The Motorcycle World Comes To Milan
[dropcap]S[/dropcap]ince 1914, the EICMA show in Milan has been the Mecca of the motorcycle industry. Originally known as the Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo e Accessori the show celebrated its 100th anniversary and changed its name to Esposizione Mondiale del Motociclismo a couple of years ago since the focus is on motorcycles rather than bicycles these days. What hasn’t changed is the fact that this is the grandaddy of all motorcycle trade shows. With more than 1,400 exhibitors, half a million attendees and more than 4 million square meters of exhibit space, the Italian show really is king of Mondiale del Motociclismo!
“Once again this year, EICMA is poised to be the richest, the most interesting and the most widely appreciated event in the universe of motorcycling,” says EICMA Chairman Antonello Montante. Going with the global view, Montante adds, “EICMA can and must trigger virtuous circles to support the recovery of an industry, which has the potential to play a pivotal role in the growth of the country’s economy, as it did in the past.”
Europe is showing signs of recovery, with a 4% increase tallied in 2015. Italy was ahead of the curve last year, up 6.4%, thanks to improving motorcycle sales and a good showing by scooters. The number of mopeds and motorbikes in use in Europe is roughly 36 million units, 8.5 million of them in Italy alone. This helps reinforce the global importance of the Milan show and explains why nearly 50,000 industry professionals for 100+ countries are already pre-registered for EICMA.
By comparison, INTERMOT in its current guise only goes back to 1998 when the show changed its name from IFMA to INTERMOT and moved from Cologne to Munich for a couple years. However, INTERMOT moved back to Cologne and is back on a bi-annual schedule as it was for the better part of 50 years when EICMA used to be held in alternating years with IFMA/INTERMOT in Germany.
If you have never attended either of these international trade fairs, you need to discover EICMA 2016! The world’s biggest motorcycle event is set for November 10-13, 2016 in Milan, Italy. Get all the details for the 74th (now annual) Esposizione Mondiale del Motociclismo at www.eicma.it
