Today Interbike — the largest annual cycling trade show in North America — announced they are changing venues from Las Vegas to Reno-Tahoe. Interbike will be in its new home beginning in 2018, with an agreement that runs through 2022. There are a number of reasons for the move according to the Pat Hus, Vice President of Interbike:
For the first time in a very long time, we’ve been able to hit the reset button on Interbike and OutDoor Demo and give the industry something new and fresh that we couldn’t do in our previous locations. With the support and investment from the city of Reno we are going to be able to truly create a one-of-a-kind, week-long celebration and experience around cycling. We also recognize that this is a critical time in our industry and that we need to provide a more cost-effective approach to exhibiting at the show, and we are now able to provide that.
Along with the change of venue, the entire show is getting a rebrand along with a reworking of the schedule. The event will now be known as “Interbike Marketweek.” Traditionally, Interbike began with the OutDoor Demo (ODD) portion of the show on Monday and Tuesday. ODD currently takes place at Bootleg Canyon outside Las Vegas and gives attendees a chance to ride next year’s bikes. The indoor portion of the show — Interbike — runs from Wednesday through Friday.
With the new Interbike Marketweek format, the show kicks off on Saturday at the Northstar California Resort, and will be open to consumers. The idea is to provide more of a festival atmosphere with racing, music, and beer. Starting midday Sunday through Monday, the event will transition to industry-only.
From there, the show moves indoors to the Reno-Sparks Convention Center, Tuesday through Thursday. The Reno-Sparks Convention Center is a non-union facility, which will make it more affordable for brands to attend. At the current venue in Vegas there are tight restrictions on what attendees can do themselves on site, such as carrying in items and setting up their booths. The new venue should help lower the barrier to entry for exhibitors.
Jeff and I listened in on the conference call about the move today and generally, the reactions were positive. I, for one, will look forward to riding in Tahoe.
