2019 will see Sea Otter Europe Costa Brava-Girona reach its third edition. No one would guess that this successful event is in fact so young given the enormous impact and size it has acquired in such a short time. Sea Otter Europe has made a name for itself on the European calendar with a formula that is perfect for the the present-day cycling industry. Having closely studied new trends, Sea Otter has created a cycling event that is far reaching and inclusive – from brands and professionals in the sector to a broad range of visitors, from beginners to the most experienced riders. The combination of a huge expo area in a magnificent setting such as Girona, along with a world-class calendar of events and a perfect bike testing area has proved to be a resounding success since the first edition. Proof of the organiser’s firm commitment to the event’s format, location and dates are its numbers.
In 2018 floor space doubled with respect to the previous year, and the event’s European nature was heightened with the influx of international brands, not to mention Sea Otter Europe’s competitions, which are already international in stature.
Consolidation of the festival
With the 2019 edition of Sea Otter Europe already in mind, the numbers couldn’t look any better. To date, double the amount of the expo area has already been reserved in comparison to last December, with more than 80% of available spaces already occupied. However, what best exemplifies the excellent work of previous editions is the fact that almost a 100% of exhibitors such as Cannondale, Canyon, Merida, Scott, Specialized or Trek with medium and large spaces will return in 2019. There really is no greater show of confidence than this. At the same time, major international brands such as Shimano are also committed to Sea Otter Europe, having confirmed their attendance for the forthcoming edition. The organisers, Ocisport, were wise to reward the brands that placed their trust in the festival from the very beginning, and reservation of spaces was opened first exclusively for those that had already been in attendance in previous editions. Sea Otter Europe is a long-term project and, therefore, building relationships of trust with everyone involved in this adventure is one of the organiser’s priorities. The current marketing phase serves to welcome new brands wishing to be a part of this project and to access a unique fair.
If the big news of 2018 was the expansion of the expo area, in 2019 the latest development sees exhibitors seeking more space by doubling, or even tripling, the space requested. All this in search of greater brand presence and to accommodate a larger number of bicycles and accessories, which they will either put on display and exhibit or use in the Demobike area. The other upward trend is the arrival of international brands, making Sea Otter Europe more European than ever in 2019. The good reception that the festival has been met with among the public and its excellent reputation developed over the first two editions are finally paying off. Sea Otter Europe is already a must-do event in the calendar of the marketing departments of the most important brands in the sector.
More spectacle and an endless amount of activities
Even in light of all this, Ocisport seeks sustainable growth in all aspects of the festival. For this reason, the priority of the organisers is the quality of the services provided, paying close attention to each one of the available spaces and maintaining a close and personal relationship with each and every one of the exhibitors. Sea Otter Europe is not only growing thanks to its expo area, but improvements will be made to all aspects in 2019. Among them, the impressive sports programme – which will be revealed soon – holds some exciting new developments. Some of them have already been announced, such as the fact that Saturday’s Scott Marathon Cup race will now be part of the UCI Marathon Series, or the new structure of the road cycling event, La Brava, through which riders can once again discover the roads used by professional cyclists for their pre-season training. Not to mention a Criterium replete with big stars to top off a perfect weekend.
Demobike as a great attraction
The other mainstay of the festival, the Demobike area, will continue to ensure that Sea Otter Europe is one of the best places to try out bicycles from all over the world. Due to the sheer amount of models available and the quality of the test routes, the Sea Otter Europe Demobike area is already renowned throughout the world.
