BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
The new Professional day for the huge NEC-set consumer Gadget Show Live got the thumbs up from exhibiting bike firms.
Gadget Show Live Professional took place on Tuesday April 12th and saw a number of cycle brands appear to take advantage of the wide ranging trade contacts at the show – and the huge consumer footfall of the consumer days.
This year the show’s public days attracted a record 104,759 visitors – a 50 per cent increase on 2010, with around 20,000 visiting each day. A further 4,735 trade attended the first GSL Professional day.
E-Lifestylebikes, PogoCycles, Create Bikes, Pacific Europe, Bicygnals and Big Cat were among the exhibitors.
"It was very busy with every day sold out and the trade day on Tuesday brought a number of solid enquiries,” Bicygnals Robert Dickman told BikeBiz. “The Indicators proved very popular with consumers and the launch of the Angel Helmet generated loads of interest."
Pacific Europa unveiled its line of bikes to the UK at GSL. MD Juan Marquez explained: “We have just ended a very successful launch at the Gadget Show Live with over 800 people riding our bikes and over 1,000 requesting to find out more via email.”
Pacific has recently picked up an Innovation and Design Award nomination from Conde Nast for the Pacific iF Mode and said it will be selling its bikes directly via www.folding-bikes.com and through folding bike experts Fudges CycleStore.
The appeal of the Gadget Show Live attracted a number of celebrities to the bike stands, including the show’s own presenters. Create Bikes director Jaz Walia told BikeBiz: “The show was really fantastic, our stand was mobbed. We had a few celebrities – like Jason Bradbury and Ortis Deley – visit our stand and are ordering the new 2011 range. Doug Richard from Dragon’s Den wanted one for himself and his son. We also held a prize draw to win a new 2011 create bike – with more than 3,000 entrants.”
Carl Tatum, Pogocycle director added: “We only really intended to go to promote brand awareness but orders were very strong. Sincerely speaking, the Gadget Show Live was just brilliant. All the visitors showed real enthusiasm for the event as a whole, it was a great day out.”
Tatum added: “As far as BigBMX was concerned, we had an amazing week meeting many new people who simply ‘had to have one’. We spoke of the kudos attached to the BigBMX since our sponsored rider won his race series last year in the Southwest region – testimony to the fact that the bike is very quick and extremely tough. Furthermore, our 2011 bikes have tougher wheels too, using Double-Wall AlexRims TA20s which should last a lifetime as a daily-use city bike.
“Our new line of ‘LittleBMX’ balance bikes were fun too, we left them at ground level and watched almost every toddler make a beeline for the bike as soon as it caught their eye. Our products sold themselves well to the show visitors and I didn’t hesitate to sign up for the same place, same time next year.”
Another firm using the show for a launch was E-lifestylebikes, introducing the Grace range to the UK and promoting Elmoto. The range is German built, featuring high-torque performance of an electric hub motor.
Stephen Nash, UK business manager for E-lifestylebikes, told BikeBiz: “The reaction to the products both at the stand and the test-track was amazing.
“For me the show was an opportunity to show the public that there are alternative ways to travel other than the conventional car, moped or bike and at a cost from as little as 1p/mile. The reaction to our products was beyond our expectations; this gives us a solid platform for introducing Elmoto and Grace throughout the UK.”
Next year’s Professional day will be on April 9th, with the consumer show running straight afterwards from 10th to 15th. www.gadgetshowlive.net
