Carlton Reid and Rich Kelly at Interbike 2007. Carlton writes for the British cycling publication Bike Biz; Rich Kelly is Interbike's marketing manager."The decision to keep the Interbike show in Vegas comes after years of research and communication with our retailer attendees, exhibiting manufacturers and important industry partners," said Lance Camisasca, Interbike's industry consultant. "The data and communication we have collected, along with industry recommendations from organizations like the National Bicycle Dealers Association (NBDA) and Bikes Belong, confirm our decision to keep the show in Las Vegas."
Keeping Las Vegas as the host city for the Interbike trade show came into question two years ago in preparation to renew the show's contract with the Sands Convention Center, which expires with the 2009 show. Among other things, members of the industry were interested in seeing the show support a more cycling-friendly city, while maintaining the best return on investment for exhibitors and retail buyers.
More space needed. Some of the key requirements of Interbike are contiguous exhibit space of at least 700,000 gross square-feet and ample meeting room space, a large and diverse selection of hotels, restaurants and entertainment options conveniently located to the events, an international airport located within close proximity to the event with many flight options, numerous carriers and low airfare rates, and an outdoor demo site with great weather, extensive cross country/downhill trails and a closed road loop.
While Interbike management heard the voices of those who wanted out of Vegas, an overwhelming number of retailers and industry attendees picked Las Vegas over alternate venues in surveys. "After numerous communications with our members and board and reviewing the annual survey results, the proof is in the numbers," said Fred Clements, executive director of the National Bicycle Dealers Association. "In addition to what shop owners and managers say to us and what they put in a survey, retailers' loudest vote has been with their feet by attending the show."
"Interbike did a great job of sharing their survey results and other research," said Tim Blumenthal, executive director of Bikes Belong. "After so many years in Las Vegas, the simple idea of a new host city is appealing, but the data shows that retailers and suppliers still prefer this city for a variety of good reasons. Thus, we support the decision to stay for the next few years."
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...las vegas & interbike are like the ultimate complimentary dichotomy...they are both so right & so wrong for each other...
...vegas is not whatsoever, a bike friendly town, but it does support an infrastructure that easily facilitates 'the show'...the airport is right there in the middle of town...it's only about 6 minutes away from the 'sands convention center' by cab...
...vegas is loaded w/ excellent restaurants of all calibers & price ranges to suit everyone from shop rats to industry execs or if you get fussy like me, there is even a whole foods near the 'green valley' turn off...if you don't eat well in vegas, baby, you ain't trying...
...while it's old hat to the regular show goers, 'sin city's' architecture really is kind of amazing & if you have the time for entertainment, there is everything from street performances to 'strip clubs' to the expensively sublime floor-shows...& if you're on cyclings 'A' list you'll have your invitations to the right parties...
...now that they've added both a cyclo-cross race & a crit in town during the evenings, on top off the 'dirt-demo' out in 'bootleg canyon', interbike now involves a fair amount of actual cycling although it's mostly just days of standing around talking about it...
...& top cap it all off...while the bicycle industry is genuinely well stocked w/ good, honest hardworking folks, the bicycles & products these days, seem to have a bit of that "over the top, rah, rah, look at me" las vegas flair...maybe that's the real reason for staying...
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