Eurobike gears up for new changes

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1 13/10/2016 Leading trade show continues to evolve: Eurobike 2017 with B2B plus Festival Day - Eurobike 2018 starts on Sunday, July 8 with B2B focus only Eurobike gears up for new changes Friedrichshafen - As one show finishes, preparations are under way for the next. Following the 25th Eurobike, the Eurobike team has announced conceptional changes to the forthcoming editions of the leading trade show. In addition to next year s Eurobike 2017 dates and schedule (Wednesday, August 30 to Saturday, September 2, a concluding Festival Day), Messe Friedrichshafen announced the new dates for Eurobike which kicks off on Sunday, July 8, Whether Eurobike 2018 runs for three or four days at Lake Constance will be decided nearer the time, together with exhibitors. From 2018, Eurobike moves forward to take place earlier in the year and will focus exclusively on trade visitors. "The bike market is enjoying great dynamism and seeing numerous changes to the value chain. By taking place earlier in the year Eurobike will be even more relevant and strengthen its position as the leading trade show for new trends and innovations. The new dates and schedule have the backing of a large number of industry players and require sufficient advance / 14

2 notice to ensure secure planning for all parties, explains Klaus Wellmann, CEO Messe Friedrichshafen. Head of Eurobike, Stefan Reisinger adds: "Numerous conversations with manufacturers, including both exhibitors and non-exhibitors, retailers and the media have made it increasingly clear that further defragmentation of the industry into separate in-house exhibitions and order shows is neither long-term, nor sustainable. Looking down the road, we are changing the future Eurobike in two stages, adjusting the gears to strengthen its position as an innovation driver for the international bicycle industry. Eurobike 2017: Four days B2B & B2C - New: Eurobike Media Days at Kronplatz in South Tyrol The four-day schedule for the 2017 show starts on Wednesday, August 30 and runs for three days focusing, as usual, on business-to-business with a subsequent Festival Day on Saturday, September 2, presenting the most popular topics from 2016 to all cycling enthusiasts. "By shortening the show, there will no longer be the choice of two booking options. In addition, Eurobike 2017 will once again benefit from a large number of test opportunities along the B wing, says Eurobike Project Manager Dirk Heidrich. The third Eurobike Media Days ride out from a new location. The media test event takes place at the announced dates, from June 27-29, 2017 at Kronplatz in the Eurobike partner region South Tyrol. It offers all sport-orientated Eurobike bicycle manufacturers an early opportunity to present innovations for 2018 to the most important international media publications and websites in the magnificent, exclusive and sunny Dolomites. The winning formula / 14

3 recently saw 210 selected media representatives from 20 countries meet 27 brands. Eurobike 2018 starts out on Sunday, 8 July The new show dates for 2018 (starting Sunday, July 8) are a further major change to the Eurobike concept. Whether the event runs for three or four days remains to be clarified nearer the time in consultation with exhibitors. In addition, it has been decided to focus the Eurobike solely on industry visitors from 2018 with the earlier dates. Susanne Puello, Managing Director of Winora Group, supports the move, "The Winora Group welcomes the decision to bring the Eurobike forward in 2018 and will be exhibiting its full brand portfolio with a major presence. Haibike, the global leader of eperformance bikes will also be attending Eurobike Claudio Marra, Managing Director FSA agrees, "We strongly believe that it is necessary to bring the show forward to an earlier date. September is too late for our business timetable. New bikes and components are already available or have been covered by other events and media. As a result, we miss out on the original nature of the Eurobike, to present new product innovations. We are a big fan of the new changes and are only too happy to support them. "We urge others to use Lake Constance as an international platform to premiere new innovations at the leading trade show. The future earlier Eurobike dates for 2018 is a chance to again bring together more relevant market players. This has been echoed in many of the talks that we ve conducted, emphasizes CEO Messe Friedrichshafen Klaus Wellmann. The situation is clear: Eurobike should be the main event where all relevant brands first present their innovations to industry, retail and media representatives. As a result, Eurobike will have an / 14

