New partnership between trade show companies Messe Frankfurt and Messe Friedrichshafen focuses on innovative mobility

The Messe Frankfurt and Messe Friedrichshafen trade show companies are planning a new joint venture to strengthen their collective market position and further develop their leading trade shows in the fields of general aviation and urban mobility, the latter with bicycles as its driving force. The aim of the joint venture, to be known as fairnamic GmbH, will be to combine the performance capabilities of the two companies in order toaccompany the global mobility shift, particularly in urban areas, in its best way possible living up to be a truly global leading trade show. Eurobike is thus undergoing a comprehensive change of concept, which will include a relocation of the leading trade show from Lake Constance to Frankfurt starting in 2022.


It is an agreement that is unique to the industry, whereby the two companies will be intensifying their existing partnership based on the Aero South Africa and Eurobico trade shows by establishing a new joint venture company. Messe Friedrichshafen is now contributing its entire Aero and Eurobike brand clusters to Fairnamic, based on Lake Constance, while Messe Frankfurt is contributing financial resources, as well as the support of its global sales network. Both trade show companies are thus opening up new markets and target groups in high-potential mobility sectors.


Klaus Wellmann, CEO of Messe Friedrichshafen, is very optimistic about what the future holds: “Our partnership with Messe Frankfurt, an absolute heavyweight in the global trade show business, is another important step in our international expansion strategy. Through this merger, we are adding key building blocks to the value chain and earning capability of our bike and aviation events and creating first-class access to customers.”


Uwe Behm, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt, is also very pleased: “The transportation shift is now in full swing. The task now is to rapidly and robustly strengthen the market position of our two leading trade shows, Eurobike and Aero, and make them accessible to a broad audience. By founding Fairnamic, we are pooling our success factors of globality, strength, and speed to apply them to the bicycle, e-bike, micro-mobility, and general aviation markets of the future. This will expand our already-existing mobility competencies. Our new alliance is unique in the industry and is based on a long-standing trade show partnership where the personal chemistry between the stakeholders from Friedrichshafen and Frankfurt is second to none.”


Moving forward, the leading trade shows Aero and Eurobike will benefit from differing forms of international marketing measures, while taking place at the best location. Whereas Aero, with its direct access to the airport in Friedrichshafen, will continue to rely on the advantage of its industry-unique location, Eurobike will need a stronger connection to the growing themes of mobility transformation, especially in urban areas, to ensure optimal further growth. Thus, starting in 2022, the world’s leading trade show for the bicycle industry will move from Lake Constance to the inner-city exhibition center in Frankfurt am Main, one of Europe’s most populous metropolitan regions. Meanwhile, the freed-up Eurobike time slot at the Friedrichshafen site will open up additional opportunities to market it as a venue for new events.


Eurobike from 2022 onward
New dates, a new concept, and a new venue. Yet, one thing will remain the same: Eurobike’s team of organizers. Already, the team from Friedrichshafen is planning to move the Eurobike dates forward from late June to mid-July. Thus, Eurobike 2022 is to be held in Frankfurt from Wednesday, July 13 to Sunday, July 17, with the first three days reserved for the trade, followed by a festival weekend open to the general public. The ideal accessibility of this exhibition venue with its potential for growth in terms of floor space and numbers of participants offers a new starting point for an authentic staging and thematic expansion of the cycling mega-trend. “The bicycle is the driver that will give a real and, above all, sustainable boost to advances in mobility that are imminent worldwide. We’re convinced that with Fairnamic we are building a foundation that will elevate the flagship show along with its Eurobike brand cluster to a new level in the future,” says Stefan Reisinger, Head of Eurobike.


The future of Eurobike is already receiving prominent political support. The two cities’ mayors and the supervisory board chairmen of both trade show companies also regard Fairnamic as the right step. Frankfurt mayor Peter Feldmann explains: “Cycling will be a real theme of the future. Climate protection and the transportation shift are at the very top of our agenda. Eurobike will be a beacon in a city that is preparing to put cycling at the center of its debate on transport policy. I can't imagine a more authentic location.” Andreas Brand, Friedrichshafen mayor, states: “The second-best solution is the best solution. That’s the best way to sum up Eurobike’s change of venue in terms of its further development and, above all, from the point of view of the Friedrichshafen trade show location. By establishing Fairnamic, the trade fair companies and their municipalities have ensured that the event formats can continue to grow, both domestically and internationally. In addition, we're hoping for new synergies for the trade show business at the Friedrichshafen location, from which the exhibition center and the city will continue to benefit going forward.” Tarek Al-Wazir, Minister for Economic Affairs, Energy, Transport and Housing of the State of Hessen explains: “Everyone will benefit from Eurobike’s relocation to Frankfurt – the bicycle industry, the mobility sector, the cyclists, and – last but not least – the the trade show companies. And, in the end, Frankfurt’s business community and climate-friendly mobility, as well.”


Burkhard Stork, President of the German Bicycle Industry Association (Zweirad-Industie-Verband), says: “I’m sure that with these changes, Eurobike will remain the world’s leading bicycle trade show in the future.” Bernhard Lange, CEO, Paul Lange & Co.: “Needless to say, I have fond memories of Friedrichshafen, but in a rapidly changing world, which also pertains to the bicycle, the future of this leading trade show lies in Frankfurt. Team Shimano is looking forward to it.” Claus Fleischer, CEO of Bosch eBikes Systems, likewise puts it in a nutshell: “Eurobike in Frankfurt? We’ll be there."


What does the future hold for Aero?
Just as Eurobike will ensure an optimum location by moving to Frankfurt in 2022, Aero will do the same – by remaining in Friedrichshafen. “It’s the cradle of aviation and it offers the best logistics for holding a leading trade show for general aviation,” says Roland Bosch, Head of Aero. “And we’re now excited about prospects for further growth. Our alliance with Messe Frankfurt will significantly increase our opportunities to internationalize Aero both at the Friedrichshafen location and globally. We will also continue to promote innovation and future-oriented topics, such as the sustainability of aviation, e-flight, and new mobility.”