BikeBiz Bicycle and cycling retail news
Pocket Outdoor Media has acquired Bicycle Retailer & Industry News (BRAIN) from Emerald Expositions.
As part of the transaction, BRAIN will no longer be published by the National Bicycle Dealers Association (NBDA). The NBDA has had the exclusive right to publish Bicycle Retailer since 2003. The deal closed 31st January.
“Bringing BRAIN into Pocket Outdoor Media is a little piece of history coming full circle,” said Felix Magowan, chairman of Pocket Outdoor Media. “VeloNews helped establish BRAIN in 1992 and this acquisition means we will continue BRAIN’s legacy of authoritative industry coverage.”
Darrell Denny, executive vice president at Emerald Expositions, said: “It’s hard to imagine a better fit for BRAIN than with the folks at Pocket. They know and understand this market, they have direct experience with the title, and they are clearly media pros.”
Brandee Lepak, the NBDA’s president, said: “We could not be more excited for the future. The NBDA truly believes Pocket Outdoor Media is the perfect home for our industry’s most valued trade publication, and Felix is a passionate professional. I am confident he will see that BRAIN has a successful and sustainable future.”
Andrew Pemberton, Pocket Outdoor Media’s CEO, said: “Acquiring BRAIN means we are now even more tightly connected to the cycling industry. From manufacturers to IBDs to consumers — we can serve and support cycling better than ever.”
Marc Sani, who has been serving as BRAIN’s interim publisher, said: “VeloNews has always been a trusted media brand and an innovator in bicycle publishing. I am confident that Pocket will further extend BRAIN’s recent moves into improving its website and newsletters, adding fresh voices to its portfolio like Arleigh Greenwald’s Shift Up podcast, and develop new products to better serve our customers.”
Steve Frothingham, BRAIN’s editor-in-chief, said: “I’m thrilled BRAIN has found a trusted partner and a new home, particularly given the rapidly changing media landscape. Joining with them will give us the support we need to better focus on the critical coverage that IBDs and the industry need to make business decisions in this uncertain environment.”