4 exclusively B2B focus, so there will be no addressing end consumers from Stefan Reisinger: "By announcing the new 2018 dates now, we re giving the bicycle industry the chance to orientate itself, providing planning security and the required advance notice to readjust and regroup for the significantly earlier future Eurobike dates. We are aware that this might prove a challenge for certain market players. However, we re creating the conditions for the industry to present itself in a more unified fashion at the Eurobike show in future. As such, we continue to provide the right platform to encourage synergies for industry, retail and the media. In order to overcome the present challenges, the VDZ, the German bicycle retail association (Verband des Deutschen Zweiradhandels) has called to bring together the industry s forces at one location. Chairman of the board Dietmar Knust and member of the executive board Tobias Hempelmann explain, "There seems to be an unending flow of trade shows for retailers. From July through to September, retailers can literally spend the entire time travelling the length and breadth of Germany, visiting dozens of these in-house shows which are generally more like events. Few retailers have the time - let alone the personnel - to do this during the season. The large number of in-house shows and Eurobike absentees is damaging the industry as a whole. Other industries are only too envious of our central, major trade show. This is why the VDZ is unequivocally in favour of bringing together the industry s forces at the Eurobike. Having one show location guarantees a full overview of the industry s new products. For further information, please visit: Statements on the future Eurobike concept in / 14

5 alphabetical order of companies: Hagen Stamm, Managing Director and Proprietor BBF BIKE GmbH: "The BBF welcomes the move to hold the Eurobike earlier in mid-july from Together with many other providers, we will be able to show all our customers the new collections for the coming season and even mid-season models, without having to run our own early in-house show at the same time. The proposed dates will allow retailers to acquire a comprehensive overview of the market early on and give those ready to order the opportunity to place their orders for the coming season. We will still be able to hold our own regional in-house and order shows in September/October as usual, which will allow retailers to sell stock over the whole season before they have to reorder. These earlier Eurobike dates will pose big challenges for earlier product development. Unai De la Fuente, General Manager BH Bikes: "It was interesting to exchange views on the dates of the next Eurobike shows. We definitely think that the future adaptations will have an extremely positive impact for all of us. Eurobike can therefore also count on us for the future since we will keep investing in Eurobike. Tamara Winograd, Director Marketing Communication, Robert Bosch GmbH: "Eurobike is the industry meeting of the year. Every year, this leading international trade fair is where more than 1,000 manufacturers present their new products. The show in Friedrichshafen offers us a perfect platform. Trends are set here. Bosch ebike System will also be presenting its current range, new features and developments at Eurobike / 14

6 in We are looking forward to it! Gerhard Schwarz, CEO Cosmic Sports: "As far as we are concerned, Eurobike in Friedrichshafen is the leading international trade fair for the bicycle industry. Admittedly, we are also recording a fall in customer visits, but, for us as an importer, the fair is still the key means of remaining in contact with retailers, suppliers and the industry at the same time. Similarly, we notice that Eurobike is very popular with our international suppliers. An in-house show would not be an alternative for us, particularly as the increasing fragmentation into independent in-house exhibitions that is currently taking place is proving to be a disadvantage for the entire industry. Consequently, we are hoping for a return by the large exhibitors who have been absent from Eurobike in recent years, as they act as an important magnet for visitors. We therefore welcome the initiative of an earlier fair date, see it as an important step in the right direction and will be on board for Eurobike during the planning stage in 2017 and 2018 as well. Akki Kedenburg, CEO Europe, Electra Bicycle Company: "We are very clearly in favour of a Eurobike show in July. We obtain many new products, trends and styles from our Californian headquarters and would like to use the opportunity to get our customers on board as soon as possible. Claudio Marra, Managing Director FSA: "From our side in FSA, we strongly believe that it is necessary to bring the show forward to an earlier date, / 14

7 because September is now too late for our current market. As we know, all the new bikes and components are already available or have been covered by other events and media. As a result, we miss out on the original nature of the Eurobike, to present new product innovations. We are a big fan of the new changes and are only too happy to support them. Uwe Kalliwoda, Executive Board Ghost-Bikes GmbH: "At Ghost, we feel that bringing the Eurobike forward in 2018 makes perfect sense. Naturally, we will be attending Eurobike Ralf Kindermann, Managing Director of Internetstores GmbH: "We welcome the earlier date for Eurobike in July as from 2018, which will then give retailers and producers a chance to present new products at the right time and offer a platform for providing wide-ranging guidance and ordering. Focusing on the core function of Eurobike as a trade fair and the most important meeting place for retailers, industry and media is logical and underlines our concern to have an extensive leading international trade fair in Germany. A further fragmentation of the market into individual in-house and ordering shows is not in our interest. Jörn Gersbeck, Head of Sales & Marketing, Marin Bikes Deutschland: "The Eurobike show is very important for us. It remains the meeting point for the industry and the best presentation platform for retailers, both in the B2B and B2C segments. We recorded an excellent result in Friedrichshafen in We are wholeheartedly behind the concept of Eurobike and / 14

