Next year’s Eurobike 2016 – the 25th edition of the world’s largest bicycle trade show – has some conceptual changes planned, which are already taking shape. The show will run next year from 31 August to 4 September at its usual home in Friedrichshafen, Germany.
Going forwards, the show will aim to appeal exclusively to trade visitors during Business Days, which will last from Wednesday to Friday. During the Festival Days, on Saturday and Sunday, Eurobike will open its doors to all bike enthusiasts.
A new Demo Area offering expanded test ride possibilities will be open for the entire duration of the show, replacing Demo Day, which had previously been held on the day before the show.
“For 25 years now, Eurobike has always given the bike business new momentum and a strong tailwind. In 2016 we are shifting up to a higher gear,” announced Messe Friedrichshafen CEO Klaus Wellmann.
While Eurobike will remain a trade show, the organisers note that, in the end, everything in the bike business is centred on the bike-enthusiast – and consequently, the trade fair organizers and a large number of manufacturers would like to take this properly into account, and do so at ‘a whole new level’.
What used to be Public Day will be replaced with the Eurobike Festival Days, which will take place on the two weekend days of the show.
“A mixture of technology, tests, entertainment, competition, information and music will serve as the framework for two action-filled bike days that will strengthen the connection to consumers,” said Eurobike Head Stefan Reisinger.
“We want to make the Eurobike Festival Days into the most important European bike consumer event and offer industry actors a unique chance to emotionalize their brands.”
OEM exhibitors, for whom contact with consumers is not decisive, will have the option to keep a B2B focus and limit their attendance at the show to three days. This will mean that certain parts of the fairgrounds, namely those which will not be filled during the festival weekend, will remain closed.
In addition to the new schedule format, test ride opportunities will also be expanded. Instead of only being able to test products on the day before the show at Demo Day, visitors will have to wait to test innovations until the show’s first day. But, after that, they will be able to take test rides on the expanded test tracks at the northeast corner of the fairgrounds and at the new Eurobike Demo Area for the entire duration of the show.
Exhibitors’ test stations will no longer be set up at Carpark East 1, but rather in the Demo Area between and behind the B halls. This is also where additional E-bike exhibitors will be based, exhibitors who until now have presented their innovations at the Open-Air Area East. For Eurobike 2016, this space will be used as a regular exhibition space.
Eurobike Project Leader Dirk Heidenreich said “This will eliminate the numerous hazards posed by the pedestrian crossing from Hall B4 to B5 and the new test stations along the B row will be more conveniently located than they were at the previous Demo Day property.”
The Eurobike 2016 will move its starting time back by 30 minutes, offering the followingopening hours:
Wednesday 31 August to Saturday 3 September from 09:00 to 18:00 CET – and Sunday 4 September from 09:00 to 17:00 CET.
On Business Days, from Wednesday to Friday, Eurobike 2016 will only be open for trade visitors and accredited journalists.
