Revisit this page to see a gallery of pics taken at this year's event !
For more information on events and accommodations, call the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau at (800) 854-1234 or visit the official Biketoberfest website at www.daytonabeach-tourism.com/biketoberfest.

Daytona Beach Revs Up For
Biketoberfest and Pepsi 400

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA, -- In Daytona Beach, October means big events for bikers and racers as area tourism officials prepare to welcome motorcycle enthusiasts for Biketoberfest activities and NASCAR fans for the Pepsi 400.

Organizers of this year's Biketoberfest --officially scheduled from Oct. 22-25, 1998 -- promise that it will be bigger and better than the rest. "This year we have more activities, celebrity performances and special appearances," says Janet Kersey, tourism events and promotions director at the Daytona Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. She adds, "Re-scheduling NASCAR's Pepsi 400 to Oct. 17 has given us more exposure and has generated big interest from sponsors and manufacturers. We've had to move around a lot of different events for the whole month and we're not finished yet. Now it looks like Biketoberfest activities will be spread out over three different weekends."

Kersey says that the inclusion of Pepsi 400 activities into the newly extended schedule has given this year's Biketoberfest a welcomed new dimension. "It's interesting to watch how Pepsi 400 events affect Biketoberfest as the event schedule shifts and takes on a new shape," she says.

 

Biketoberfest and Pespi 400 event highlights to date include:

10/3-10/4 Team Obsolete Promotions Vintage/ Modern Motorcycle Road Race at Daytona International Speedway. Event will also feature the Trans-Atlantic Match Race Round 3 (U.S. vs. U.K.). Call (904) 252-BIKE (2453).

10/9-10/11 Daytona Harley-Davidson Seafood Festival in Riverfront Park in downtown Daytona Beach. Features 40 local, regional, and major bands, a carnival, and arts and crafts.

10/14-10/16 Practice and qualifying for the NASCAR Pepsi 400

10/16 Great American Race Fair  with Charlie Daniels in Riverfront Park in downtown Daytona Beach

10/16-10/25 Biketoberfest Music & More at the Boot Hill Saloon on Main Street. Nightly concerts featuring Gail Force Band, Mark Hodgson Band, and Noble Thin Man Watts and Friends.

10/16-10/18 Pre-Biketoberfest & Anniversary Weekend at Pub 44, 1889 S.R. 44, New Smyrna Beach. Features prize giveaways --including a trip to the Bahamas. Call (904) 428-6523.

10/16-10/25 Riverfront "Biketoberfest" Celebration at Inlet Harbor Marina and Restaurant in Ponce Inlet. Features live entertainment daily.

10/17 NASCAR Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Run under the lights, this is the largest nighttime motorsports event in the world.

10/17-10/25 Iron Horse Saloon Biketoberfest Celebration. Rug Rat Rodeo and Little Miss and Mr. Biketoberfest kids 12 and under can enjoy games and goodies. Festivities also include a concert by the Charlie Daniels Band, motorcycle olympics, and Easyrider Truck Show. Call (904) 677-1550.

10/22-10/25 Main Street Rally. Event includes vendors and manufacturers' displays. Call (904) 252-1922.

10/22-10/25 Daytona Harley-Davidson Dealership. Event includes live entertainment, Harley displays and Hawaiian Tropic models. Festivities will be held in Riverfront Park, 290 N. Beach Street. Time: 12 noon to 8 p.m. Call (904) 248-0580.

10/22-10/25 Meet Evel Knievel at an autograph session at Carl's Speed Shop at 390 N. Beach Street. See Evel Knievel and Peter Fonda Signature Series Limited Edition Bikes on display in Carl's Motorcycle Mall. Time 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Call (904) 258-3777.

10/22-10/24 Biketoberfest Motorcycle Expo at the Ocean Center. This exposition features motorcycle products, services and the 2^nd Annual Rat's Hole Motorcycle Show. Conducted by Big Daddy Rat, Karl Smith. Time: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.

10/22-10/25 Biketoberfest Motorcycle Swapmeet & Tiger Eye Productions at the Volusia County Fairgrounds. Features live music and tigers and lions up close and personal! Time: 10 a.m. daily.

10/22-10/25 Smileyfest '98 at Smiley's Tap, 1611 N. U.S. 1 Ormond Beach. Features an all-you-can-eat barbeque buffet, music and more. Time 2 p.m. to 9 p.m, Call (904) 677-9609.

