Moving to biennial schedule from 2028
Eurobike’s organizers used Media Day, on the eve of the show’s opening, to lay out where the event is headed next — and why, in a year of tight margins and rising costs, the industry still needs a room to gather in.
In a move that took many by surprise, Eurobike announced its plan to switch to a two-year cycle after the 2027 event. This means that Eurobike will be on hiatus in 2028 and will resume in 2029.
The news came a day after German industry associations revealed their plans for a rival international bicycle show in Cologne, which they are calling “Towards Tomorrow” and slated for September 6-8, 2027 — just days after Eurobike’s September 1-4 dates.
A change in the future project management for Eurobike was also announced: veteran event organizer Matthias Pietsch will step in as Show Director.
At the media event, Philipp Ferger, Managing Director of fairnamic GmbH, told press that the fair is being deliberately retooled around what exhibitors and buyers actually need from it. Around 800 exhibitors from 44 countries arrive in Frankfurt for the show’s run from June 24–27, with three trade-only days ahead of a public closer on the 27th.
The Numbers Behind the Handshakes
Personal contact isn’t a nostalgia play — it’s a survival strategy, according to fresh data presented by Dr. Ralf Deckers of IFH Köln. His team’s international survey paints a sober picture: seven in ten respondents expect procurement costs to climb further, six in ten see uncertainty deepening, and more than half are bracing for continued margin pressure. Geopolitics, Deckers noted, is doing a lot of that damage.
But the same survey found a counterweight. Even as cost lines get harder to predict, the channels people trust to navigate them haven’t changed much: 73 percent point to personal networks and 68 percent to direct supplier visits as the relationships that actually move business forward.
Women as a key driver of the industry’s future
A recent study by Women in Cycling Germany and IFH Köln shows that women are among the largest untapped sources of growth in the cycling industry. While the overall German market is expected to stagnate until 2030, a more targeted approach to female audiences could unlock additional revenue of up to 950 million euros. The decisive factor here is not so much new demand as the removal of existing access barriers. “The bicycle industry does not have a demand problem, it has an access problem. Those who focus less on technology and more on safety, comfort and everyday usability open up significant growth potential,” says Isabell Eberlein, Managing Director of Velokonzept and founder of Women in Cycling Germany. This creates significant additional revenue opportunities for companies in the bicycle industry.
Technological disruption is changing mobility
A forward-looking perspective was provided by Hannes Neupert, expert in EPACs and micromobility. In his view, the industry is entering a phase of technological transformation, comparable in significance to the major mobility revolutions of the early 20th century. Software will increasingly permeate all areas of mobility – from vehicle control and connectivity to service, maintenance and user experience. The distinction between hardware and software companies is fading more and more. At the same time, new vehicle categories, new mobility concepts and new requirements for regulation and product safety are emerging. Technological innovation needs to be explained, but also experienced firsthand. “Especially in an increasingly digitalized world, physical events are gaining in importance as they enable direct comparison of products, technologies and applications. However, it is not easy to present software as a core trade fair topic. This calls for a fundamentally new way of thinking,” Neupert said, in a strong appeal to all market participants.