Interbike to get robust competition in 2007

The new show will take place in Portland, Oregon, during September of 2007. The date is set to clash with Las Vegas' Interbike, annually held in the same month. This means exhibitors will have to choose one American show only at which they'll exhibit their wares.

Last week the National Bicycle Dealers Association (NBDA) announced its intention to "enthusiastically partner with Interbike."
But neither the NBDA, powerful though it is, nor its members are in a strong position to affect an outcome. Wherever their vendors choose to exhibit determines which airport the retailers will fly into, so they must patiently wait and see how the trade show war plays out.

Manufacturers contacted by Slowtwitch.com, who spoke on background, were unanimous in their views that a Portland show was to their liking, not simply because of the locale, but because Portland's trade show industry is non-union. Exhibitors have, in the main, grown annoyed with the unionized aspect of the Interbike show, and the thousands of extra dollars it costs the typical mid-sized exhibitor to set up, exhibit, and tear down in Las Vegas.

Several attempts to interview the Eurobike show's U.S. representative, Eric Reiss, were denied, but Reiss promised, "…more press releases during this month."

This is not the first time Interbike has faced a challenge in recent years. Trek, along with some other large exhibitors, attempted to start a maverick show that went by the acronym BIO. The show flopped, but Trek has not warmed to Interbike and hasn't returned in recent years.

One by one several large manufacturers either stopped going to Interbike or only have a token booth there. Specialized' booth is barely the size of Cervelo's and QR's, even though they are arguably the largest seller of bicycle units in the U.S. Specialized and Trek (which probably remains the largest revenue seller of bicycles in the U.S.) rely on bringing their biggest dealers to their respective headquarters instead of meeting them at Interbike.

But this new show might cause either or both of America's flagship bike makers to reconsider attending an annual U.S. industry get-together. Likewise some of the smaller manufacturers, such as Serotta, which also eschew Interbike, will want to consider the more attractive Portland venue.

Unknown is whether the largest manufacturers, such as Trek, Cannondale, Specialized and Giant, will be offered inducements to exhibit at Eurobike's Portland show. In the same way a shopping center offers free or greatly reduced rental space to "anchor" department stores, will Eurobike subsidize any floor space inhabited by America's largest manufacturers? Eurobike's representative have not replied to this question.

This issue could impact the new show's prospects, particularly for exhibitors who remember the BIO show. Those sensitive to the interplay between the industry's shows (historically places of detente) and its mega corporations may be drawn back to Vegas and its damnable union charges, depending on how the Eurobike show's facts unfold.

Triathlon's fortunes may well rise with the advent of trade show competition. The NBDA, which favors Interbike and is granted a place of promenince in that show, has historically ignored triathlon. It's "Super Seminars" have never touched on the theme of multisport, though it is probably the fastest growing major revenue source for its more serious members.

With two shows vieing for exhibitor attendance, how each treats the bloc of exhibitors in a major category such as multisport could help determine the success at such a show. Accordingly, this year's competitive trade show environment may offer this sport a lever with which to pry for itself the place of prominence it does not now enjoy.