THIS year sees the 'Paris Show' return to the French capital's much re-modelled primary exhibition centre at Porte de Versailles from December 1st - 6th 2015.
The Salon de la Moto, Scooter, Quad et Equipement (to give it its full title) is staged every other year, alternating with INTERMOT and Cologne, Germany, and after being cancelled during the depths of the recession is now continuing to build back its audience and working hard to attract young riders in particular.
France in general, and Paris in particular, have become notoriously difficult markets for the motorcycle industry in regulatory terms, despite regulators there being exposed to several well-researched projects that point to the congestion, emissions and journey time reduction advantages of PTWs for urban mobility.
Of all of Europe's "big five" motorcycle markets, the French market continues to languish with the best hope for 2015 being that dealers there continue to see a slow-down in market decline followed by some stabilisation in 2016.
With that being the hope, the primary motorcycle manufacturers, parts and accessory importers and distributors, and the small but high-quality domestic French component and apparel manufacturing and brand owning community, is expected to come out in force for the show.
There appears to be positive market sentiment and attitude - Thierry Archambault, the Deputy Chairman of the CSIAM (the International Automobile and Motorcycle association in France), says that "the two-wheel manufacturers, members of CSIAM, are working relentlessly to promote the show, so two-wheel fans can discover the many great new motorcycle and scooter models and parts, accessory and apparel programmes that will be launched for 2016.
The latest data available from CSIAM (January - April 2015) show that the total number of motorcycles, scooters and Quads/ATVs sold in France stood at 58,851 units, down by -4.0 percent over the first four months of 2014.
However, motorcycles and scooters of all displacements were down by only 2.7 percent (48,415 units); better still sales of motorcycles over 500 cc were approximately level with the first four months of last year, at just over 30,000 units, meaning that the prospects for a successful show and better business environment for the industry in France in 2016 are good.
The show is open to the public for six days, with Monday November 30th and Tuesday December 1st (through to 4:00 pm) reserved for trade and press visitor admittance.
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