BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
CABDA Expo organisers have opened registration for all three of their 2023 regional trade shows: CABDA West in Metro Los Angeles, CABDA Midwest held outside Chicago, and CABDA East in Metro New York City.
CABDA show director Jim Kersten said: “We’re excited to be firing on all cylinders again. The pandemic was certainly not kind to in-person events; between the travel restrictions, staffing issues, exhibitors with empty warehouses, our events last year were about half the size they normally are.”
CABDA West will be taking place in January 2023, CABDA Midwest in February and CABDA East in March.
Kersten said: “Last year, local Governments were still using all of our venues as testing and vaccination sites, so our options were either run smaller events in the fall or postpone to unknown future dates.
“We’ve always worked to produce events that are easy for retailers to attend, and getting back to our off-season pattern helps out a lot.”
Organisers have also announced details of the new E-Mobility Showcase that will take place at each event. The ‘Show-Within-A-Show’ will feature e-bike demos, a separate product guide, and a special track of educational sessions focused on e-bikes and e-scooters.
“The rapid proliferation of e-bikes and other e-powered products is a sea-change moment for bike retailers,” Kersten said.
“How dealers sell, service, and market these bikes to their customers is changing quickly. Providing the technical training and best practices for safe operation and battery storage will be incredibly important moving forward.”
CABDA shows will continue to feature tech clinics and business seminars organised by the Professional Bicycle Mechanics Association (PBMA) and the National Bicycle Dealers Association (NBDA).
“Ultimately, we need to make it easier for shops to bring staff to learn about new products and receive hands-on technical/sales training,” Kersten said. “We also want it to be a place where exhibitors can write orders. And hopefully lots of them!”
Read more: Yamaha launches own-brand e-bikes in MTB, gravel and urban sectors
CABDA West takes place on 10th and 11th January 2023 at the Ontario Convention Center outside Los Angeles.
CABDA Midwest takes place on 8th and 9th February 2023 at the Schaumburg Convention Center outside Chicago.
CABDA East takes place on 8th and 9th March 2023 at the Meadowlands Expo Center outside New York City.
Exhibitor information and dealer registration can be found at www.cabdashow.com.
