For Release: September 11, 2019
Contact: Tricia Szulewski, WomenRidersNow.com Editor
512.441.7480 / Tricia@WomenRidersNow.com
WomenRidersNow.com (WRN), the premier U.S. website for female motorcyclists, announces Leadership Board to guide WRN future strategy and appoints industry experts Erin Sills and Sarah Schilke as Co-Chairwomen. Additional Board Members and company highlights will be announced at AIMExpo in September, 2019.
Austin, TX – September 11, 2019 Coinciding with the Motorcycle Industry Council’s (MIC) current research indicating female motorcycle ownership has climbed to 19 percent, WomenRidersNow.com (WRN) establishes a Leadership Board to guide the future of the company in light of the significant uptick in female motorcycle marketplace influence. WRN is already positioned as the premier U.S. resource for all things women and motorcycling, and plans upgrades to the popular website and eNewsletter, participation in national women’s motorcycling events, and new ventures in response to the segment’s growth. Leadership Board Co-Chairwomen Erin Sills (Hunter Sills Racing) and Sarah Schilke (BMW Motorrad) will represent WRN at the American International Motorcycle Expo (AIMExpo) presented by Nationwide at the Greater Columbus Convention Center, September 26-30. WRN Founder Genevieve Schmitt joins Sills and Schilke in an advisory capacity on the Board, and will make an appearance at the AIMExpo where she is receiving the American Motorcyclist Association’s prestigious Bessie Stringfield award.
Sills says, “I’ve met some incredible women through my adventures in land speed racing, and I see chairing the WRN Leadership Board as an extension of the programs I support to encourage new female riders and racers. This is a great time to be a woman on two wheels, and it’s paramount that all riders have access to the important resources that WRN provides through the WomenRidersNow.com site and its email and social outreach.”
“Now is the perfect time for WRN to create the Leadership Board and focus on ramping up for the future,” continues Schilke. “As a long-time fan of Women Riders Now, I’m excited to contribute my decades of industry experience and involvement in the women’s motorcycle community. This year’s AIMExpo theme, Together We Rise, perfectly communicates my own sentiment about the industry’s response to this influx of enthusiastic women riders.”
Findings from the recently released 2018 MIC Owner Survey indicate that female motorcycle ownership has nearly doubled since 2009 to almost one in five in 2018, with even greater proportions among younger generations, boding well for the future of motorcycling as a whole. Among Gen X motorcycle owners, 22 percent were women; among Gen Y, 26 percent were women. Women were also attributed with outspending their male counterparts on tires, routine repairs, maintenance, replacement parts, and accessories and modifying equipment. (Source: MIC)
“Im excited that the number of women getting into motorcycling continues to grow,” said Schmitt. “Leveraging the experience of a group of influencers and powersports industry veterans will expand WRN’s ability to support that growth for both the riders as well as for the companies that recognize the power of the female market.” WRN further reports positive initial feedback from key advertisers.
“We’ve seen tremendous response to our powersports products from WomenRidersNow.com readers,” reports Joey Lindahl at Polaris. “Creating the Leadership Board to fuel WRN’s future success lines up directly with our ‘Think Outside’ outreach effort which includes a focus on female motorcyclists.”
Learn more about WomenRidersNow.com and meet members of the Leadership Board at booth #1017 at the AIMExpo presented by Nationwide in Columbus, OH, September 26-30.
About Women Riders Now
Women Riders Now (WRN) is the premier resource for motorcycling news and reviews for and from the female perspective and consists of a web-based publication, monthly newsletter, and comprehensive Beginners Guide to Motorcycling. The site is continuously updated with stories and information that all riders, women or men, can appreciate, and the tagline, “Motorcycling Lifestyle, For Women, and Men Who Ride With Women” reflects that. Celebrating its 20-year anniversary this year, WRN was founded by Genevieve Schmitt, who is widely considered the leading expert on women in motorcycling through her reporting on the segment since 1999. Staying up-to-date with WRN is easy, whether through the newsletter or by following on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.
About the American International Motorcycle Expo presented by Nationwide
AIMExpo presented by Nationwide is North America’s largest Motorcycle and Powersports Tradeshow and Lifestyle event with international reach. It is also the single most important event for the North American Powersports Industry, providing a comprehensive B2B and B2C platform. It connects businesses and influential industry leaders to accelerate opportunities among exhibiting brands, distributors, dealers, media and enthusiasts. AIMExpo presented by Nationwide is produced by the Motorcycle Industry Council.
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