The owners of the Germany's largest bike industry trade show — Eurobike — are planning to bring a similar show to the Pacific Northwest next September.
The announcement that Messe Friedrichshafen is launching the show in Portland is causing fear and loathing in Las Vegas, home for the annual Interbike International Bicycle Expo, which has been the nation's largest industry bike show.
While welcoming the competition, Interbike organizers VNU Expositions said Wednesday in a press release:
“We are also greatly concerned about the dividing effect Eurobike’s announcement may have on the industry. Many will remember the time when the industry suffered through multiple shows resulting in additional expense and heartache.”
That's the same point raised by Donna Tocci at bicycle marketing website Shut Up and Drink the Kool-Aid. Citing Interbike, Eurobike and Cycle Expo (Canada) all in September she asks, “Do you do four shows? That's a strain on personnel, not to mention finances.”
Jonathan Maus, the blogger at BikePortland who essentially “owns” the Portland bike scene, has jumped all over the bike show news and raises some issues regarding the new bike show launch.
First, it can't be as big as the Las Vegas show, because the 250,000 square-foot Oregon Convention Center is only a third of the size of the Sands Expo Center in Las Vegas. Second, he reports that Eurobike rep Erich Reiss lives in neighboring Hood River, which has plenty of mountain biking trails for the outdoor demo portion of the show.
Having a major bike show in Portland could be a great benefit to cyclists in the Northwest, especially if it's open to the public. Interbike isn't. That show is only for bike and component makers, buyers, retailers and the press. Eurobike, however, has a day when the general public can visit.
The Ready to Ride blog points out, however, that a casualty of the Eurobike blitzkreig is the decision by the Handmade Bicycle Show to ditch its plans to bring the show to Portland in 2008.
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