(Sturgis, SD) The 77th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally featured over a half a million riders of all stripes, who descended on the Black Hills region to help celebrate the world’s most iconic motorcycle gathering. With attendance and merchandise sales at or near levels generated for the iconic 75th anniversary two years ago, Sturgis 77 can only be considered a fantastic success. But as stewards of the Sturgis brand, the volunteer board of SMRi feel a strong responsibility to help promote, grow and strengthen the Sturgis brand overall, which is why they used the 77th Anniversary as an opportunity to unveil the official Sturgis branded logo for next year’s 78th.
“Our long term vision is the Sturgis institution,” said Sturgis Mayor Mark Carstensen. “So while the 77th rally was a heck of a good time, it’s just the one rally. That’s why we unveil the 78th logo with as much excitement and celebration as we did for the 75th, 76th and 77th. It’s about the totality of the Sturgis legacy.”
The unveiling of the logo took place on Main Street in downtown Sturgis, SD, at the East Photo Tower. Mayor Mark Carstensen presided over the ceremony. The presentation of the new logo marks the beginning of the Sturgis preparation cycle, which continues throughout the year until next August. With legendary roots in the Black Hills, the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally is the world’s largest, and SMRi board members feel an acute responsibility to the people of Sturgis and the surrounding area.
“SMRi was founded for two reasons: to promote economic progress in the Black Hills region and to use proceeds from sales of official licensed merchandise to return money to the Sturgis community via charitable donations,” said SMRi Board Member and City of Sturgis Councilman Rod Bradley. “SMRi’s responsibility is to continue advocating for and developing the Sturgis brand so the people in the Sturgis community can flourish and realize returns from the world’s largest motorcycling phenomenon. That’s why we were ready with the 78th logo, and that’s why we’ll work as hard as we can to make the 78th Sturgis Motorcycle Rally the best one yet.”
About SMRi
Sturgis Motorcycle Rally, Inc. (SMRi) is a South Dakota not-for-profit organization with no owners or shareholders and a volunteer board. The group’s primary responsibility is to promote, grow and strengthen the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally and provide a charitable return for the greater Sturgis area through the development of a licensing program related to the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally. The board positions represent a variety of organizations and interests in the Sturgis area, including the Sturgis Area Chamber of Commerce, City of Sturgis, Sturgis-area commercial property owners, and rally- and non-rally–oriented businesses.
