PHILADELPHIA, PA Sept. 30, 2021: The Philly Bike Expo is on for 2021! The annual weekend-long event featuring exhibitors, seminars and rides returns to the Pennsylvania Convention Center on November 6th and 7th.
Over its 12-year history, the event has survived a freak October snow storm, Hurricane Sandy, transit strikes, and now a worldwide pandemic that cancelled the 2020 show. But like its namesake city, the Philly Bike Expo emerges from each existential challenge in a better position."Ticket sales at this point in the year are the highest we've ever seen," said Expo Director Bina Bilenky.
There is a thirst amongst bike industry manufacturers, dealers and the general public for in-person social interaction, and this year's PBE fills that void - in a safe manner. The show's website details their Covid safety protocol that includes mandatory masks, designated areas for food consumption, wider aisles to facilitate social distancing, and increased air circulation and filtration at the Pennsylvania Convention Center.
Every year, the number and diversity of the show's seminars has increased, and the 2021 PBE features a total of 18 seminars, among them:
▪ "How to not piss off the media" by Tyler Benedict of Bikerumor
▪ "Women of the Bicycle Industry" by Heather Mason and Rachelle Schouten
▪ "Diversity and Equity in the Sport of Triathlon" featuring a panel of presenters
▪ "Post gravel, back to the roots (and rocks)" by Instagram celebrity Ultraromance
The show's Industry Hour from 9-10 am each morning also returns, giving exhibitors a chance to interact with dealers, cycling media, and with industry colleagues.
During a trying 18 months for the bicycle industry that has included new pandemic safety regulations, product delays, staff shortages and nearly insatiable demand, the 2021 Philly Bike Expo will be a return to some sense of normalcy, with an added bonus, according to Bilenky.
"My hope is that with so many other trade shows cancelled for 2021, the Philly Bike Expo will provide manufacturers and dealers with the opportunity to spend more time interacting with consumers and getting a feel for what they want. That's the base on which the whole bicycle industry stands," said Bilenky.
