With the 2013 edition of Interbike now in the past, the largest bicycle industry trade show in North America commented today on the move to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center (MBCC), show attendance and more.
“General feedback and the vibe on Interbike 2013 has been very positive,” said Pat Hus, Vice President of Interbike. “We had to manage quite a bit of ‘new’ this year, and we’ve heard from retailers and exhibitors alike who were both pleased with the end result of their visit, and also enjoyed their experience at our new home within the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.”
Overall attendance was down 7 percent from 2012. While stricter qualification processes were in effect for retailers to limit non-industry attendance on trade days, this did not negitavely impact store attendance. Preliminary data shows that store count was up 8 percent (350 additional stores) with less people attending per store than in 2012 – a natural reflection of the tough business climate faced by the US bicycle industry during the first half of the year.
“We were able to send 5 employees to Interbike last year,” noted Marty Epstein of Marty’s Reliable Cycle in New Jersey. “But with the difficult business conditions during the first half of the year we needed to watch our expenses more carefully, so this year we brought only 2 employees.”
Other noticeable statistics derived from some of the initial data include an 18 percent decline in retail buyers from Colorado, which just days before the show suffered some of the worst flood devastation in its history.
Preliminary data shows that approximately 750 verified consumers attended Interbike’s 1st consumer-access day on Friday, September 20th. While that number is well below initial estimates, Interbike will review the program and seek to find better ways to increase attendance in the future.
“This was our first attempt to show cycling enthusiasts all of the great brands that exhibit at Interbike, and help strengthen relationships with their local IBD’s,” said Hus. “We learned quite a bit from the experience, and while the program did not meet our expectations, we don’t want to just throw in the towel either.”
Over 1400 brands exhibited on more than 320,000 net square feet (not including the main lobby or The Paddock) which is approximately 1.5 percent larger than 2012 and the largest Interbike ever staged. While more than 220 brands exhibited at OutDoor Demo (a 10 percent increase over 2012)registered buyer and distributor attendees increased as well by 6 percent.
Show event highlights include:
- Industry Breakfast: More than 650 people attended to hear keynote speaker Graeme Newell, Tim Blumenthal of PeopleForBikes and Fred Clements of the NBDA.
- Ride 2 Recovery Honor Ride: Approximately150 show attendees and injured veterans participated in an emotional ride from MBCC to OutDoor Demo.
- Industry Party with George Thorogood: More than 1000 attendees came to watch blues rocker George Thorogood perform exclusively for our audience.
- Throwback Thursday: Approximately 8,000 people were on hand in The Paddock to watch the events in The Paddock including the band, Phoenix, and the USA CRITS Finals.
- NBDA Super Seminars: According to the NBDA, retailer attendance at the Super Seminars was up over 20 percent over 2012.
While early feedback from the Industry has been generally positive, Interbike continues to strive toimprove the show. Hus indicated that refinements are already in the works to ensure next years’ show is even better for all attendees.
Interbike returns to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in 2014, beginning with OutDoor Demo in Boulder City, NV on September 8-9, 2014, followed by the Interbike Expo on September 10-12, 2014.
Photo © Christy Nicholson / EchelonDesignPhoto.com
