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🐝 Cycle Cities Buzz - Symposium 2027 Host City Announcement!
Published 29 days ago • 3 min read
Hi Reader,
SYMPOSIUM HOST 2027
We are heading to Hamburg!
I've been sneakily speaking to Lars since the last night of Lisbon, and we have agreed to hold Symposium 2027 in the beautiful city of Hamburg.
Why Hamburg? It was an easy choice.
Hamburg City Cycles has been part of Cycle Cities since the very beginning, way back in 2011. Lars has attended many Symposiums, including the inaugural Berlin 2015. He knows the heart and soul of our community.
It will also be our first time back in Germany since Munich 2019, and we have a solid membership base within a couple of hours of Hamburg, so it will be a convenient location for many. We can't stay warm in Southern Europe forever... it's time to head North again!
Lars is ready for us. He's recently upgraded his premises and is already looking at hospitality and venues. He is enthusiastic to welcome everyone to his amazing, waterside city.
I am so happy that Lars will be taking the reins for our next Symposium. We are in very good hands.
Symposium will happen in Hamburg, Germany, from Monday 22 to Wednesday 24 Feb 2027.
Hamburg 2027 Registrations are Open!
Much earlier than usual, we have locked in our host and opened up registration.
Why so early? I wanted to keep the positive momentum out of Lisbon. The feedback from Lisbon was strong, and the desire for Symposium to continue was undeniable, so I wasted no time in getting Symposium 2027 locked in. It was a no-brainer. :)
I also wanted the community to know ASAP that Cycle Cities is here to stay. We have new enthusiasm and a solid plan; Symposium is at the core of it. It's something tangible for us to focus on and look forward to.
It also gives us a great runway for promotion, allowing us to lock in the best resources and guest speakers (I've already been in touch with a big name in cycling tourism—exciting news is coming soon!).
We'll keep a similar format: Monday afternoon bike tour, Tuesday meeting & dinner, Wednesday Connections Day, and unofficial activities on either side.
Tickets cost €349 per person. This is a super-early-bird rate. The price will rise to €399 on April 15, 2026, so jump in early if you want to save the extra few euros.
Groupwork was well received in Lisbon, and it will play another central role in Hamburg.
At the Symposium in Lisbon, we had a total of 16 unique groups answering three questions each. Here are this week's questions and answers from Morning Group A: The Visionaries: Scale and Strategy (Wollo Wollenberg, Iñigo Ansa, Sergio Morales, Manos Panagiotakis, Peter Unkelbach, Andreas Pfeiffer).
What is the most successful "non-digital" marketing tactic you've used in the last year?
Rescue/Guerrilla Bikes: Place branded bikes with number locks at popular spots to serve as both free advertising and emergency replacements.
Community Partnerships: Build trust with local tourism offices and hotels to secure reliable long-term referrals.
Hotel Collaboration: Rent or deliver branded bikes to hotels to increase visibility among high-paying guests.
Authenticity as Marketing: Use guides who are genuinely passionate about their city, as guests can "feel" the difference over "mercenary" guides.
Have a look at the gold nuggets from your group. Has AI captured everything you wanted to say? If not, let me know and I can edit the response.
Community Strategy
Symposium is pivotal to Cycle Cities going forward. Its future is secure.
But our online/knowledge-sharing community is also important. The new Community Strategy is still being finalized and should be published very soon. In the meantime, feel free to jump on the WhatsApp community to stay in touch with your brothers and sisters in bike...
If you're not yet in the WhatsApp Community/Discussion group, you can fill out this form.
We also had many operators raise their hands in Lisbon saying they value the exclusivity (one operator per city/region) of the community and Symposium. I've put a question about this on the Symposium registration form. I plan to honor those operators who wish to stay exclusive for Symposium 2027
Symposium Lives On
Today, it’s a pleasure to announce that Symposium 2027 is in safe Hamburg hands. We are pushing those pedals forward!
Subscribe if you are an owner or operator of Bike Tours interested in the Cycle Cities network or Symposium. You can also join if you're a bike tour enthusiast, looking for great tours to try out.
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