The ‘majors’ may be over for another year (two years in the case of INTERMOT), but with the debut of ‘INTERMOT Customized’ showing that there is vibrancy on the biggest of stages.
However, the next three or four months now see a number of the smaller European markets and specialty events take their moment in the spotlight as we head into 2017.
The new year kicks-off with the popular UK Dealer Expo at Stoneleigh, near Coventry in England, opening its doors for the 22nd time for three days from Sunday January 15 to Tuesday 17.
With new motorcycle registrations growing quickly in the UK, the past four years are said to have seen an average of 3,800 visitors representing some 1,800 UK motorcycle industry businesses. With research showing that 89 percent of all show visitors are decision makers, with 80 percent of them going there to do business, it is no wonder that a massive 91 percent of 2016 exhibitors said they planned to return in 2017.
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| The UK Dealer Expo is Europe's largest Dealer specific show. It averages 3,800 visitors, representing some 1,800 businesses, 89 percent of who are said to be buying "decision makers"; at the time of going to press IDN was told that exhibit space is already sold out for 2017, with 6 weeks to go until the show opens on January 15th, 2017 |
The Expo is some 30 minutes away from Birmingham International Airport and at the heart of the UK motorway network
www.motorcycle-expo.com
A week later Moto Bike Expo (MBE) will fill four halls at the Verona Expo Centre in northern Italy from Friday January 20 to Sunday 22. A combined custom and ‘mainstream’ consumer expo, “Verona” has seen attendance grow ever since its move from Padua in 2009. www.motorbikeexpo.it
At the end of January, Sweden’s annual show, MC-Massan, returns to the capital Stockholm (26 to 29 January 2017) in its biennial rotation with Gothenburg. www.mcmassan.se
Meanwhile, in the United States, the annual specialty V-Twin Expo will take place at its usual downtown exhibition centre venue in Cincinnati, Ohio (Saturday January 28 and Sunday 29. www.vtwin-expo.com
Billed as “The Only Show of its Kind”, which it is - as the only independently owned and operated dealer show for the Harley-Davidson aftermarket and custom v-twin parts and accessory industry – it is nonetheless a crowded few weeks for motorcycle dealers of all kinds in the United States with the market’s two major parts and accessory distributors holding their own dealer shows in February: Tucker Rocky/Bikers Choice are playing host to their dealers in Texas on Wednesday 8 and Thursday 9 of February, and just 10 days later Parts Unlimited/Drag Specialties set up shop at the RCA Dome, Indianapolis, Saturday 18 and Sunday 19 February.
In fact, that weekend are at least three motorcycle industry events in play that we know of, with the annual MCN Show (as it is known) taking place at the Excel Expo Centre in East London from January 17 to 19 www.mcnmotorcycleshow.com and the excellent Swiss Moto being staged at Zurich from February 16 to 19 www.swiss-moto.ch; the following weekend it is the chance for Dutch riders to join in the fun with Motorbeurs, the largest motorcycle show in The Netherlands, taking place from 23 to 25 January at Utrecht www.motorbeursutrecht.nl
Highlights in March and April include (but are not limited to!) the biennial Carole Nash Irish Motorbike & Scooter Show, taking place at Dublin, Ireland, from March 3 to 5
www.irishmotorbikeshow.com; MotoSalon, Prague, March 2 to 5 www.pvv.cz; Moto Days, Rome, March 9 to 12 www.motodays.it; Daytona Bike Week, Florida, USA, March 10 to 19
www.officialbikeweek.com
MotoMadrid from March 24 to 26 www.salonmotomadrid.com; Tokyo Motorcycle Show, March 24 to 26 www.motorcycleshow.org; InaBike, Jakarta, Indonesia, March 29 to April 1 www.inabike.net; Motorcycle Taiwan, 20 to 23 April www.motorcycletaiwan.com.tw