10/23 Biketoberfest Dirt Drags Sign-up and Time Trials at the Volusia County Fairgrounds. All are invited to register, test and tune, and participate in time trials. Time: 5 p.m.

10/24 Annual Fall Tour Group Ride. Tour ride through scenic Volusia County. Tour begins at 5 p.m. Sign up any time on Sat., Oct. 24. Price is $13 per person. Dinner is included. Call (904) 788-2110.

10/24 Easyriders Boardwalk Classic Bike & Bikini Show at the Daytona Beach Boardwalk. Time: Registration is 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., Bike Show is 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Cash prizes and 60 trophies will be given away. Call (904) 253-0254.

10/25 Fourth Annual Daytona Harley-Davidson Ride for "Boggy Creek Gang." Time: 10 a.m. For more information on this charity ride call (904) 253-BIKE.

10/25 "Coming Together" Parade by ABATE of Florida. Sign up is from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. The event begins at 10 a.m.

TBA Fall Cycle Scene Championship Cup Series (CCS) "Race of Champions" motorcycle races, North American Superbike Championships final rounds and Harley-Davidson Twin Sports World Final at Daytona Beach International Speedway. Races held 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Call (904) 252-BIKE (2453).

***Events are subject to change without notice.

The official Biketoberfest Welcome Center is located at the Daytona Beach Area Visitors Center inside DAYTONAUSA at 1801 W. International Speedway Blvd. Call (904) 253-8669 for information. For race tickets and information, call Daytona International Speedway at (904) 252-BIKE (2453) or visit www.daytonausa.com. For more information on events and accommodations, call the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau at (800) 854-1234 or visit the official Biketoberfest website at www.daytonabeach-tourism.com/biketoberfest.

 

 

BIKETOBERFEST : A SUCCESSFUL HISTORY

DAYTONA BEACH, FL -- Biketoberfest, a fun-filled family oriented biker event held each October in the Daytona Beach area, is a successful international motorcycle event which has experienced skyrocketing growth since its early origins in 1991.

Factors that fueled the enormous success of the event included implementing clever marketing strategies, increased community awareness and involvement, increased support from leading tourism and business authorities, and cooperative weather.

The event traces its origins to 1991 when the Halifax Area Advertising Authority (HAAA) created the Tourism Events Department in the Daytona Beach Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (DBACVB), its marketing and administrative division.

Janet Kersey, a life-long Daytona Beach resident with an extensive background in promotions and marketing, was hired to create special events to attract visitors during off-season periods.

Kersey's first assignment was to create a special biker event similar to the ever-popular Bike Week around an existing motorcycle racing event, the American Motorcycle Association's annual fall races, held each October at Daytona International Speedway.

Kersey formed a five-member committee, which was open to community leaders and the general public. Key players included Gary VanVoorhis of the Daytona International Speedway, Chuck Spicer of the Motorcycle Safety Council, Brian Romaine of Doan Management and members of the Daytona 200 Club, who all began work on the original event, then known as the Daytona Fall Tour.

The Daytona Fall Tour, held October 16-18, 1992, featured a 125-mile scenic touring ride through Volusia County, bike shows, the Speedway races and Bikefest, a series of activities offered by Main Street Merchants. Armed with a marketing budget of only $7,000, The Daytona Fall Tour attracted 5,000 new visitors, mostly from the Florida market, garnering a $1.25 million estimated economic impact for the Daytona Beach area.

The event's success prompted increased interest from merchants and other community members who took active roles to encourage the event's growth and continued success and in 1993, those changes molded Biketoberfest. The 1993 Daytona Fall Tour Committee, comprised of 38 members, realized that a long-term marketing strategy was needed and the marketing budget was increased to over $20,000, and the number of special events expanded to over 40 in a three day timespan.

That year, major corporations hopped on board as sponsors. The Daytona Beach News-Journal and the Boardwalk Merchants Association sponsored trade shows, the Adam's Mark Daytona Beach Resort staged a free concert and Daytona Harley Davidson held activities along with Beach Street merchants.

Other changes were made during that year. Buzz Kanter, publisher of American Iron magazine and an outside advisor, told Kersey that it was unwise to link the words "fall" and "motorcycle" in a biker event's name.

The committee met to discuss new name possibilities. Kanter suggested the term "Biketober", but Randy Russell, a New Smyrna Beach committee member, blurted out "Biketoberfest" and the new name struck a chord with the committee.

The new name became popular in both domestic and international biking markets, especially among European motorcycle enthusiasts in Germany where the Octoberfest celebration is held nationwide.

