Interbike has a new home for 2018, and for a number of retailers and exhibitors it will feel a bit familiar. Today, Interbike announced the destination of their highly anticipated move – Reno, NV. While the show itself will be held at the Reno-Sparks Convention center, the Outdoor demo (and Consumer Demo) will be held near Lake Tahoe at Northstar Resort. For the past two years, Quality Bicycle Products has held their own mini trade show at Northstar, SaddleDrive, which is ironically where I’m headed home from as we speak.
According to Interbike, the week long festival will kick off Saturday, September 15th with the “Interbike Marketweek 2018 experience.” A two day consumer demo and festival will continue into Sunday the 16th, transitioning to an industry only Outdoor Demo at 2pm. Outdoor Demo then continues Monday the 17th, with gondola access for attendees. From there, the show moves about 45 minutes North East, to the Reno-Sparks Convention Center and will conclude after three days of trade show on Thursday the 20th at 4pm.
Interbike claims the move results in lower cost for exhibitors, a better experience for show-goers and consumers, and better weather and scenery than Las Vegas. Will this be the change Interbike needs to survive? Time will tell…
From Interbike:
SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. – August 3, 2017 – America’s leading cycling trade show – Interbike – is pleased to announce it has selected Reno-Tahoe as the new home for the Interbike trade show and the site of the newly-created Interbike Marketweek. Interbike Marketweek will begin with a weekend consumer festival at epic Northstar California Resort, will segue into the trade-focused OutDoor Demo, also at Northstar, and transition to the Interbike trade show at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center beginning in 2018 and continuing through 2022.
“We’re extremely excited about this move for a multitude of reasons,” said Pat Hus, Vice President of Interbike. “For the first time in a very long time, we’ve been able to hit the reset button on Interbike and OutDoor Demo and give the industry something new and fresh that we couldn’t do in our previous locations. With the support and investment from the city of Reno we are going to be able to truly create a one-of-a-kind, week-long celebration and experience around cycling. We also recognize that this is a critical time in our industry and that we need to provide a more cost-effective approach to exhibiting at the show, and we are now able to provide that.”
Interbike, which is part of Emerald Expositions, remains at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in 2017 with the OutDoor Demo in Boulder City, NV.
“Las Vegas has been a great home and we appreciate their partnership over the years,” said Hus. “However, Reno-Tahoe gives us an unmatched blend of world-class venue for a consumer festival and the OutDoor Demo, state of the art convention center, fantastic hotel choices, robust nightlife and a more intimate environment of welcome and celebration. Cycling will be the center of attention for the Reno-Tahoe area for the entire week. The Reno-Tahoe experience will be personable, affordable and picturesque for all attendees.”
Interbike Marketweek 2018: New Format, Days, Times
The Interbike Marketweek 2018 experience will begin with a consumer festival on Saturday, September 15th, at the Northstar California Resort, located near Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada mountain range. Northstar is home to Northern California’s largest bike park with countless downhill runs, cross country trails and is accessible by gondola and chair lifts, offering an epic experience for consumers to test products from the most innovative brands in the bicycle industry. The area also boasts some of the most inspiring road rides in the world and has played host to a number of major events including the Tour of California. Racing, music, craft beer and more are planned for the two-day festival. The consumer demo will continue Sunday, September 16th through mid-day, but will transition to OutDoor Demo that afternoon and will be open only to the trade after 2 pm. OutDoor Demo will continue Monday, September 17th and will run from 8 am to 6 pm with free gondola access to all attendees.Interbike Trade Show Opens Tuesday, September 18, 2018
Following the demo experience, the Interbike International Trade Show will take place from Tuesday, September 18th through Thursday September 20th at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center (RSCC) just south of downtown Reno. The new Tuesday through Thursday format will allow retailers and exhibitors to travel home in time for the weekend. Expo hours on Tuesday and Wednesday will be 10 am-6 pm, with Thursday being 10 am-4 pm.The new hours will allow attendees to take part in educational content before the show opens, lessening conflict with valuable time on the show floor. Interbike will be making significant additional investments in education both in morning sessions and on the trade show floor itself. All meeting room space is adjacent to the main halls which will make participation even easier.
