Don't be surprised to find Minnie Mouse working as a “booth babe” at next year's Interbike International Bicycle Expo as the industry show is relocating to the Anaheim Convention Center, right across the street from Disneyland.
At the same time, Interbike promotors are changing the dates of the giant bike expo to early August to better fit the business cycle of the bicycle industry.
After 12 years in Las Vegas, this coming week marks the finale for the outdoor expo in Boulder City and the indoor show at the Sands Convention Center. The Outdoor Demo is scheduled on Monday and Tuesday, followed by the expo Wednesday through Friday.
New dates and location
The new expo dates will be Aug. 8-12, 2011. The Outdoor Expo will be held at the Irvine Regional Park, about 12 miles from the Anaheim Convention Center, on Aug. 8 and 9; the indoor expo is scheduled for Aug. 10-12.
Interbike promoters secured a three-year contract for these facilities, although no exact dates have been chosen for the August shows in 2012 and 2013.
A press release explained that the early August dates fit better into the bicycle industry pattern of product releases and long-lead times from Asia, where much of the bicycle merchandise is manufactured.
Explained
Show director Andy Tompkins wrote in a press release:
“Over the last few years, we have carefully followed the continuing trend of bicycle manufacturers introducing products earlier to the market. Through extensive discussions with retailers, manufacturers, distributors and our key partners, the associations that represent them — the National Bicycle Dealer Association (NBDA), Bikes Belong Coalition and the Bicycle Product Supplier Association — the consensus suggests that migrated show dates to early August is in the best long-term interest of the industry.
“Further, Las Vegas has been a great host city for the last 12 years, and the Sands Convention Center and Boulder City have been amazing partners, but the industry has expressed a desire foir a change in venue.”
Echoing those remarks NBDA president Mike Nix wrote:
“We understand that these changes will take some adjustment, but we know that it will put Interbike in the sweet spot of the buying cycle and help the show remain the most important busines gathering for bicycle retailers.”
Other bike expos
Also on next year's calendar, Eurobike rolls out Aug. 31 – Sept. 3 in Friedrichshafen, Germany. The Asian trade shows are generally in the spring. The Taipei International Cycle Show is scheduled March 16-19, 2011, and the China International Bicycle Fair is May 4-7, 2011.
The Interbike Expo draws about 23,000 persons a year from all segments of the bicycle industry and 1,100 brands are represented.
The Anaheim Convention Center, remodeled in 2001, houses 815,000 square feet of exhibit space, compared to about 300,000 square feet at the Sands Convention Center.
Recent Comments