The new trade fair is an initiative of Dutch trade publication NieuwsFiets, owned by father and son Arnauld and Rick Hackmann, who are no strangers to trade shows in the cycling industry. They not only attended numerous shows over the years, but also successfully organised a trade show for multiple years, focused specifically on Dutch and Belgian retail. The success of that event led multiple people to approach them with the question whether they wanted to organise an international trade show. Reason enough for the Dutchmen to organise a new international OEM event in Amsterdam.
The idea
That idea had been in the back of their minds for quite some time and this spring they seized the opportunity. “When we were driving home from Eurobike last year, we started discussing the idea again. For international trade, there are two major fairs: Taipei Cycle Show and Eurobike, but Eurobike has lost that status in recent years. At the same time we felt there was a need for an international meeting point for the OEM side of the cycling industry, especially in the autumn. At first we didn’t want to organise that because we had more than enough to do as it was. But we kept on hearing that other people shared our thoughts and that they wanted us to organise an event like this. That’s when we decided to try to organise the CycleExpo Amsterdam,” explains Arnauld Hackmann.
OEM and networking event
The new show has a very clear focus: it is aimed completely at OEM business. Although shop owners won’t be stopped at the doors, it won’t be a show for them, says Hackmann. “We’ve had a few bike brands approach us about exhibiting, but we explained that it would be much more relevant for them to attend the event as visitors rather than as exhibitors. Of course we want to rent out the space, but it’s much more important to us to create an event that is relevant rather than big.”
For the event, the organisers are holding on to their tried and tested concept from the ‘B2B FESTIVAL’, which they host annually in the Netherlands. That means a full-service exhibition, where there is no need for the exhibitors to build their own booths. The prices for exhibitors include a printed backdrop and a desk. Ahead of the event, brands will be able to rent add-ons such as decoration, cabinets, a lounge set or other items. Simply put: exhibitors just need to get to the industry event and bring their products, all the rest is taken care of.
That simplicity is one of the key factors that, according to Hackmann, creates a certain level of accessibility. Booths will be available in four different sizes, with the most expensive costing €8,250. “Of course you need to account for travel and hotel costs, but we believe we can still offer quite an affordable trade fair this way. The event will be free to attend for visitors, because we really want to create value for our exhibitors and motivate people from the industry to come. We’re also looking at side events, such as a happy hour, because we want this to be a networking event as well.”
Reflection of the industry
CycleExpo Amsterdam will take place from the 6th until the 8th of October. Shortly after NieuwsFiets announced the new trade fair, Taichung Bike Week moved its event to the same date. Hackmann considers it unfortunate, but not an obstacle. “We know and see there are many OEMs in Europe that don’t have the time and financial means to travel to Taichung, so we hope we to create an event they are willing to attend. At the same time, we hope to attract a mix of Western and Asian companies, because we want it to be representative of the industry.”
So far, the first exhibitors are aligned with that wish, with brands such as Schwalbe, Universal Transmission, Velo, Bafang, KMC, Ananda, Ursus, Marwi, Busch + Müller, Hebie Group, Gates and Tubolito. The coming weeks, the organisers hope to see the list grow further. “On the first of October we’re going to decide definitely whether there’s enough interest to organise the event. We’re really positive, but we hope to add some more exhibitors to the list and create a major OEM meeting place for the bike industry.”
This article is sponsored by CycleExpo Amsterdam.
