BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
The 2015 IBD Summit, organised by Interbike, will now take place at the end of January to allow more retailers the chance to attend.
While the connection with the Sea Otter Classic and the Bicycle Leadership Conference has been one of the event’s key perks, the time of year and location were less than ideal for retailer’s schedules and as a result the Summit will now reschedule to January 27th to 29th, 2015.
A new venue is also booked, with The Phoenix Marriott Tempe to play host. The location should offer a warmer climate to previous years, as well as better accessibility via major airports. A greater selection of local trails will also be a big plus for those looking to try ranges before commiting to stock.
“It was time we changed things up. We really struggled to get dealers out of their stores in April and Monterey was just too difficult and too expensive to get to,” said Pat Hus, vice president of Interbike. “We also felt it was time to take on some bigger issues facing our industry and that mandated a change to the format of the overall event.”
The conference will now feature three major components: top-level speakers that the event has been known for since its inception, the incorporation of a new retail store manager track presented by Mann University and the development and creation of a new Manifesto of Change, detailed below, for the bicycle industry.
Manifesto of Change: For the first time ever the IBD Summit will incorporate sessions by industry experts tackling some of the major challenges affecting IBD’s today:
1) Flat to declining sales and the market share war that is being waged to the detriment of so many. How do we change direction and get back to a growth environment?
2) How do we as an industry work together to manage the new on-line landscape that is shaping retail today? The topics will be discussed in two unique and interactive sessions: Challenging the Status Quo (Wednesday morning 10:30 – 12:30) and Creating a Healthier Specialty Channel Ecosystem (Thursday morning 10:30 – 12:30).
Guest speakers and panelists include Bernie Doering, SVP Global Sales of BRG Sports, Skip Hess, Former CEO of Electra Bicycles and General Manager of Giant USA, Mark Graff, co-founder of SmartEtailing and Buy Local Now, Ronnie Bonner, owner of Sparky’s Distribution (BMX), Tom Henry, owner of Landry’s Bicycles in Boston, MA and more.
Following each presentation, a panel discussion will take place with ample time for retailer and supplier attendees to engage and participate. All participants will be assigned to groups as they check-in and each will be given specific assignments (related to the panel discussions) to work on during the event. The group’s findings and recommendations will be presented at the closing dinner by their respective leaders. These ideas will then be refined and edited into what will form the foundation for the first Manifesto of Change for the bicycle industry. This document will be published by Bicycle Retailer and Industry News post-event with the intent of being a driver for improvement in the channel.
Five industry speakers have been lined up to give seminars. These include AOL’s digital prophet David Shing, expert facilitator David Mead and Randi Busse, a customer service expert.
For the first time in the event’s history all three major trade associations will be represented and will work together towards a common goal of improvement and change. Event sponsors PeopleForBikes and the National Bicycle Dealers Association (NBDA) are back for 2015, as well as 1st time sponsor, the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association (BPSA).
“The BPSA stands behind the mission of the IBD Summit and its quest to help retailers grow their businesses,” said Roger Gierhart, President of the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association and Vice President of Forecasting, Distribution and Logistics at Trek Bicycle Corporation. “The new January dates, Phoenix location and top-notch content should convince any retailer that this is a must-attend, kick-off event for 2015.”
Also sponsoring the event are QBP, Pivot Cycles, 100%, Essor, MET Helmets, Accell North America and BRG Sports.
Road and mountain bike rides will be coordinated for each day as well as a planned golf outing at the Legacy Golf Course on Tuesday January 27th. For more information on golf, contact Ray Keener at ray@growthcycle.net or at 303-525-5489.
Further sponsorship opportunities are available and companies should contact Andria Klinger, sales director at 949-226-5745 / andria.klinger@emeraldexpo.com for more information.
