Eurobike closing report: slightly more visitors and some interesting new exhibitors

After five busy days the organisers of the Eurobike offer a positive summary: the 3rd edition held in Frankfurt am Main counted more trade visitors and consumers, and there were a number of interesting new exhibitors.

One key factor for the success of any show is the number of visitors, and in this regard Eurobike organiser fairnamic GmbH offered a positive summary. The 32nd edition of the show counted a total of 35,080 trade visitors – slightly up from the 34,750 visitors one year earlier. This growth came despite the fact that most overseas companies had reduced the size of their delegations in order to save some costs. Still 35 percent of the trade visitors originated from outside of Europe, the highest number Eurobike has ever seen in this regard. In a survey 95 percent of these visitors were satisfied regarding the purpose of their visit at the show. As for the exhibitors, the organisers counted more than 1,800 companies hailing from over 60 countries.

With Giant and Kalkhoff two important volume brands for German bicycle dealers returned to the show this year. There were also a number of new exhibitors. Chinese corporation DJI, known for drones and consumer electronics opted for Eurobike to premier its Avinox e-drive system. With Delta Electronics another large electronics corporation from Asia was exhibiting, showing a new mid-drive motor for e-bikes. And Alps Alpine, known for car sound systems, was showcasing its solutions for advanced e-bikes. And the Swiss E-Mobility Group (SEMG) showcased no less than five e-bike brands at its booth, looking to expand its business into Germany and Austria.

There were some big names missing as well, notably all the brands operating under the roof of the Accell Group. In the light of the serious financial challenges this corporation is currently facing this did not come to anyone’s surprise. The only brand from PON.Bike’s extensive portfolio to exhibit at this year’s Eurobike was Kalkhoff, and the booth of Pierer New Mobility was a lot smaller than the year before. The fact that Bosch eBike Systems as the market leader in e-drive solutions had set an October embargo date on its hardware for the model year 2025 caused headaches for all those brands who exclusively rely on this supplier for their assistance drives. And the b2b area situated on the 2^nd floor of hall 9 where suppliers without any consumer business were exhibiting for three days only was half as big as the year before.

Still the mood was decidedly upbeat throughout the three trade-only days. Two years after the collapse of consumer sentiment, many industry players are spotting the first hints of an improving situation. Many exhibitors reported full schedules and plenty of meetings, with some buyers complaining about longer lead times. This is not only due to increased demand, however: after two years with plenty of cancellations and postponements, suppliers in Far East unsurprisingly are struggling to ramp up the capacity of their production. As Managing Director of fairnamic GmbH, the Eurobike organizer, Stefan Reisinger said: “In times of economic tension, stability is the new growth. Thus, we are strengthening our position and creating a foundation for the future where the market picks up again.”

The early July date of this year’s Eurobike collided not only with the European football championships but also with the national holiday of the United States and the Tour de France. To steer clear of such issues the Eurobike will return to a late June date next year: the 33^rd edition of the world’s leading bicycle trade show will be held from Wednesday, June 25^th to Sunday June 29^th 2025. As usual access is restricted to trade visitors on the show’s intial three days with the Festival Days on the weekend catering to visitors from all walks of life. Apart from a large selection of test bikes, consumers are also being treated to a stacked program with shows and contests held on the grounds of Messe Frankfurt. This attracted a total of 33,090 visitors this year, more than 1,000 up from the year before.