Vegas Still Fits for Interbike
Lisa Plummer -- Tradeshow Week, 10/3/2008 10:38:00 AM
Las Vegas remains the best location for Interbike Intl. Bicycle Expo, according to show managers and most exhibitors and attendees. At the annual tradeshow for the bicycle industry, which took place Sept. 24-26 at the Sands MegaCenter, most participants were pleased that the show will stay in Sin City through 2012.
Former show director and current show adviser Lance Camisasca said Las Vegas meets all the requirements necessary to produce and support an event of Interbike’s size and scope. After two years of in-depth research, meetings, online educational and communication efforts with retailers, manufacturers and industry leaders, the decision was made this past June to keep the show in Las Vegas for another three years, he said.
“I don’t think any other market will match what (Las Vegas) can do without a lot of sacrifice,” Camisasca said. “When you list the sacrifices (in moving to another city), Vegas looks pretty good. I think it’s going to stay here for the foreseeable future.”
The decision to stay put appeared to sit well with many of the approximately 700 exhibitors who took up 315,000 net square feet of space.
“It’s a fun place to come, people have a good time and dealers have a good time,” said Chas Belden, sales supervisor from Look Cycle USA. “We wouldn’t be this likely to get this many people coming out if it weren’t in a place like Vegas.”
Mike McQueeney, national sales manager for PowerBar, agreed that Vegas offers unbeatable attractions to draw strong show attendance, including his own.
“I like the night life, and I like to do things,” McQueeney said, “I don’t want to be in an environment where I don’t have that option. I know Denver was an option, but I live in Colorado. I know Anaheim was another option … but I’ve been to Disneyland a bunch of times; I’ve already got my Mickey ears.”
Although most of the 11,000 attendees were enthusiastic about the decision to keep the show where it’s been for more than 12 of its 27 years, a couple of participants thought another location could be a good change of pace for the event.
Armando Pollock, owner of Bicycle Express Distributor in Puerto Rico, said he wouldn’t mind the show rotating closer to home once in a while.
“For me, the flight is eight hours,” Pollock said. “Maybe three years in Florida or something like that would be nice. I know Vegas is good for companies that are here because many are from the West Coast, but it would be nice if they changed (locations) … maybe Denver.”
While pleased about keeping the show in Las Vegas, new Show Director Andy Tompkins said he’ll remain open to industry feedback.
“We’ll revisit the idea (of moving) in a couple of years, … but we expect the same conclusions will be drawn,” Tompkins said. “We always want to be in close touch with the industry and make sure we’re listening to their needs.”
Interbike will return to the Sands MegaCenter Sept. 23-25, 2009.
