FRANKFURT (BRAIN) — Eurobike will become a biannual event after next year, the latest change with the long-running trade show that's experiencing growing apathy within the industry.
The change was announced at the 34th annual event that will end Saturday. This year's show, featuring three trade-only days before opening to the public Saturday, has about 800 exhibitors from 44 countries.
The news came after German industry associations announced this week plans for a rival international bicycle show in Cologne — Towards Tomorrow — that will debut next year on Sept. 6-8. Eurobike, which announced last month that its 2027 show will return to its traditional early fall place on the calendar, will occur Sept. 1-3. Eurobike organizers said it will return to a more B2B show while attracting more leading bike brands.
Last year's show lacked some major brand exhibitors and attendance was down slightly, which the organizers attributed to a recovering bike market in Germany. They said shortening the consumer festival will reduce exhibitor costs and return focus to the trade.
Eurobike also named Matthias Pietsch show director this week, a new position created in January when Philipp Ferger replaced Stefan Reisinger as the event’s leader.
In yet another change, Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH and Messe Friedrichshafen said in May they would separate from their joint venture Fairnamic GmbH. Messe Frankfurt assumes decision-making authority over Eurobike, with Messe Friedrichshafen working to develop the Aero aviation trade show.
Show organizers said in January they were optimistic about continued talks with Germany's two bicycle trade groups that announced last year that they no longer would support the show. Shimano Europe, which said in April it would attend this year's show after all, is the longtime partner of the German distributor Paul Lange, whose managing partner, Bernhard Lange, is a board member of the ZIV trade group that pulled its support from Eurobike last year. Other major exhibitors, including Bosch and Schwalbe, also withdrew.
Eurobike announced the e-mobility event Mobifuture at last June's show. Mobifuture was planned to be held at the same venue as Eurobike over the same dates, with a single entry ticket. In October, the two German trade groups pulled their support, saying in part that Mobifuture would be a distraction from Eurobike's focus on the traditional bike market. In November, Eurobike organizers said they would not hold the e-mobility event after all.
