The festival’s internationalisation is evidenced by the speed by which space has been leased and the high demand from brands from around the world.
The second edition of the Sea Otter Europe Costa Brava-Girona Bike Show includes 40,000 m2 of commercial and exhibition space, twice as much as last year, in which 350 brands attended. The cycling industry’s high demand for space, particularly among international brands which deploy large stands and require a large amount of floor area, has led directors to reconsider the venue’s layout. As a result, in the second edition of Sea Otter Europe, which will take place from 8-10 June 2018, the stands featuring bikes, electric bikes, accessories and cycling technology will also occupy part of the esplanade flanking the Ter, a large grassy area that has been redesigned and will continue to host part of the cross country tracks and children’s games area. The high demand for space from some of Europe’s and the world’s biggest brands confirms the positive results achieved by exhibitors in the festival’s inaugural edition.
This expansion will also allow for the creation of new bike test zones in which festival attendees will have the opportunity to try the market’s best bikes, a stone’s throw from the brand representatives themselves. This activity proved highly popular among visitors to the 2017 edition, who went out and tested over 300 bicycles from the 23 global brands involved.
The exhibition format used inside Girona’s Fontajau Pavilion will also remain unchanged; a space in which, at present, half the surface area has already been leased.
The rate at which space at the 2018 Sea Otter Europe Costa Brava-Girona Bike Show is being reserved confirms the cycling industry’s positive response to the festival’s first edition. In 2017, Girona was turned into a global showcase specialising in cycling, with over 30,000 visitors filling the festival’s commercial and activities areas.
New activities and more sporting events
In the next few days, Sea Otter Europe will release its schedule of activities, exhibitions and sporting events, a line-up that has been further expanded thanks to the success of the festival’s first edition, in which 4,130 cyclists took part in 11 sporting events ranging from popular and family events, classic bikes and cycle tourism to some of the most important competitions on the international circuit.