ALBERT BALCELLS: “THE EURO MOBILITY FESTIVAL HAS HUGE POTENTIAL”

The Euro Mobility Festival was created within Sea Otter Europe Costa Brava Girona by Continental and, year after year, it grows and consolidates its own image.

It has grown thanks to Sea Otter Europe Costa Brava Girona by Continental

The Euro Mobility Festival is a festival dedicated to the world of sustainable mobility. It is held in Girona on the same dates and at the same venue as Sea Otter Europe and, in this 3rd edition, seeks to further consolidate its own proposal after growing by taking advantage of the pull of Sea Otter Europe itself. We spoke to Albert Balcells, CEO of Ocisport (the company organising the event) about the Euro Mobility Festival’s growth potential and characteristics.

“It is already creating its own personality”

There is no doubt that Sea Otter Europe (SOE) is a bike festival that works. It does so in every way. The sport, the public attendance, the exhibitors’ interest, the bike testing… year after year it has been growing and it is clear that it is already one of the events that the cycling brands have marked in their diaries as a must-attend event. Sea Otter Europe’s own expansion has led to a wider variety of brands wanting to attend the festival. Sustainable mobility has been one of the sectors on the rise in recent years, a topic that also fits in perfectly with Girona, the host city of Sea Otter Europe, as a pioneering city that is aware of the need to promote sustainable mobility.

The Euro Mobility Festival was created two years ago in response to the growing interest of the brands. The response from exhibitors and the public has been very positive and it is clear that there is huge potential in this field: “Sea Otter Europe Costa Brava Girona by Continental is already doing very well. The Euro Mobility Festival has grown alongside the SOE but is already creating its own personality,” explained Balcells about the beginnings of the event.

“More brands linked to the automotive world are joining in too. We have shown that they have a way to grow and make themselves known to new customers.”

The origin of the Euro Mobility Festival is a given: “There were already many brands that came to exhibit and had an urban mobility oriented division. But within Sea Otter Europe Costa Brava Girona by Continental they were more like sports brands. In that respect there was no problem. But brands solely focused on urban mobility did not seem to fit in with the more sporty character of Sea Otter Europe Costa Brava Girona by Continental. But the Euro Mobility Festival arrived and they started to have their own space, with their own communication and with the capacity to reach the public they are looking for. They have more visibility and prominence.”

Looking at the character of the Euro Mobility Festival, it is clear that it is an event that will bring new brands to the world. But not only that, it will also bring in a new audience.. “Users know that they will find bikes, technology, different forms of mobility… and we have agreements with organisations focused on urban mobility. These are new players far removed from the sporting world of cycling. That’s why more brands linked to the automotive world are joining in too. We have shown that they have a way to grow and make themselves known to new customers.”

“Thanks to the sporting component of Sea Otter Europe Costa Brava Girona by Continental, its public has a healthy, sporty, environmentally conscious profile.”

That makes the Euro Mobility Festival much more than just bikes. «Mobility has a much more generic concept. If we talk about cycling, it is focused on bikes, but in mobility we already see that there are brands of motorbikes or cars that are interested in attending events like this. Both to make themselves known in the world of urban mobility and to reach a healthy public and environment such as that of Sea Otter Europe Costa Brava Girona by Continental. It should be remembered that, thanks to the sporting component of Sea Otter Europe Costa Brava Girona by Continental, its public has a healthy, sporty and environmentally conscious profile. The two events complement each other well.”

What will you find if you go to the Euro Mobility Festival? Albert Balcells himself explained it to us: “You will find the leading brands in the sector, brands that are exclusive to mobility and others that are not. Some are very specific to the world of mobility, but there are others where mobility is a part of their products. So you will find a large platform of urban bikes. From cargobikes, bikes to take the kids to school, personal mobility vehicles, batteries, apps, safety issues… everything from the complementary industry to the world of sustainable mobility. The aim is to offer urban mobility solutions.”

“We also see the event as a way of attracting new future athletes.”

The Euro Mobility Festival has huge potential for growth. “At Sea Otter Europe Costa Brava Girona by Continental there is some stabilisation, but at the Euro Mobility Festival we are offering many new opportunities. The target audience is much larger. Right now the two events complement each other very well.”

Ocisport has always been associated with sporting events (its list of organised events includes the MTB World Cup in Andorra, among the dozens of competitions it manages year after year). Now they have a new audience. “Every year we see more and more people coming to the trade fair looking for mobility solutions. These are people who might never have come to SOE for the sporting side of things. It is common to see how someone who is recruited through urban mobility ends up joining the sporting side of cycling. So we also see the event as a way to recruit new future athletes.”

The Euro Mobility Festival will take place on 20th-21st-22nd September 2024.

For further information please visit the following websites: www.euromobilityfestival.com and www.seaottereurope.com