Bringing the Worlds Together - INTERMOT 2022
Following the change of show management, with Alexander Wolff taking over as the Director of INTERMOT, Koelnmesse, the Cologne, Germany International Exhibition Centre that stages and hosts INTERMOT for the German Motorcycle Industry Association (IVM,) has not only reconfirmed that the 2022 expo is going ahead, but released a detailed plan of initiatives that are intended to reboot the show and get momentum back into the event after what will, by October 2022, have been a massive four-year gap since the prior iteration.
In fact, there never has been any real doubt that INTERMOT would be back, when it was safe to do so, but the motorcycle industry loves a good rumour! In that time, former long-time Director Ingo Riedeberger has taken up the challenge to organise Koelnmesse's new urban mobility and future transport initiative polisMobility (May 2022).
Riedeberger had successfully re-established the industry's German show at its Cologne spiritual home after the decision to end the old IFMA and move to Munich in 1998, with the then newly conceived INTERMOT backed by a rebuilt domestic trade association structure.
Wolff joined Koelnmesse in 2006, just as INTERMOT "came home" and has gathered extensive international expo experience since then as Director of CCXP COLOGNE (among other projects), which he will continue to lead.
1,000 exhibitors from 40 countries
With his personal passion for motorcycling (yes, the INTERMOT Show Director is an Aprilia Dorsoduro 900 owner and self-confessed Supermoto enthusiast), he brings a detailed knowledge of the industry to his new role. In his career to date at Koelnmesse, Wolff has proven himself as a sales manager and contributed to the success of well-attended trade fairs with a strong event feel.
His is the task to now plan the next steps in INTERMOT’s further development and address a complex matrix of issues, not least the Covid enforced gap in INTERMOT's customary biennial frequency and the impact that the pandemic has had on exhibitor and visitor expectations.
At this stage, Wolff is projecting around 1,000 exhibitors from 40 countries, and if prior patterns are anywhere near repeated, there will be visitors (trade and otherwise) from over 100 different countries.
worlds of experience and new themes
The rider attendance is the big variable though, but as has been seen elsewhere recently, there remains a public demand and enthusiasm for opportunities to see and feel the metal at close quarters - motorcycling has retained its visceral appeal and emotional connection - and with 53,000 trade visitors and 220,400 visitors in total in 2018 - and a typically northern European riding style crowd of genuine and genuinely high mileage riders - there is no reason, at this stage, to assume that total numbers will not at least approach the 200,000 mark a year from now.
As recent events have shown, reports of the demise or demand for, and attendance at mainstream motorcycle industry expos, have been greatly exaggerated!
world of 125 cc
For 2022 Wolff and the huge support and services team he can draw on at Koelnmesse are planning a wide range of initiatives that will go a long way towards reimagining the event's ability to "speak to" young target groups, and to target consumer groups with not, as yet, established affinity for two-wheelers. The potential to do so in Germany (of all markets) is huge with the PTW opportunities for Generation Y 'Millennials' due to the B196 driving licence, and massive potential for younger (1997-2010) Generation Z 'Centennial' consumers with smaller, agile 50 cc or 125 cc machines.
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| Alexander Wolff, Director of INTERMOT, a self-confessed Supermoto fan. |
Koelnmesse is positioning INTERMOT as a trade fair for bikers of all ages though, and, importantly, as a "technology platform for innovations and as a platform for the mobility concepts of today and tomorrow." Wolff sees INTERMOT showcasing "worlds of experience and new themes" as well as being a primary "motorcycle industry purchasing platform for the national and international specialised trade".
A newly imagined showcase for "products and solutions for eMobility, new technologies and smart safety components" will propel the meaning of INTERMOT into the future.
Additionally, there will be a "World of 125 cc" to attract younger target groups and to inspire owners of driving licences and target groups with no affinity for two-wheelers (B196) with displays and test ride opportunities for the motorcycle industry's "entire product range (vehicles) in this segment - the world's largest test centre".
Of major significance and interest to aftermarket vendors will be the "SHOP@INTERMOT" initiative whereby "product purchase opportunities will offer visitors added value and incentive". Orders from exhibiting vendors for new 2023 season products will be channelled through the vendor's nearest dealer to the buyer.
"This will have a positive effect on the ordering behaviour of the exhibitor's specialist dealers and give customers the opportunity to start the season with guaranteed new product deliveries through pre-orders at the show."
Another 'out of box' initiative will be a "World of Parcours" feature - "with three test courses as impulse generators for purchase decisions for big bikes, e-bikes (motorbikes), 125 cc+ driving without a licence, e-scooters and scooters.
There will be a "World of Touring" feature with comprehensive presentations on the subject of touring, inclusion of test rides in the course, and the expansion of existing 'product worlds'.
