An intense schedule of speeches, workshops, bike tours and evening events characterize a full immersion in the Mountain Bike world in Folgarida (Val di Sole) from June 1st to 4th. The title of the 2022 edition is “Reframing Mountain Biking”
In just over a month, the 10th edition of the IMBA Europe Summit, the most relevant think tank on Mountain Biking in Europe, will be held in Folgarida (Val di Sole, Northern Italy), from June 1st to 4th.
IMBA (International Mountain Bike Bicycling Association) and the local organizers of Val di Sole Tourism Board and Grandi Eventi Val di Sole have released the official program, with 3 days of events, opportunities and experiences. Speeches, round tables, workshops, bike tours and evening entertainment events characterize a complete full immersion on the Mountain Bike world.
The 2022 edition is titled “Reframing Mountain Biking”, including new perspectives on what is sustainable, and it challenges all speakers and participants to be open to new perspectives and solutions to secure a bright future for mountain biking in all its aspects.
After a first day dedicated to registrations and the welcoming of participants, on Thursday, June 2nd the 2022 IMBA Europe Summit program will kick off with a morning bike tour in Val Meledrio and a day of talks dedicated to the day’s topic: the building blocks for the MTB-friendly places and the creation of MTB communities.
Two-time Downhill World Champion and Patagonia Ambassador Manon Carpenter will be among the speakers on day 1, narrating her path from MTB superstar to activist for environmental protection. In addition, IMBA USA’s CEO Kent McNeill, Trash Free Trails’ Jo Shwe will take the floor: McNeill will focus his speech on equitable access to trails, whilst Shwe will talk on her and her association’s mission of safeguarding trails and untouched areas from human contamination.
In the afternoon, round tables will take the center stage featuring the participation of industry experts and representatives, followed by an outdoor activity on the Trail La Preda and a dinner in an Alpine hut.
After a recap of day 1 by IMBA Europe President Thomas Larsen Schmidt, the program for Friday, June 3rd, features an in-depth look at sustainable Mountain Biking tourism and the three pillars of sustainable tourism for a bike destination: environmental sustainability, social sustainability and economic sustainability.
World Trails’ Director Glen Jacobs, Val di Sole Tourism Board’s Director Fabio Sacco and Dolomiti Paganella Tourism Board’s Director Luca D'Angelo will take the floor in the morning speeches: Jacobs will tell about the development of the bike destinations all over the world, whilst Sacco and D’Angelo will focus their talks on the management of a bike destination in Trentino.
In addition, digital marketing specialist Raphaël Chapalain will tell how the pandemic shifted long-term use trends in parks and on trails. Linda Xhaferi-Salihu, from UN Climate Change, will bring focus on the project “Sports for Climate Action” framework.
Day 2 afternoon program will be dedicated to round tables, followed by the outdoor activity on the legendary Black Snake, the most demanding track of the Val di Sole Bike Park in Commezzadura. The day will end with a street food dinner and evening events at the Val di Sole BikeFest (June 3-5), contemporary to both the IMBA Summit and the new season opening of the Val di Sole BikePark.
IMBA Europe Summit’s final day, Saturday, June 4th, is totally devoted to outdoor activities. The participants will choose from:
For further information on IMBA Europe Summit: LINK
The online registrations are open on www.valdisolebikeland.com.
The “Full Summit” ticket including all activities is priced at 299 €, while it is only 179 € for IMBA Europe members.
The ticket for the first two days of workshops (June 2-3) is available for 200 €, while 119 € for IMBA Europe members. Single-day entries come at a price of 115 €, and 69 € for IMBA Europe members.