8 will continue to use this stage in the future. From our point of view, the separate Eurobike Media Days have also created a very unified concept for bicycle producers, from which we will definitely benefit. While the number of trade visitors has fallen slightly after years of growth, they are still at a very high level. However, an additional day for visits by end users has led to a significant rise in the total number of visitors. In 2017 and 2018, we will be represented by a stand at the Eurobike Media Days as well as one in Friedrichshafen, and will be presenting our product range both to the specialist trade and in 2017 to end users as well. Wolfgang Renner, Managing Director of Merida & Centurion Germany GmbH: "Merida & Centurion Germany GmbH will continue to be present at Eurobike. We need a leading trade fair, as represented by Eurobike. Bernhard Lange, Managing Director of Paul Lange & Co. OHG: "We support Eurobike - and will continue to do so in the future. Of course, the fall in visitor numbers, especially trade visitors, cannot be ignored. We should analyse this very carefully. We feel that it s important to look at how we can reverse this trend, rather than calling the whole trade show into question. Moving towards an increasingly B2B orientation is the right way to go. After all, the Eurobike is far more than just a shop window for new technologies and products. It is the leading international forum for bike-related matters and one of the largest international meeting points for all manner of groupings - from retailers, manufacturers and wholesale dealers, to designers, / 14

9 journalists, politicians, end consumers, athletes and many more. And they all have the same thing in common - their shared enthusiasm for bikes and bicycling. This is why we support the Eurobike and are only too happy, working together with our partners and suppliers as well as in close collaboration with Messe Friedrichshafen, to explore avenues for the Eurobike trade show to strengthen its international position. We feel that the greatest potential for the medium and long term lies not in today s bike-conscious circles, who can probably be reached by smaller events. The real potential lies in broader sections of society. We have to win them over to bicycles, whether they are politicians, journalists or other groups. What could be better to achieve this, than having a central, international forum such as Eurobike? Experiences of the past few weeks show that the industry, urgently needs a central forum. There is hardly room in the calendar for even more new in-house trade shows, retailer events or product presentations. Already this year, there were numerous scheduling clashes, which caused retailers major diary headaches. What s more, weak spring sales, due to bad weather, led many retailers to spend every fine-weather weekend in the stores selling, instead of travelling from one event to the next. Collision with another major event, such as the ZEG Bike Show in Cologne, should also be avoided during discussions for changing the Eurobike dates. This is something the Zweirad Industrie Verband (ZIV) - the German bicycle industry association - is unanimous on. For us, this year the "later date for the in-house show proved advantageous. It has been held long after Eurobike for many years. We have learnt that being first at all costs is not always the best option. This year in particular, / 14

10 retailers still had full stores and warehouses in early summer which meant they were rather reserved with their orders. By the Eurobike and then four weeks later at our in-house show, the situation for many retailers was more relaxed. All in all, at present I think it s important to react calmly and not be overhasty to follow what might turn out to be a mistaken trend. Reto Aeschbacher, Brand Manager Scott Sports S.A.: "Scott has been an exhibitor at Eurobike from the outside and will continue to maintain its profile at Lake Constance in the coming years. We see the definite necessity for a central industry platform for the expert exchange of ideas between industry, retailers, media, politics, commerce and tourism, but also a need for clearly stating and broadcasting bike-related topics. It is important for the industry to come together once a year and deliver a clear statement. This is the only way we can promote bikes and bicycling across a broad front. Our business processes have changed over the years and many decisions take place earlier. The new course that Eurobike is taking - from the stronger specialist direction in the future to the scheduling in July in is indeed the right step. It reduces the expenditure on time and costs and will lead to greater efficiency, which will be crucial in the future. Frank Peiffer, Managing Director Shimano Europe b.v.: "We welcome the fact the Eurobike intends to strengthen the character of the leading global bicycle fair and that, in line with the changed timing of product and sales processes within the industry, will be moving to an earlier date in / 14