Karl "Big Daddy Rat" Smith, a St. Petersburg, Florida-based motorcycle promoter who had held Bike Week promotions in Daytona Beach since the early '60s, took Biketoberfest information to Germany and Smith discovered significant interest among German bikers.

An international marketing push was created through the DBACVB's London office and Biketoberfest evolved into an international biker event, drawing visitors from European bikers who wanted to enjoy a fun-filled holiday in the States, escaping the winter weather.

In its first year under its name, Biketoberfest '93 (October 21-24), drew 15,000 new visitors, primarily from Florida and the southeastern United States and realized an economic impact which generated over $4.6 million dollars for the Daytona Beach area.

The following year, Biketoberfest '94 (October 20-23) revenues doubled. Biketoberfest Committee membership jumped from 38 to 88, the marketing budget was increased to $23,000 and 80 county-wide special events were featured over a four day period, attracting approximately 25,000 new visitors from Florida, the eastern United States, portions of the western United States, and Canada. Those visitors generated an estimated $4.6 million dollar economic impact

The 1994 increases were attributed to the beginning of a dual marketing push held during Daytona Bike Week, a trend which has remained in effect ever since.

Also during that year Daytona Beach Public Safety Director Paul Crow, who helped turn Bike Week from an invasion into a tremendously successful celebration, joined the Biketoberfest committee and created the Police Motorcycle Skills Championship, a special event held at Daytona International Speedway which features police officers from across the country competing in slow-speed maneuvering skills competitions.

In 1995 the 113-member Biketoberfest committee, armed with $26,000 general and promotional budget expanded Biketoberfest to two weekends (October 12-14 pre-weekend events and October 19-22 official weekend) promoting over 150 events, two being the Police Motorcycle Skills Championship and the Daytona Harley-Davidson Downtown Seafood Festival. The first weekend attracted over 3,000 new area visitors, the second weekend attracted over 40,000 visitors from the United States, Canada, and Europe. The promotion's total economic impact for the Daytona Beach area equaled $20.75 million, prompting Biketoberfest officials to further expand the event the following year.

Biketoberfest '96 (October 12-13 pre-weekend activities; October 17-20 official weekend) was expanded to over 300 events covering two weekends and two counties (Volusia and St. Johns) and the total marketing and promotional budget was increased to over $37,000. That year, a new marketing device was introduced -- the Internet.

Through cooperative arrangements made between the DBACVB and a Daytona Beach area Internet access provider, the Biketoberfest web page was born. Located at www.daytonabeach-tourism.com/biketoberfest, the web pages feature a calendar of events page, a press releases page, Daytona Beach area information, and a vendor and event locations and a local Business Directory with links to some of the hottest motorcycle web sites in the country.

The site also featured a special section featuring area hotels, restaurants, and drinking establishments, granting area businesses the opportunity to advertise on the web. The new web site was an instant Internet "hit" and received over 120,000 "hits" its first month on the web and was featured on as "Event of the Day" on festivals.com, the Internet's largest source of festival and event listings in the world. The Biketoberfest site continues to supply motorcycle enthusiasts the latest information about upcoming scheduled Biketoberfest activities.

Other factors that have contributed to Biketoberfest success story is weather. In October, portions of the northeast are making headway seasonal changes into mid-fall and Florida is making the transition from late summer to early fall. The Florida weather grants bikers one final opportunity to experience the freedom of the open road in beautiful sunshine before "Old Man Winter" sets in. Thus far, Biketoberfest has been spared the ravages extreme foul weather can effect a special outdoor event.

The emergence of the Biketoberfest Development Committee by its governing body, the Halifax Area Advertising Authority is focusing on the future. This 17-member group, comprised of a cross-section of area tourism and business officials, will meet to focus on the manageable growth and development of Biketoberfest. Under the direction of the Biketoberfest Development Committee '97 the event moved into an award winning status being named one of the top 25 events in the Southeast by the Southeast Tourism Society as well as receiving a Gold Addy from the 4th District Ad Federation and first place honors from the Florida Festivals & Events State Association for it's marketing practices and growth.

Now Biketoberfest organizers are gearing up for Biketoberfest '98 (October 22-25), an event which could attract nearly 100,000 visitors and create a $60 million dollar impact for the Daytona Beach area.

"1998 promises to be a even more spectacular for business, where there once was none and for our community who has come together to succeed together and help ourselves do big business on the World's Most Famous Beach," Kersey says.