ARGENBÜHL, Germany (BRAIN)—The industry’s largest trade show kicks off today as Eurobike welcomes retailers and international media to its fourth annual demo day held on the grounds of Ratzenried School in Argenbühl.
From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., shuttle buses will make runs from the exhibition grounds in Friedrichshafen to Argenbühl in Germany’s picturesque Allgäu region next to the Allgäu Alps where registered trade attendees will be able to test road, mountain and even e-bikes on largely untraveled roads and hidden singletrack.
Eurobike officially opens its convention center doors tomorrow, Sept. 1, when several thousand retailers will pour into the multi-hall complex. Over the years Eurobike has created an international brand and a loyal following among its customers that other shows can only envy.
“Our trade show venue has won the loyalty of the bicycle industry because of the atmosphere at Eurobike,” said Stefan Reisinger, the show’s project manager.
It’s also become a key show for the worldwide media. This year more than 1,500 journalists will prowl the halls snapping photos, taking notes and uploading thousands of digital images to the Web. Many exhibitors, aware of the show’s reach among the media, will unveil new products—whether ready or not for prime time—in hopes of sparking a buzz among the wired generation.
An Le, Giant’s global marketing manager, sums up what many suppliers say about Eurobike. “Eurobike is now our global show. We come there to showcase our global line of bikes and products and, from a trade show standpoint, it’s our official launch.”
And Giant has company—more than 1,100 exhibitors from dozens of countries are expected to fill 12 halls plus a nearby hangar once used to house the town’s most famous product, the Zeppelin.
Exhibitors will showcase their wares across 1.1 million square feet of space as an estimated 35,000 visitors swarm the open-air halls during Eurobike’s three-day trade fair. On Saturday, thousands of consumers will brave traffic jams that snake for miles along the two-lane roads leading to Friedrichshafen just to get a glimpse of 2011 bikes and accessories.
To read about the latest news as it happens at Eurobike, be sure to check the BRAIN Web site daily. Bicycle Retailer & Industry News staff will produce an e-newsletter that will be posted with live daily news from Friedrichshafen.
