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Apr
28
Retailer Registration Opens with a Bang
Filed Under Attendee News, Industry News, Interbike | Comments Off
So retailer and buyer registration for this year’s Interbike and OutDoor Demo is now open. We decided to open reg a few weeks earlier than we typically do, and interest has been really strong so far. As of the release of our press release with the reg update (below) we’ve had more than 2,300 buyers register to attend the show – about a 160% lead on last year this far out from the show. From all the reports I’ve seen and from speaking with people in the industry over the last few months, I think it all points to a strong outlook for bikes this year.
And thanks for the early commitment if you’re one of those who’ve registered already!
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Retailers Registering Earlier and In Larger Numbers for Interbike 2011
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. – April 26, 2011 – Interbike opened buyer registration a month early this year and retailers are responding. Registration for the 30th edition of the industry’s leading trade show is currently at more than 2,300 qualified buyers, a 160 percent increase over last year during the same time span.
“As a buyer, Interbike offers me a chance to spend two days evaluating product at OutDoor Demo, then transition into the indoor show to look at product, reconnect with vendors, and cement deals on the products I decide that I have to have in the store,” said Ted Arnold, bike buyer at Mellow Johnny’s in Austin, Texas. “I also handle the social media for the store and our followers love the fact that we can include them in updates from the show and what we’re doing.”
The yearly pilgrimage to Interbike also offers shop owners a chance to learn from other retailers as well as leaders from across the cycling industry.
“Interbike is a great educational opportunity. I always attend as many seminars as I can and they help me rethink my business strategies,” said New York City’s Bike Habitat Owner Charles McCorkell. “Plus, we’ve found a lot of new products at Interbike that have been very successful for us. There’s just so much there if you open yourself up to it.”
“2011 registration opened with a bang, indicating retailers continue to look to Interbike as the place to be,” said Show Director Andy Tompkins. “Interbike strives to create an efficient and effective forum for a wide variety of retailers. From top 100 dealers, multi-unit and single door shops, to a growing number of dealers from South America and Asia, Interbike provides a platform to get their business done.”
Manufacturers, retailers, press and advocates representing categories across the cycling industry will converge on Bootleg Canyon in Boulder City, Nevada, September 12-13 before their meetings and presentations at the Interbike trade show at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas September 14-16.
Interbike recently provided the industry with a status update on the more than 560 exhibitors that have committed for the 2011 show. Notable returns to the show include Kona, Easton-Bell and Norco, along with a debut presence by legendary outdoor brand The North Face. To read the release in its entirety or for a current exhibitor list please visit www.interbike.com/pressreleases and www.interbike.com/exhibitorlist, respectively.
Interbike and OutDoor Demo attendee registration is available at www.interbike.com/register.
Apr
8
Buyer Registration for 30th Interbike is Now Open
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Registration for qualified retailers, distributors and other buyers is now open for Interbike 2011. Click here to register.
This year’s show will be the 30th edition of the bike industry tradeshow. Interbike was first held in 1982 in Las Vegas.
By the way, we haven’t mentioned or strongly promoted the anniversary until now, and this new 30th anniversary graphic will first be appearing in the next issue of Bicycle Retailer and Industry News to come out (April 1 edition). Our art director, Jennie Brewton, did a great job on the design. As a nice touch, she used a Campy Nuovo Record chainring and spider that would have been available for sale back in 1982 when the show was founded.
May
27
Retailer Registration Outlook – Looking Good
Filed Under Attendee News, Industry News, Interbike | 1 Comment
Richard, of Cyclelicio.us, commented recently in response to my post that retailer registration was open for this year’s Interbike by wondering how the bike industry would respond given the current condition of the economy. He hinted that it could go either way with high energy prices encouraging more bike use but also a sour economy that could cause many people to re-evaluate their spending habits.
Are retailer registration numbers a bellwether for the condition of the bike industry as a whole? Obviously, to some degree they are, but I’m not sure as to how much. Regardless, numbers are looking very strong early in the game here for 2008: individual buyer registration numbers are up about 42% compared to the same number of weeks out from the show as last year. The number of businesses (primarily stores) that have registered already is showing an even larger percentage increase being up 52% over last year. For what it’s worth, the numbers for Interbike’s sister show, Health+Fitness Business, are up even higher.
I sincerely don’t mean this as a shameless sales plug here, just an informative look into a statistic that represents something about the state of the industry. There are many factors that could effect this number and one of them to not overlook is that we have a renewed emphasis on retailer outreach with a marketing person dedicated to the job. We also take pride in the fact that we’ve continued to try to make the show increasingly relevent, effective, informative and, yes, entertaining to attendees.
With that said, we also know that this is a mature industry that isn’t growing by leaps and bounds, as all of you in the biz know too well. We can’t realistically expect to have 42% more people showing up in September, but the early interest in attending is surely a positive sign for the industry. Are people just registering earlier than last year because we’ve been communicating better? Are more people more interested in attending this year because of the opportunities or challenges that the economy is presenting us? We’ll see. 17 weeks to go…
OK, shameless plug time. Despite all the great networking and communicating that takes place online between all the great industry blogs, podcasts, videos, Twitterings, etc., we still believe in the value of the face-to-face social networking that takes place at a trade show–especially in such a passionate and tight-knit industry like ours that has so much to gain by getting together and working together.
See you in Vegas! (and Providence!)