FRIEDRICHSHAFEN, Germany (BRAIN)–The numbers are in and for those who were at Eurobike, it will come as no surprise that attendance set a record. More than 34,280 exhibitors, buyers and retailers from 75 countries filled the halls during the three-day, trade-only segment of the show.
On Sunday, the show’s last day, almost 19,000 cycling enthusiasts swarmed the convention center to get a first-hand look at 2008 products. Helping boost the show’s international standing were 1,280 journalists from 32 countries. The show broke all records. "This show is the leading event in the bicycle industry," said Klaus Wellmann, Messe Friedrichshafen’s CEO. Overall, the numnber of trade-only visitors soared eight percent over last year, and the number of exhibitors was up five percent.
Partially explaining the attendance upsurge was an influx of buyers and retailers from Italy. With the Italian show now scheduled for mid-November, many Italian exhibitors said it’s too late and that Italians came to Eurobike to check out new products and place orders.
"In terms of the international character of the event, we've made significant gains," said Wellmann. "Manufacturers and brands from all sectors of the industry have made Friedrichshafen their main show.”
Even heavy rain on Eurobike’s first ever Outdoor Demo Day seemed to have little impact on visitors who took a 35-minute shuttle to the village of Eichenberg in the Vorarlberg region of Austria. Retailers, just like Interbike, checked out the latest model bikes and promptly got them muddy on trails in the area. Road-bike riders enjoyed excellent riding through the hilly terrain. "The mood was outstanding, despite the difficult weather conditions,” Wellmann said, noting that more than 1,000 dealers spent a day at the demo. —Marc Sani
