What can exhibitors and trade visitors expect from the first ever Eurobike show to be held in Frankfurt am Main? This week, organizers fairnamic and Messe Friedrichshafen invited select media to take a sneak peek and learn about the current state of planning.
After more than three decades at the shores of Lake Constance, Eurobike’s move to Frankfurt on the Main is taking shape. Out of a total floor space of 380,000 square meters, the bicycle trade show plans to use 100,000 square meters in mid-July. For comparison: Friedrichshafen’s exhibition center offers a maximum of 80,000 square meters (including the Zeppelin hall). As Fairnamic’s general manager Stefan Reisinger explained, the show will be held in halls 8, 9, 11 and 12 at Messe Frankfurt.
These four halls are all part of the Messegelände West that features three separate entrances at the Portalhaus, the Galleria and the Torhaus respectively. This should help to eliminate long waits in the morning. Still, the Eurobike organisers strongly advise booking tickets online well in advance and also provide other information needed in time. One convenient feature are the covered gangways that connect the halls and that are dubbed “Via Mobile” by Messe Frankfurt. Very handy in inclement weather, and the circular hall arrangement cuts walking distances between the halls, unlike the linear layout of the halls in Friedrichshafen.
As the most modern exhibition hall in Frankfurt, Hall 12 offers a total exhibition space of 33,600 square meters on two floors. The show organisers are doing their best to put all exhibitors of complete bicycles on the ground level for convenience and easier logistics. The upper floor can be reached by delivery vehicles using a spiral ramp.
With a combined floor space of 24,000 square meters the neighboring Hall 11 is slightly smaller, and also features two floors. Since this hall does not have spiral ramps, goods have to be transported to the upper floor by a number of oversized service elevators. For this reason, Stefan Reisinger explains, the top level of Hall 11 is dedicated mostly to manufacturers of parts and components rather than complete bicycles.
Adjacent to the Galleria entrance, only the ground level of Hall 9 will be used for the Eurobike show, but that still adds another 14,000 square meters of exhibition space. The upper floors house meeting rooms and separate offices that can be used for clinics, press conferences or business meetings that require more privacy.
As the oldest hall of the Messegelände West used for Eurobike, Hall 8 is also the only building to offer natural lighting thanks to its skylights. With an exhibition space of 30,000 square meters on one single floor, this hall offers as much space as Friedrichshafen’s halls A3 to A7 combined.
This large space will be dedicated to cargo bikes, micro mobility solutions and exhibitors focussing on logistics and infrastructure. And it will also be hosting the start-up area and the Investor’s Lounge.
Due to its low ceilings fairnamic has decided not to use Hall 10. But the atrium of the Messegelände West offers plenty of space for shows, competitions and catering. After all the Eurobike 2022 will also feature two days for consumers. To trigger the interest of the local population, fairnamic is cooperating with the city of Frankfurt and local bicycle dealers to set up a “Eurobike Cycling Week” in the lead-up to the consumer days.
The biggest uncertainty for the show’s organisers is the Covid-19 pandemic, as fairnamic’s general manager Stefan Reisinger explains: “Travel restrictions are still in effect across the globe and in Far East in particular. There’s no way to tell if and to what extent those restrictions will be reduced or lifted come July so the trip to Frankfurt becomes a feasible option. For that reason we have no choice but to be very flexible in dealing with potential exhibitors.”
Martina Rumschick, project consultant Eurobike at fairnamic
Stefan Reisinger, general manager fairnamic
Franck Gauß, head of communications Messe Friedrichshafen