Eurobike in America
Posted October 31st, 2006 in Industry
Will they call it Americabike? Here is an interesting bit of industry news.
Bicycle Retailer and Industry News.
OCTOBER 30, 2006 — FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN)—Interbike has competition. The organizers of Eurobike, Germany’s premier trade show, will launch a competing event in Portland, Oregon, next September challenging Interbike’s long dominance as the only show in the U.S. market. Messe Friedrichshafen, Eurobike’s owners, have met with Portland officials who will support efforts to bring retailers and exhibitors to the West Coast city.
This is a curious development and can only bee seen as a play for some sort of global dominance in the trade show game, but I’m not sure what they have to gain by doing this.
Here in Australia the industry is poorly served by our version of a bicycle trade show, it would have been exciting to see Eurobike (or Interbike) pick off a bit of low hanging fruit by first staging an event here and lending us their experience, knowledge, connections and power in order to help build our domestic industry properly.
Though it’s still breaking news, there is some early blog talk on this.
Interbike’s blog presence, The Interbike Times gives us their thoughts.
With that said, if Eurobike believes that they can help our industry continue to grow cycling as a more visible and important activity in our marketplace by launching a competing show at about the same time as Interbike, then we welcome them to the family. If nothing else, the competition will help us to be even better at what we do. However, the dividing effect it could have on our industry is a concern. We believe that having an annual gathering of the industry community where we can all get together is important.
There is also additional commentary at Shut Up and Drink the Kool Aid where Donna Tocci asks all the practical questions so you don’t have to.
Will dealers go to both? Because, let’s face it, unless there is some killer incentive, dealers need to go to Interbike to see the manufacturers. Not all will go to Portland in the first year or two or maybe ever. Dealers are, for the most part, small operations. Will US dealers be able to be short staffed twice in the month? Will they be able to afford it? I don’t see that happening. So they will have to choose. Could it be that they’d have to choose between seeing some manufacturers over others as some prefer EuroPortland* and some prefer Interbike? Who is that benefitting?
Bike Portland’s Jonathan Maus is someone who will be at the center of a “Eurobike Portland”.
If you’re wondering what all the fuss is about, just consider the size of Interbike (currently the major US bike industry trade show) and Eurobike. Not that Eurobike Portland would be nearly this size 11 months from now, but just for perspective…
According to the Eurobike website, this year’s show drew 31,810 trade visitors from around the world, 19,684 cycling fans on Open House Day, and 1064 journalists from 32 countries. Interbike on the other hand drew 22,000 people which included individual exhibitors, manufacturers, buyers and members of the media.
I’m sure Eurobike’s motives will become clearer shortly.
technorati tags: cycling, industry, interbike, eurobike
What others have to say…
Interesting days all right. I’m going to try like heck to make it next year to Vegas, it’s closer than Eurobike so a US show makes sense for Australians.
As for OZ, we’ll see what happens, but as I continue to talk to people here it looks like our show as an effective medium for the industry is a dead duck, support for it is evaporating and a speedy rate. The y do need your help, or that of the Interbike crew.
“…asks all the practical questions so you don’t have to.”
That’s so nice of you to say since I’m never really sure that my rapid-fire ramblings make sense to anyone else but me!
I’m in the ‘wait and see’ camp right now. I think that in the next few weeks or a month that there will be much more information coming out about this show that will answer some questions. Others will remain until next September when we see where the majority of the exhibitors and then dealers will go.
Interesting times over here. I think the most exciting of all is that you may actually be coming to one of the shows next year! Woo-hoo! I’ll very much look forward to that.
November 2nd, 2006 at 11:55 am
Thanks for commenting here Donna, I chuffed, which is Australian slang for being tickled pink.
I know I’ve made up my mind already, Vegas it is, I can’t see how Euro Portland will have much traction in it’s forst year, but if the dates are really close I might stick around and visit both…….and I’ve always wanted to visit Portland and maybe bump into that nice Maus chap.
I’d still love to see the Interbike or Eorobike folks extend their reach into Oz. our industry and show needs a real kick in the pants.
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I really can’t do a better job than Donna already did. She nailed it. As did Rich at IB Times.
I will have much more to day about this in the coming days and weeks, but here’s my first thought;
COOL! Portland rocks! Portland is also openly courting the bike industry companies in an effort to get them to move to Portland and be a part of their community. I met wih some folks from Portland’s business development group during Interbike and I was very impressed.
However, the timing is just terrible. Competing directly with Interbike in Spetember when there are all the other shows as well, just doesn’t make sens to me. If I have to pick, I’ll be in Vegas- at least for the first year- because that is where the largest number of folks will be. Plus, as Donna points out, another show on the West coast is just a little unfair to the folks in the Eastern US.
As for OZ; I can be hired as a counsultant any time… call me for special rates.