Harley-Davidson H.O.G. Directors Meeting DACH 2024 in Willingen

H.O.G. Directors Meeting 2024 in Willingen - A weekend full of community and future planning

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of attending the H.O.G. Directors Meeting 2024 in Willingen. In the heart of the Sauerland, in the Hotel Sauerlandstern, Chapter directors and managers from the entire DACH region (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) came together to discuss the future of the Harley Owners Group, to network and to set the course for the coming year.

What is the H.O.G.?
With over 1.1 million members, the Harley Owners Group (H.O.G.) is the world's largest community of Harley-Davidson riders. The H.O.G. offers its members not only access to special events, but also a platform to live their passion for motorcycling in a strong community. Especially in the DACH region, there are many active chapters that organize regular rides, meetings and charity events.

The Directors Meeting: planning and exchange
The H.O.G. Directors Meeting is an annual event at which the chapter directors from the DACH region come together. It is not only about discussing organizational topics, but also about sharing ideas, best practices and experiences. This meeting provides an important opportunity to ensure that all chapters are well positioned for the coming year and that the values of the H.O.G. are carried forward.

Challenges and need for change at the H.O.G. Directors Meeting

Of course, the Directors Meeting is also the place where challenges and change requests are discussed. One topic that was discussed was the possible dissolution of chapters that are not assigned to an official dealer. One specific case concerned a chapter that has existed for 29 years and has been searching in vain for a new dealer for 15 years, as the original dealer no longer exists.

A possible dissolution is met with incomprehension, especially if the chapter is not in conflict with the dealer, but the dealer is simply no longer available or exists. In my opinion, it is Harley-Davidson's responsibility to find a solution here and to provide a new authorized dealer if necessary. A practicable interim solution would be to enter into sponsorships with other dealers. This would allow the chapter to be temporarily assigned to another dealer until a permanent solution is found.

Hotel prices at H.O.G. Events as a challenge

Another problem is the high hotel prices, especially at official H.O.G. events. It is often the case that hotels in the host cities drastically increase their prices as soon as it becomes known that the Harley-Davidson bikers are coming to town. Basically, you could say that this is the market mechanism of supply and demand. In such cases, there is little room for maneuver: either you factor in the higher prices from the outset or you switch to accommodation in neighboring towns.

Partner hotels and the need for clear rules

The situation is different when Harley-Davidson itself recommends partner hotels for the events. In these cases, clear rules should apply to all parties involved. The accusation that some people book first in order to block rooms and only then agree everything has been raised, especially for medium-sized locations. This is often difficult to implement at such events. It is therefore recommended that planning is better coordinated with members in advance, as the dates are usually known well in advance. At the H.O.G. Rally 2025 in Medulin, for example, the venue was only known weeks after the date was announced, which meant that there was actually sufficient planning time.

Venue: Hotel Sauerland Stern
The Hotel Sauerlandstern in Willingen provided the perfect setting for this meeting. With its central location and excellent conference rooms, it was an ideal venue for the Directors Meeting 2024. The spacious facilities and outstanding hospitality played a key role in ensuring that the event was not only successful in organizational terms, but also took place in a relaxed atmosphere.

The Bike Days Willingen 2025 were a topic!

On Friday evening, Florian Goebel and I took the opportunity to invite the chapters to the Bike Days Willingen, which will take place from July 10 to 13, 2025, in the beautiful Sauerland region. We had intensive discussions with five surrounding chapter directors about how H.O.G. members can be integrated into the event so that they can present themselves and their chapters at the event. Many great ideas were brought to the table that evening.

Plans and ideas for the Bike Days Willingen 2025

The focus was on the desire for an H.O.G. Lounge, where the chapters can introduce themselves to interested visitors and thus attract new members to the community. A large map showing all chapters from the DACH region and the Benelux countries is particularly important in order to include the neighboring countries, as many guests from these regions are expected.

H.O.G. Lounge and rally: A community experience for the chapters

As numerous directors were on site, the idea quickly arose to organize a large rally to the event, with chapters from the DACH region and beyond making their way to Willingen together. The arrival will be celebrated accordingly.

Ladies of Harley - An important part of the H.O.G. community

The growing presence of women in the Harley scene

In general, women are becoming increasingly common in the Harley scene. They ride their own Harleys to numerous events and have become an integral part of the Harley-Davidson community. The Ladies of Harley (LoH), the official women's division of the Harley Owners Group, plays a special role in this. This group not only offers women the opportunity to be part of the H.O.G. community, but also promotes exchange and networking among each other. The Ladies of Harley are now firmly represented at many Harley events and make a significant contribution to the diversity and openness of the scene.

Ladies of Harley are welcome in Willingen!

The Ladies of Harley are also very welcome in Willingen. Mary Mölder, a committed representative of the LoH, was on site and brought exciting ideas with her. This ensures that the Ladies of Harley will also have a permanent place at Bike Days Willingen in the future. For the 2025 event, there will therefore be space and opportunities to integrate the Ladies of Harley more strongly into the event so that they can present themselves and their activities to a wider audience.

The increasing presence of women in the Harley scene shows that motorcycling is no longer a male domain. The Ladies of Harley make a decisive contribution to the further development and enrichment of the community.

Tips for accommodation in Willingen for the Bike Days Willingen

If you are looking for accommodation in Willingen for the Bike Days Willingen, we recommend that you always call the accommodation directly and ask the landlord of the accommodation for the price. If you have any questions or need assistance, please send an e-mail to chapter@harleysite.de

Highlights of the weekend
A central point of the meeting was the future planning of the H.O.G. chapters in the DACH region. New strategies were developed to network and motivate members even more. The question of how the H.O.G. can attract new members in the coming years while maintaining its tradition was the focus of many discussions.

The exchange between experienced chapter directors and those who have only recently grown into this role was particularly exciting. These interactions are what make the H.O.G. network so strong: You learn from each other and inspire each other.

The community aspect
As always at H.O.G. events, the sense of community also played a major role. After the official sessions, there was plenty of opportunity to get to know each other better over shared meals and the biathlon. Old friendships were deepened and new contacts made - exactly what the H.O.G. is all about.

Biathlon to strengthen the community after the Directors Meeting

After the official part of the H.O.G. Directors Meeting in Willingen, a special highlight awaited the participants: a biathlon competition to promote team spirit and community among the H.O.G. members.

This event combined short running distances with shooting, using small-caliber rifles. Participants were able to compete in this exciting challenge, which was not about top performance, but about having fun and sharing the experience. One of the most frequent comments was the growing respect for the professional athletes that you develop when you watch biathlon on TV and now experience for yourself how challenging it is to hit the target accurately with a rifle after running.

The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly throughout, and the participants cheered each other on. The biathlon generated a lot of enthusiasm and provided the perfect opportunity to network and strengthen team spirit in a relaxed manner after an intensive day.

The photos taken during the competition perfectly capture the joy and team spirit and show how the event further strengthened the sense of community.

More information, for H.O.G. Chapters!

If you are an H.O.G. member or have a special task in an H.O.G. chapter, then sign up now for the Harleysite e-mail chapter newsletter.

Text & photo credits: Harleysite / Volker Wolf

---