The International Motorcycle and Scooter Show at Birmingham’s NEC closed its doors yesterday after eleven days of the adrenalin fuelled biking entertainment which has seen more visitor interaction than ever before. Overall Show attendance dropped by 12% with final figures of 144,870 people passing through the doors. Show organisers have been extremely pleased with the initial feedback from exhibitors, as well as the response from the general public. The combination of the latest 2007 bikes from the top manufacturers, the presence of many of the biggest stars from motorcycle racing, and the chance to get on and ride one of the 100s of different bikes on offer, has made it another unique and hugely popular event.
This year’s Show has been more interactive than ever before, with the all-new Thunderdome Games Arena setting a new standard for live action motorcycle stunt shows - just one of the many features to have provided visitors with the opportunity to watch, ride on, and even learn about motorcycles at this year’s Show. A host of interactive features including the brand new Harley-Davidson V-Rod Experience, James Whitham’s ‘How to’ Stage, the Off-Road School, the Yamaha Super-Moto School, Bike Ride Out and many more, have consistently been over subscribed, with visitors queuing early to have a go on the bike of their dreams. Meanwhile the public has also been treated to one of the most impressive line-ups of new bikes from many of the world’s leading manufacturers. Models never before been seen in the UK included the Suzuki B-King, Yamaha YZF-R1, Triumph Tiger 1050 and the Honda CBR600RR, not to mention two world launches from UK manufacturer CCM, new models from Harley Davidson and Kawasaki, and the first ever bike launch by a Chinese manufacturer at the Show by Wuyang.
Other highlights for 2007 included the Bennetts British Superbike Awards which took place live on Wednesday 1st November on the Blackhorse Stage in front of thousands of cheering fans, and the heart stopping final round of the MotoGP Championship, played out live on the giant screen in the Arai Race Paddock. Some of the biggest names from the world of motorcycle sport have paid a visit to the Show, including World Superbike riders Troy Corser and James Toseland, MotoGP star Colin Edwards, British racing legend Carl Fogarty, and Bennetts British Superbike Championship winner and runner-up Ryuichi Kiyonari and Leon Haslam respectively.
Finlay McAllan, Managing Director of Show organisers MCI Exhibitions, acknowledged it is disappointing to have a lower attendance but was nevertheless delighted with the overall feedback from exhibitors:
“This year’s Show has given visitors an unparalleled combination of brand new bikes to see and interactive features to have a go on. Whilst it is disappointing to see visitor numbers drop, the reaction from exhibitors has been generally positive. We will be sending out research questionnaires to all exhibitors over the forthcoming weeks and are looking forward to receiving more feedback on the Show and working with every single exhibitor to improve the Show further for 2007. I would like to thank all of the exhibitors for their support this year in producing another superb showcase for the motorcycle industry”.
Exhibitors have also been expressing their feelings about the Show:Paul de Lusignan, Suzuki Marketing Manager:“We’ve been overwhelmed by interest in the B-King and GSX-R750 models and its been great to meet so many Suzuki enthusiasts. We are looking forward to an exciting 2007.”
Scott Grimsdall, Honda Media Relations Executive:“Its been a really busy year for us with lots of people showing interest in our new models and some great leads. The MCI have pulled off a fantastic Show again.”
Harley Stephens, Yamaha, Press and PR Co-ordinator:“We’ve had a very successful Show for 2006. The area with the supersport machines has been packed out and the days where we’ve had riders such as Colin Edwards on the stand have given us a major boost. Its also been great to get involved with the interactive features such as the Yamaha Supermoto School.”
Bruno Tagliaferri, Triumph UK Marketing:“The Show has been a great platform for our new Tiger model and we’ve had a lot of positive feedback. We’ve had a very high standard of customer despite the numbers being down.”
Tony Jakeman, BMW UK Marketing Manager:“Its been a great chance for us to preview our models for spring next year and we’ve had really good feedback on the new bikes, demonstrating that the product is perfectly suited to the British buyer.”
Tom Robinson, Harley-Davidson UK Marketing Manager:“The 2006 Show has been a huge success for Harley-Davidson and Buell UK. We’ve exhibited our two brand new European models to very positive feedback and we’ve completed more than 750 V-Rod experiences as part of the interactive Bike Ride Out feature.”
“We’ve had an excellent quality of visitor and look forward to next year’s Show” Henry Rivers-Fletcher, Oxford Products
Shaun Sisterson, KTM Managing Director: “From our point of view its been really great this year. Despite the figures being down, the stand has been bustling and we’ve had some really positive results.”
Rob Puttock, Infinity Motorcycles Managing Director: “Its been a successful Show, even with attendance down we’ve maintained sales by concentrating on quality product.”
The 2007 International Motorcycle and Scooter Show will take place at the Birmingham NEC from 25th October – 4th November.
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