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The 2024 venue and dates for the International Cargo Bike Festival (ICBF) have been announced.
Following last year’s successful edition in Amsterdam, the event is heading 40km south to the city of Utrecht, taking place at Jaarbeurs on Saturday, October 25, and Sunday, October 26.
It marks the first time the ICBF has been held in the city – the fourth largest in the Netherlands, with a multi-cultural population of 360,000 and known as an important and accessible node in national and international transport networks.
Recognised as one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in the world, Utrecht boasts world-class cycling infrastructure, including the largest multi-storey bicycle parking facility in the world..
It comes as no surprise that Utrecht is also one of the most cargo bike-friendly places in the world.
The city is teeming with cargo bike initiatives as well as entrepreneurs, businesses and organisations using cargo bikes.
The 2023 edition of the ICBF co-located with Home Energy and Electric Mobility show Fully Charged.
However, due to a date change for the upcoming Fully Charged event in Amsterdam, the ICBF and Fully Charged organisations have parted ways on good terms.
In contrast to previous years, ICBF 2024 will be a standalone event.
For 2024 and onwards the festival will be working together with Dutch Cycling Week, an Utrecht-based knowledge platform and activation initiative to stimulate bicycle use.
Dutch Cycling Week aims – by bringing several cycling events under its umbrella – to become the world’s largest platform for knowledge sharing, policy-making and stimulation for bicycle use.
It is the ICBF’s intention to explore the possibilities around this platform in the coming years.
Jos Sluijsmans, ICBF director and founder, said: “We are looking forward to hosting the ICBF in world cycling city Utrecht. It will be an extra incentive for many of our international exhibitors and visitors to participate.
“We are also very impressed by Dutch Cycling Week’s ambitions to promote cycling in the broadest sense of the word as a knowledge platform and activation initiative. We want to be part of that and contribute.”
There will be plenty of opportunities at ICBF 2024 for cargo bike and cycling-related businesses and organisations to showcase what they do.
This includes at the ICBF expo and test-track, by presenting on the ICBF stage or by taking up one of a number of online and offline sponsorship and promotional options on offer.
Ralf van Heugten, of Dutch Cycling Week, added: “The cargo bike plays a crucial role in the mobility of the future. Just look at companies like Cool Blue, Cycloon and the hundreds of food delivery services you see in many Dutch cities every day.
The arrival of this event is a valuable addition to the programme of Dutch Cycling Week. The ICBF is a showcase for the possibilities offered by the cargo bike.
“Highlighting the cargo bike as an option for efficient and sustainable transport stimulates awareness of and impacts on bicycle mobility. This collaboration therefore fits like a glove.”
