appeal to more visitors, especially bicycle dealers who may be reluctant to shut their shops during the peak cycling season in July, is to offer more relevance. Two big names in the German bicycle market, Giant Bicycles and Kalkhoff, will return as full-fledged exhibitors in 2024. Stefan Reisinger, the general manager of fairnamic, says that only a few exhibitors have cut back on their spending for trade shows, despite the tough economic conditions. “A few brands have booked smaller booths than last year, and a few will not return this year due to a lack of money. But we also have some brands returning to the show and some who are exhibiting for the first time ever.”
Longer test track and camping sites
The test track that circled hall 10 last year was a hit, with twice as many test rides as the year before, but also some congestion. To improve the riding experience and ease the traffic, the test track will be extended, looping around hall 11 and leading away from the Portalhaus entrance to the parking lot and back on two of the four lanes of the Strasse der Nationen. And since accommodation may be harder to find than last year, because of a clash with the European football championships, fairnamic will offer a camping site for mobile homes with a capacity of 100 units within the eastern section of the exhibition centre, and another low-key camping site with much more capacity for ordinary show visitors next to the parking lot on the site of the former Rebstock airfield.
Reisinger says that the overstock situation has not deterred overseas visitors, and that exhibitors from the Far East have been more loyal than some from Europe. The b2b area on the second floor of hall 9, which is only open for the three trade-only days of the show, was almost fully booked by early February. This, and the new events with Eurobike and Asiabike branding to be held in Istanbul and Jakarta this year, proves the global importance of Eurobike for the bicycle industry – not only in good times, but especially in times that require more communication and coordination to prepare for the future, in line with the show’s motto “Hello Future”.
“Over the past few months, we have managed to further expand the success of the last event and are already looking forward to excellent participation at Eurobike 2024. Face-to-face meetings, brand presence and the joint setting of topics for industry interests are what count particularly when times are tough. Eurobike has become a firm fixture and our expected field of participants from more than 1,900 exhibiting companies brings together all relevant players in the global value chain. We are delighted to welcome back global players and brands in 2024 who recently took a break from having a booth at the fair. In addition, the providers from the light electric mobility segment are increasingly in the spotlight,” explains Reisinger.