There are many opinions expressed about the latest edition of the Madrid International Bike Fair. And we would like to contribute our point of view as exhibitors in the cycle tourism area.
The fourth edition of Unibike arrived at the fairgrounds IFEMA Madrid, from September 21 to 24, with the aim of evolving towards a more active fair model – according to its own organizers – with a greater range of content and promoting product testing. And we can say that this has been half fulfilled, because although the bicycle test and exhibition area, located outside the pavilions, has been one of the most successful, with a large influx of public, it has not We can say the same about the promised greater content offering. Or, at least, as far as bicycle brands are concerned.
As is happening in other sector fairs (see Eurobike), fewer and fewer brands are deciding to opt for this bicycle stand/exhibitor format, especially because at this point the big manufacturers have already presented their 2018 new products to the media (and therefore, the final public already know) and they have practically already established their bicycle programming in stores for next year.
Those who continue to attend these types of events (at Unibike we were able to see Canyon, Trek, BMC, KTM, MMR, BH, Bianchi, De Rosa, Focus, Lapierre, Commençal…and little else, along with other notables in the sector such as Shimano, Mavic and Oakley) they do it more than anything for a matter of image and brand presence, but not because their final sales depend on whether or not they attend these types of fairs. How long will you continue to attend? Well, we assume that until the income statements do not add up and expenses have to be cut.
This does not mean that the pavilion where the main brands in the sector were located was devoid of professional activity. Perhaps there was less 'fuss' due to having one more day of the fair, but there were meetings and encounters, we can attest to that. Even so, Both manufacturers and fair institutions, in general, should sit down to rethink a fair model that seems stagnant.
The opposite happens with the e-bikes, which have become another range from each of the manufacturers, and not just three or four isolated models. As we already saw in Eurobike, the electric trend is more than just a fashion and is here to stay, revolutionizing the concept we had of the bicycle until now and multiplying its possibilities of use to a very wide spectrum of the public.
Another good news about this Unibike, at least for us, is the highest activity recorded in the area intended for cycle tourism, where we were. A complete program of presentations and conferences, together with the presence with their own stands of territories that are committed to cycle tourism such as Catalonia, Aragon, Castilla y León, Galicia, Madrid, Valencian Community, Murcia, Canary Islands, Euskadi, Extremadura and Andalusia, have made Unibike pavilion 14 the pleasant surprise of the fair.
We ourselves take advantage of these days to carry out a fruitful work day with some of the territories in which Bikefriendly Consulting is working, such as the Community of Madrid (Ciclamadrid), Provincial Council of Barcelona, Provincial Council of Cáceres and the Mancomunitat de l'Alcoia i el Comtat (Alicante), as well as to present the collaboration agreement signed between Zone Zero Aínsa y Bikefriendly Tours, and which makes us the official travel agency of this famous mountain bike destination.
There were also many accommodations, companies and territories that stopped by our stand to ask us 'what they had to do to be Bikefriendly'. And, even though we attended the fair with a pre-established meeting agenda, we had to multiply on numerous occasions to be able to serve everyone. We just hope that no one was left without a response.
Special mention for all candidates #BikefriendlyAmbassador who stopped by to visit us personally, some of them even with resumes in hand. It's nice to see how there are people as passionate as we are about the bicycle and everything that surrounds it. You will hear from us very soon. Thank you very much to all.
Photos: Miguel Muñoz Romero