11 future with a focus on B2B activities. Gaetan Vetois, European Marketing Director Sram: "Eurobike is the largest bicycle trade fair in the world. In the next two years, Sram will continue to use the leading trade fair as a platform to publicise itself and present its innovations. Eurobike is a very important date for us and a unique opportunity to establish a dialogue with as many OEM partners, specialist retailers, media representatives and end customers as possible. Volker Dohrmann, Chief Brand & Product Officer Stevens Vertriebs GmbH: "The experiences at Eurobike 2016 were very positive for Stevens. Quality of advice, atmosphere, customer frequency and also ordering were just right. One should not unjustly underestimate this leading international platform for the exchange of ideas and business in the bike industry. Our trade fair planning in 2017 does in any case include involvement at Eurobike. And in 2018, too, we wish to remain loyal to this tradition on Lake Constance - as do the overriding majority of our customers and suppliers as well. Quo Vadis Eurobike: Statement by the German bicycle retail association (Verband des Deutschen Zweiradhandels e.v., VDZ) against trade fair tourism: This year once again saw Eurobike present itself as a platform for the international bicycle industry. With 42,720 trade visitors, 1,350 exhibitors from all over the world and around 1,700 journalists, the trade fair performed its function as a guiding light as well as a platform for new products and innovations in the bicycle industry. It is where experts, market partners and those with an interest in the / 14

12 industry from Europe and the whole world come to meet in order to do business and engage in networking. With business and festival days, the permanent and extended demo area as well as new opening times, the organizers have clearly pointed the fair towards the future. In particular, the new test area behind the B Halls, which was open during the entire fair, generated a great deal of interest, as many retailers reported. Yet there were many critics, too: despite the great interest of presentations offered on the demo area for retailers, they did present a problem for exhibitors, who then had to double up on personnel. Some suppliers were no longer taking part in the trade fair and are now organising their own events. Often the exhibitors in attendance were not displaying their entire range, either. "The ZEG and BICO retailers associations are now opening their in-house shows to external visitors as well, which in turn is increasing the pressure in terms of time, and means that there will actually be 3 (!) trade fairs for the bicycle industry in 2017, according to Dietmar Knust, Chairman of the board of VDZ. There seems to be an unending flow of trade shows for retailers. From July through to September, retailers can literally spend the entire time travelling the length and breadth of Germany, visiting dozens of these in-house shows that are generally more like events. Few retailers have the time - let alone the personnel to do this during the season. As similar situation existed in the past - involving IFMA and Eurobike. Do we really want to recreate this? "The large number of in-house shows and Eurobike absentees is damaging the industry as a whole. Other industries are only too envious of our central, major trade show, said Tobias / 14

13 Hempelmann, board member of VDZ. We regard this as unacceptable, both for the manufacturer s point of view and that of the retailers. This is why the VDZ is unequivocally in favour of bringing together the industry s forces at the Eurobike. Having one show location guarantees a full overview of the industry s new products. In our opinion, it is important to exploit the opportunities for comparing products in one place. The show organisers have responded promptly to the criticism and refocused the concept: next year, Eurobike will be taking place from 30 August to 2 September 2017 with only one festival day. In 2018, the organisers will then be venturing into new territory by bringing the date of the show forward, with Eurobike taking place in mid-july. This measure is intended to allow the industry to close orders at an early stage. Then only retailers will be allowed access to the fair, and the public day will be abolished. By introducing these changes, the managers of Eurobike are hoping to reunite the industry s forces in one location. We are definitely in favour." Susanne Puello, Managing Director Winora Group: "The Winora Group welcomes the decision to move the Eurobike to an earlier date in 2018 and will be exhibiting its full brand portfolio with a major presence. Haibike, the global leader of eperformance bikes is also attending Eurobike Siegfried Neuberger, Managing Director Zweirad Industrie Verband (ZIV) - the German bicycle industry association: "The majority of ZIV members welcome the Eurobike 2017 concept, including shortening the duration of the show to / 14

14 four days. While bike and e-bike manufacturers see the July dates for 2018 as the right move, the components and accessories industry still has mixed feelings. However, the ZIV and all its members number one priority is to support the international Eurobike trade show and help prepare it for the future. Max Würdinger, Managing Director Zweirad Würdinger GmbH: "The Eurobike is an essential date on our calendar that allows us to prepare for the coming season. It s not in our interest to have to visit numerous individual events at manufacturers throughout the year. We want to be able to meet and inform ourselves about the latest innovations with as many of our partners as possible at Lake Constance. If this means coming in July from 2018, then we see this a good time to make decisions. Note to Editors: Characters (with spaces): In case of further questions please contact our press department. They will be glad to help you / 14

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