Interbike Makes a Friend

Nielsen Business Media's Interbike, the largest U.S. show for the bike industry, signed a 10-year multi-million dollar deal with Bikes Belong, the U.S. bike industry's advocacy group.

The agreement ends speculation that Bikes Belong would break away from Interbike and launch its own event.

According to a statement by Interbike, "Bikes Belong will officially endorse Interbike as the U.S. bike industry's tradeshow and will end its consideration of launching or supporting a competing event."

Interbike and Bikes Belong said the partnership is meant to boost efforts to get more Americans to ride bicycles.

The advocacy group also will work closely with Interbike "to maximize the appeal of the show and its related events to suppliers, retailers and bike advocates," according to the Interbike statement.

"This new pact will be key to Interbike's future successes and the growth of the bicycle industry," said Lance Camisasca, Interbike's group show director.

Since Bikes Belong's inception in 1999, Interbike has supported it in a number of ways:

• providing Bikes Belong its first cash grant
• frequently paying more than its membership dues
• providing complimentary exhibition and advertising space
• creating fundraising programs and events to enhance Bikes Belong's work

It's the second time in less than a year that Interbike has dodged a bullet in the form of a possible competitor. In November, Messe Friedrichshafen, owner of Germany's massive Eurobike show, announced it planned to launch a U.S. version in the fall of this year at the Portland (Ore.) Convention Center.

Camisasca told TSW at the time: "We welcome the competition, as it will help us do a better job. However, we are also greatly concerned about the dividing effect Eurobike's announcement may have on the industry."

Luckily for Interbike, Messe Friedrichshafen backpedaled and decided it would not launch a U.S. event on its own, but instead add a trade component to a much smaller bike industry event, the Sea Otter Classic.

In the meantime, there were rumblings within the bike industry that Bikes Belong, which had worked with Interbike for a number of years, was thinking of starting its own show. When asked recently by TSW about the rumors, Tim Blumenthal, executive director of Bikes Belong, declined to comment.

Obviously, the two eventually saw eye-to-eye and formed a long-term partnership. Interbike was in the clear once again to be the dominant bike show in the U.S. In the 2007 TSW 200, Interbike ranked No. 72, and the 2006 show drew more than 10,000 attendees and 739 exhibitors to a 307,865 net sq. ft. showfloor at the Sands Expo & Convention Center/Venetian Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas.

Speaking of Las Vegas, it's another possible headache Interbike might face in the future. Interbike is booked in the city through 2008, but there have been complaints from exhibitors and attendees that it's not bike-friendly or family-oriented, prompting talk of a move to Salt Lake City.

So far, Interbike has made no announcements regarding how long it will remain in Las Vegas.