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BMW MOTORRAD PARTY IN PORTUGAL

08/03/2011

BMW Motorrad fans were recently living it up in Lisbon, when for the first time ever, BMW Motorrad Portugal created a national and exclusive event to launch its new 2011 models. The special party took place in one of the most famous clubs in Lisbon – One Belém – surrounded by the Tagus River and some of the most important historical monuments in Portugal. Among the star attractions were the G 650 GS, R 1200 R, S 1000 RR, K 1600 GT and K 1600 GTL six-cylinder models.

At the beginning of 2011, invitations were sent via e-mail and direct mail to all guests, creating a real buzz among BMW fans and – helped by a special Facebook event page – spreading the news about what was tipped as the hottest party of the year. A huge number of confirmations quickly arrived and expectations were high among the Portuguese BMW Motorrad community. This was one show you didn’t want to miss…

When the big day arrived, all of the organisers’ expectations were exceeded, especially when more than 1,200 excited fans of the Bavarian brand, as well as many journalists and special guests turned up to ‘Ride the Future’ with BMW Motorrad Portugal.

Inside the club, the party’s futuristic theme and visual concept was represented by clean, striking designs to set the scene, with blue neon lights used over dark and white backgrounds to create the desired mood. Two R 1200 R roadsters, two G 650 GS enduro machines and one S 1000 RR Superbike were placed inside the club, for guests to see and touch at close quarters, while the two K 1600 GT and K 1600 GTL luxury tourers were hidden from view – only to be revealed as the night’s main event later that evening.

 

Before unveiling the two eagerly anticipated six-cylinder bikes, and while some great music was being played by the house DJ, several lucky guests had their invitation numbers randomly selected for the ‘Lucky Riders Lap’. The winning numbers were then announced to the crowd by two ‘grid girls’ while a special soundtrack played in the background and a big screen showed a compilation of S 1000 RR racing footage. The lucky winners received vouchers for BMW Motorrad equipment and accessories.

Before long it was finally the moment that everyone had been waiting for. The lights went out, the music pumped out at full volume and the performance began. From each of the bikes exhibited in the club, four dancers emerged with fireworks in hands, making their way through the crowd and stopping in front of a big black curtain. As the suspense built, the curtains finally opened to reveal the new K 1600 GT and GTL machines.

Additional dancers joined the party in a breathtakingly dynamic display of modern choreography and as the show reached its conclusion, more than a thousand fans applauded enthusiastically, before being able to get a close look at the new six-cylinder luxury touring machines. Needless to say, the crowd around the bikes was packed for several hours, all of them eager to see the big K in the metal.

But there was more to come, with additional social media opportunities staged to share the event to a wider audience. Near the club’s entrance guests were invited to take a picture with the S 1000 RR placed in front of the VIP shooting wall and to share the best shots on the event’s Wall on Facebook. Many cool photos were posted and almost 1000 ‘likes’ were achieved. In the end, the three photos with the most ‘likes’ won a BMW Motorrad prize.

Commenting on an incredibly successful launch event, BMW Motorrad Portugal Motorcycle Manager Paulo Cera de Almeida said: “What a night! It was so much more than a brand gathering; this event became a great celebration for all BMW

Motorrad lovers who left with awesome memories of this exclusive night – and a good feeling about all the exciting new models for 2011. We would hope to repeat this kind of event sometime soon in the future.”

For more pictures and video footage from the BMW Motorrad Portugal’s Ride the Future event, please visit http://vimeo.com/normajean/ridethefutureenjoythenight