MONTEREY, Calif. (BRAIN) – The numbers are in and it appears that Sea Otter Classic continues to deliver exhibitors, consumers, campers and racers with overall growth pegged at an average of six percent or more depending upon category.
But there's one area where Sea Otter seems to be exceeding expectations—it's growing draw as an international business forum that this year saw 30 new international companies join the expo.
Perhaps more significant for the industry and exhibitors was the 430 international media personalities who registered and then descended on Monterey's fabled Laguna Seca raceway for the four-day expo. The potential for media exposure in a global market at a single event is almost worth the price of admission for many exhibitors.
Sea Otter's growing role as an international event has not been lost on show organizers. While the expo has long been a venue for B2B meetings, that role seems to have grown in importance, said Frank Yohannan, president and CEO. And he added that Sea Otter could be at a pivot point in its future.
"That's a good pivot point to have," he said, noting that exhibitor surveys have been completed. "And within the next week or so, Sea Otter staff will meet to review this year's event—pros and cons—and start to plan for 2027. We want to know what the opportunities and threats are that we need to be prepared for," he said.
Sarah Timlek, the expo's sales director, spends hundreds of hours on the phone talking with exhibitors over the course of a year. Timlek, who also worked for Interbike, hears first-hand what exhibitors are thinking and what are their concerns.
"The number of exhibitors who said they weren't going to Eurobike, that they were just doing Sea Otter, really astounded me, as well as the number of people who said they can get everything done at Sea Otter," she said.
A telling score came through Sea Otter's exhibitor survey. The percentage who said they were coming to connect with consumers, but who were also coming for B2B meetings, were nearly equal. "It almost floored me," said Timlek, adding that in the past the consumer connection far outstripped B2B.
This is taking shape in the shadow of disarray in Europe as Eurobike, set for June 24-27 in Frankfurt, battles a potential competitor. Some German industry organizations plan to put on an international trade show in 2027. That could portend a dual trade show fight akin to IFMA's Cologne show versus an up-and-coming Eurobike.
Taipei Cycle appears to be waning in international attendance from U.S. and European visitors after three years of lackluster shows. In the meantime, China Cycle, set to take place in Shanghai May 5-8, has been building its presence throughout Asia.
"What we're seeing in a very organic way is that Sea Otter has really become a significant event on the show calendar in terms of a B2B event as opposed to just exhibiting. I walked away from Sea Otter this year thinking we are now globally significant in terms of B2B," she said.
That was clearly evident with the addition this year to the expo area of Avinox/Amflow and the bike brand X-Lab.
Avinox is a lightweight and powerful motor targeting, for now, the upper-end e-bike market. On the market for about two years, first in Europe, Avinox has quickly scored some significant OE spec. The company and its bicycle brand, Amflow, were spun off from DJI Technology Co. Ltd., the world's leading drone maker with headquarters in Shenzhen, China. Amflow bikes are being sold at retail and online in the U.S. at prices that generally undercut key market brands.
X-Lab's parent, China's XDS factory, is a massive OEM manufacturer, making about 8 million bikes a year. In its 31 years in business, it has supplied many of the most famous brands in the industry, as BRAIN has previously reported. Two years ago, it sponsored the XDS Astana men's World Tour team. It is now selling price-beating mountain and gravel bikes with its X-Lab brand through about 40 U.S. dealers with more to come. It's also opening distributors in most other major international markets.
Both companies are disrupting the marketplace with new technology (Avinox) and high-quality carbon bikes at low prices (X-Lab) at retail. Both are challenging legacy brands like Specialized, Trek, Bosch and Shimano.
Sea Otter also has been building over the last few years what it calls its Industry Connect program. Essentially, the expo offers free passes and a meeting place for industry representatives—dealers, suppliers, distributors, buyers, reps and advocates—to come to Laguna Seca and meet with potential customers.
This year's list included 1,240 individuals, up significantly from last year. Here's a few who took advantage of the program. Portland's Cyclepath PDX, a premier Portland retailer was joined by dozens of other dealers, mostly from around the West. Online retailers included Backcountry.com, Jenson USA, REI, Evo and others. Companies like BOA, who may not want to exhibit, were on the list. And Trek, which decided not to exhibit, was also represented in the Industry Connect directory.
"Our Industry Connect program was more than what I anticipated," Yohannan said. And Sea Otter wants to enhance its B2B connections, he added. "They are asking for a lounge and meeting space so they can come together," he added.
And in an ironic turn, more exhibitors would like some sort of conference tied to the event. Sea Otter Classic, along with PeopleForBikes, for years hosted an industry conference a few days before the expo opened. Three years ago, Yohannan dropped the conference as PFB went its own way with its Bicycle Leadership Conference.
Timlek said a number of people told her they want something at Sea Otter so they can stop piling on expenses by attending a variety of conference during the year.
Yohannan was circumspect about Sea Otter renewing its role as a conference provider, but said staff is looking ahead at what could be done onsite, or at a separate venue as well as whether a one-day meeting would be better than a multi-day event. "These are the kind of things we are looking at, and we've reached out to the (Monterey) Aquarium to see what our options are" he added. "But we will be working with facts," he said.
As Sea Otter closes the books on 2026, here are the numbers released by organizers.
- Total attendance: 76,000
- Exhibiting brands: 1,100
- New International exhibitors: 30
- Campers: 8,000
- Registered athletes: 6,530
- Volunteers: 1,300
- International media: 430
- Industry Connect: 1,240
