If you’re one of the many, many bike shops that can’t take off for a week of tradeshow in the late summer/early fall, you’ll be happy to know Interbike is bringing a demo event to the U.S. National Whitewater Center near Charlotte, North Carolina in October 2016.
The event’s already got big brands on board, including Cannondale (CSG), SRAM, Santa Cruz, Niner, Fox Racing, Pivot, Campagnolo, KHS-Free Agent Bicycles, 100%, Giordana, Pinarello, Devinci and “many more”. There’ll be two days for industry only (Oct 20-21) and two days that are open to the public (22-23).
The venue not only has miles of trail, but also a high ropes course, zip line, rock wall and man-made rapids to paddle through. So, family friendly without breaking the bank…maybe we’ll see that the big show doesn’t need to be in Vegas every year. *fingers crossed*
Full PR below…
PRESS RELEASE: SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. – December 9, 2015 – Interbike, the largest bicycle industry trade show in North America, today announced that a large number of major brands have already committed to the new Fall CycloFest event set to launch next October in Charlotte, NC. The East Coast focused event will offer retailers the opportunity to see and demo 2017 new products, attend tech clinics and participate in retail education seminars over two dedicated trade-only days. Slated to take place just outside Charlotte North Carolina at the U.S. National Whitewater Center, the festival formatted event will also offer brands two days of consumer activation to include racing, demos, music, skills clinics and more.
“We knew that we needed our partner brands to come on board early for this event to get the traction we anticipate,” said Pat Hus, Vice President of Interbike. “With this stable of committed companies we know we can deliver the audience and the experience that we have always envisioned for this event. Our goal has always been to find ways to help the retailer, and these brands agree that more attention needs to be given to the regions east of the Mississippi. This is going to be a first-class event that makes the trip to North Carolina productive and fun for both retailers and consumers alike.”
Technical sessions are already being planned by SRAM, Fox Racing, Campagnolo and many others to bring mechanics up to speed on their latest offerings.
“We see value in the opportunity to connect with East Coast retailers and consumers in their home region at the first annual Fall CycloFest next year in Charlotte, NC,” said Mario Galasso, President of FOX. “We’re looking forward to a strong turnout so attendees can learn about our latest products, get their suspension set up by our experts and participate in one of our hosted technical seminars.”
The event will be held October 20-23, 2016, at the U.S. National Whitewater Center (USNWC) in Charlotte, NC, just minutes from Charlotte Douglas International Airport. With more than 25 miles of groomed mountain bike trails, zip lining, SUP, rock climbing, whitewater rafting and extensive road riding in the surrounding area, the facility is perfectly set up for an event like CycloFest.
The Fall CycloFest will start out with two days open to retailers, distributors and media only. In addition to the heavy emphasis on demo and technical education, the event will also feature numerous educational sessions for retailers from Mann U, the NBDA and Interbike University.
“The Mann Group is very excited to be a part of CycloFest here in our backyard next Fall,” said Dan Mann, Founder and President of The Mann Group. “We will bring dynamic content designed to help all employees at the retail level enhance their performance – in turn, enhancing the performance of their business.”
A sampling of the brands set to exhibit at Fall CycloFest include Cycling Sports Group, SRAM, Santa Cruz, Niner, Fox Racing, Pivot, Campagnolo, KHS – Free Agent Bicycles, 100%, Giordana, Pinarello, Devinci and many more.
