BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
"Core Bike is the easiest, friendliest and most cost effective way of allowing IBDs the opportunity to see a large amount of brands and distributors without wasting time and money away from the shop visiting single supplier shows," said Darren Mabbott of Silverfish, one of the organisers of Core Bike.
The show was started four years ago with six high-end distributors taking space in the West Brom Moathouse. Now staged at the luxury Whittlebury Hall hotel, near Silverstone, Core Bike is made up of 15 suppliers, including four new ones for 2008.
The new exhibitors are 2Pure, Pace Racing, Buff and Orange. They join Silverfish, Extra, Hope, Paligap, Siwis, Fox, Windwave, Upgrade, Chicken, Ison Distribution and ATB Sales.
The original six "teamed up because there was no other trade show that sufficiently catered to the needs of today’s Independent Bike Dealers," said Mabbott.
"Rather than each of them hosting their own ‘in-house’ show, the Core Bike group recognised that dealers wanted more suppliers in a single location instead of having to visit countless single supplier shows."
Core Bike, being located in a posh hotel (one with a spa, even), has the extra advantage of captive conviviality: attendees can stay the night and be wined and dined.
"We have negotiated special rates at the spa, and for overnight stays including evening dinner and breakfast. These are £110 for a single and £160 for a double," said Mabbott.
Stay the night on January 28th and you can part in the first Core Bike Gala Evening. Held in the Brooklands suite, the evening will include sumo suit wrestling, Sega rally car and motorbike racing, bucking bronco rides and ‘human roulette’.
Day attendees need to pre-register online. Those staying over need to book their accommodation and attendance through Elaine Curtin, e.curtin@easynet.co.uk
CORE BIKE: January 27th, 28th and 29th
