Challenging climbs and daring descents
EUROBIKE DEMO DAY a red letter day for the industry
While the “Do not touch” rule is still a common feature of many trade shows, it’s never been a favorite at EUROBIKE (September 1 to 4, 2010). And since EUROBIKE DEMO DAY (August 31, 2010) was launched three years ago by the world’s leading bicycle industry trade show, trade visitors haven’t only been touching the bikes, they have been putting them to the test in the scenic surroundings of the grandiose Allgäu Alps.
If you drew a sketch of the ideal bike testing course, you’d likely end up with the one that already exists at the Argenbühl climatic spa in Germany’s picturesque Allgäu region, located next to the Allgäu Alps. Its many narrow, largely untravelled roads not only offer cyclists an athletic challenge, but the setting is a real treat for the senses.
Even for e-bikers, it’s a fantastic experience. And hidden in the shaded woods are superb single trails for mountain bikers, featuring every level of difficulty in terms of challenging climbs, daring descents and laid-back cross-country tours.
There is likely no other trade show location in Germany with a biking range of this quality right at its doorstep. So, for many in the bike industry, it’s a extra stroke of luck that the world’s leading bike trade show happens to be located in the tri-national area of Lake Constance, one of Central Europe’s most beautiful regions. Launched in Friedrichshafen in 1991, EUROBIKE initially served as a specialized trade show for the fledgling mountain bike scene. Since then, it has become the leading international bike trade show, representing the cycling industry’s entire range of products and services and all of their relevant providers.
This year and for the fourth time, Messe Friedrichshafen will also invite retailers and the media to take part in EUROBIKE DEMO DAY, taking place the day before EUROBIKE begins. In many respects, the bike industry works a little differently from other industries, most obviously in terms of the high degree of personal identification with the product. Many bike dealers aren’t just dedicated salespeople; more than anything else, they’re enthusiastic cyclists themselves. So it’s no surprise that EUROBIKE DEMO DAY is a red letter day in the calendars of industry insiders.
Industry feedback about EUROBIKE DEMO DAY:
Thorsten Larschow, Specialized Dealer from Cuxhaven, Germany (Rad & Tour)
“In the first place, EUROBIKE DEMO DAY is an awful lot of fun for us, but our experiences there also immediately impact our purchasing decisions. Last year, in addition to racing bikes and mountain bikes, I also tested the e-bikes of various manufacturers. And of those, I was, for example, particularly impressed by the hybrid line from Riese und Müller. Beforehand, these bikes weren’t even on my radar, but based on that experience, they’re now in our product range.”
Oliver Hensche, CEO, Giant Deutschland
“EUROBIKE DEMO DAY is primarily used by us at Giant as a platform to present our products to the international trade press. We’re there with our entire test fleet, which is very much in demand by the media that day. For the media, EUROBIKE DEMO DAY isn’t only a worthwhile addition to the trade show; it’s a welcome location and first opportunity to photograph the bikes ahead of the new season.”
Jens Haug, Brand Manager, Cannondale
“For us, EUROBIKE DEMO DAY is an especially important date and a super addition to the trade show. It allows us to offer Cannondale dealers their first opportunity to test our products before things turn to business matters on the following trade show days. But also in terms of speaking to other prospective dealers, the informal atmosphere of DEMO DAY is ideal.”
Stefan Scheitz, Marketing Director, Sport Import and Felt
“For Felt, DEMO DAY is a chance for trade press editors and dealers to ride the new products. We think that’s a really valuable opportunity, since you can’t properly assess a bike’s quality unless you actually put it to the test yourself. Also, at Sport Import we offer a wide range of accessories of well-known brands. So in that sense, it’s also an ideal platform for our retail and media partners to experience the latest product innovations.”
EUROBIKE DEMO DAY will be held on August 31, 2010 from 10 AM to 5 PM on the grounds of Ratzenried School in Argenbühl. It will be open to trade visitors and journalists who have registered in advance. There will be several shuttle bus runs from the exhibition grounds in Friedrichshafen to Argenbühl.
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