Who are the mountain bikers of the future, and how does the bike industry reach these new customers?
The 2024 IMBA Europe Summit is all about new markets and growth for mountain biking. By focusing on the areas around towns and cities the summit will address the 300 million EU citizens who live in cities, towns and suburbs, 75% of the population. The bike industry will be well represented as leading MTB brands gather to look at how the industry can both grow and encourage new riders onto their bikes and out onto trails.
“MOUNTAIN BIKING IN PERI-URBAN AREAS” will take place on 22-24 May in Mödling, just south of Vienna, bordering the south-western part of the Wienerwald.
With 2 million people in the greater Vienna area the location is perfect to discuss how urban and peri-urban residents access the countryside, and what activities they take up when they arrive.
April Marshke, E-bike Business Leader at Specialized supports this year’s theme. “The IMBA summit is the perfect platform for the industry to speak further about inclusivity and becoming part of a larger move toward diversity in the outdoors. Creating the infrastructure alongside urban areas is a great way to break down barriers to access for marginalized groups. I encourage brands to join the summit and especially women to help bring new perspectives to these conversations.”
Sessions to look out for include: E-MTB as a game changer, Women in MTB, Inclusive and Sustainable Trails, Innovation, Trail Advocacy and Offroad Schools cycling programmes.
Petr Ladman, General Manager at WTB Europe says “The IMBA Europe Summit is unique. I encourage every brand to attend for a deeper knowledge exchange than any other event for mountain biking in Europe. Here we get a blend of industry, trail developers, governments and community that gives me real insight into the ways we can influence our market development”
A two-day educational conference and a unique opportunity, the IMBA Summit combines keynote speeches from opinion leaders with workshops, site visits, panel discussions and social activities, including daily rides. Anybody working or active in the MTB sector are encouraged to register, especially industry leaders looking for insights into market growth and opportunities to network with other companies.
Director of Advocacy and Industry Partnerships for SRAM, Rob Cappucci, stresses the collaborative opportunities for companies at the event. “The IMBA Europe Summit is a great opportunity for industry players to gather and learn from each other as collaborators, not competitors. We all share the same goal of getting more riders on trails. The Summit helps us focus on that goal, and reminds us that when we work together, we all win.”
This is also a very appropriate time to be in Austria as the government takes its first steps towards a national mountain biking strategy, opening up the potential of a country that has previously had highly restricted access to trails. This will be an important theme of the conference, bringing together local experts with international thought leaders in the sector.
The IMBA Europe Summit 2024 is supported by the Cycling Industries Europe Mountain Bike Interest Group, whose members include Wilderness Trail Bikes (WTB), SRAM, Specialized, Trek, Selle Royal, EightPins, Decathlon, Shimano, BluBrake and Shimano.
To register for the IMBA Europe 2024 Summit click here
To learn more about the CIE Mountain Bike Interest group contact info(at)cyclingindustries.com
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