Interbike is working up plans for consumer access. At the moment, details are short, but it’s being called a “consumer access initiative” that’ll likely have some component of dealer invitations to gain entry. So, sounds like it won’t be a free-for-all last day open house like at Eurobike where everything that needs to make it back to the office is either bolted down or simply put behind a glass case. More as we get it.
This is a terrible idea. Interbike gets enough press and new products and services are over reviewed. This will take away from local shops and also frustrate manufacturers. I don’t want to talk to retail people, we go to talk to industry partners and build relationships, not to worry about customer interaction, you do that all year long 🙂 Poor move of desperation for Interbike.
When consumers are involved, it turns into an opportunity to sell product. Consumers are not there to “look” at product, they want to buy it. Now this is not necessarily a bad idea. At the end of the show a lot of booths want to dump product so they do not have to carry back. Also if you get a consumer hooked on your product, they will go to the shops to get more. If it is done right w/ intention to sell, it will work out great and put some cash back in the pockets of the brands spending insane amounts of cash to show product.
Do we really want the consumer to see us all drunk and partied and hung over and grotty and giddy and white-guy-high-fiving and gambled-out and…you know what I mean. It’s like letting the audience back stage at a play. it’s not glamorous back there, the magic happens under the lights. If they want to see behind the curtain they should have to sneak in or lie or use subterfuge.
For the public day they could sell a limited number of tickets, to keep it from becoming out of control, via an auction website and distribute shares of ticket sales to act as an incentive to the attending vendors to attend the show. Larger display=larger share. A smart marketing person could partner with selected hotels and offer package deals. You’re welcome.
If any of you think the public day at Eurobike works – well then you have never actually been there.
And Brian – your proposal is actually eerily close to what is actually happening. The public day at Interbike will not be just for anyone to show up, it will be for “consumers”, but they must still be invited by a vendor or shop, and each only gets a few invitations.
Please keep this to Friday only. I attend roughly 20 shows a year and I cannot tell you the frustration we have as journalists when the public is involved. We are there to work and talk shop with manf and the public wanting to buy stuff hinders our ability to promote the products properly. If its kept to Friday, that will be the day journalists skip so the public can have their way.
I have been to Eurobike as a friend of a company that my brother works for. Whoever says that a consumer day doesn’t work is being BIASED. It’s a great opportunity for manufacturers and distributors to talk to consumers and unload some product so they don’t have to pay a ton of shipping or time packing it on the planes. This already sort of goes on at Interbike. I personally know of a few large US companies that unload some of their product on the last day to bike shops so that they don’t have the hassle and cost of shipping it back.
Interbike has competitors too. Eurobike for one.
