IAA Mobility’s Successful Debut in Munich
The inaugural IAA Mobility, held Sept. 7–10 in Munich, welcomed 400,000 visitors from 95 countries including 75 cycling companies out of 744 exhibitors.
Reporting 67% of visitors under the age of 40 and an international media reach of 137 billion, the event claims to be the leading global mobility platform.
According to organizers Verband der Automobilindustrie (VDA) and
Messe München, the show attracted 32% more visitors per day than the 2019 event in Frankfurt, its home for 70 years as an auto-only show. Held every two years, the move to Munich and new mobility concept was due to recent declines in attendance.
Cycling brands in attendance at this year’s show included Bosch, Canyon, Cannondale, Scott, Specialized,
Stromer, Flyer, Riese & Müller, Rose, Rotwild, Kettler and many more.
While the show was a success, the organizers recognize the need for improvements and better integration of the cycling segment within both the B2C and B2B elements of the show.
“We had many visitors and great conversations, and we’re pleased to see the importance of cycling within the mobility shift. However, we would have liked to see a stronger fusion and more opportunities for dialogue between the different forms of mobility to bring all transport users together,” commented Dr. Sandra Wolf, Managing Director of Riese & Müller GmbH.
According to Tobias Gröber, Executive Director – Business Unit Consumer Goods at Messe München, “We are very satisfied with the way things have gone so far and want to bring all mobility carriers together on one strong platform, with a more inclusive focus on “both bicycles and cars” versus the old polarization. We have work to do for all market participants and stakeholders and will tackle these concerns in 2023.”
The third edition of the World Cycling Forum was held Sept. 6–7 in conjunction with the trade show.
Anti-car protests, similar to those in Frankfurt, were met with massive police presence along with tear gas. Bavaria’s Prime Minister, Markus Söder, was also less supportive than hoped issuing a tweet likening cycling to the Stone Age.
The next IAA Mobility will be held in Munich from Sept. 5 to 10, 2023.