A version of this feature ran in the December issue of BRAIN.
BOULDER, Colo. (BRAIN) — For our December magazine edition, we asked our State of Retail panel members: How relevant are in-person trade shows, seminars, and dealer events? Which events do you think you might attend in 2025?
CARSON CITY, Nev: Win Allen, owner Win’s Wheels
This year, I attended Sea Otter and Breck Bike Week as a dealer and manufacturer contractor. I’m planning to go to CABDA West, Sea Otter, and a supplier event in 2025. Being "old school,” I find it important to have in-person, face-to-face conversations instead of just being the recipient of a bulk email blast or taking a cold call from an inside sales rep. That’s where true relationships can be formed; plus it’s important to actually be able to see and touch products in person as opposed to seeing and reading about them in an email or on social media.
If I am unable to attend in-person events due to scheduling or cost, I do my best to educate myself through the manufacturer’s website, social media, online training and/or outside sales rep. I find that I learn and retain tech info better when I receive it in person, though. Going through the service process in person with a manufacturer technician and being able to ask questions in real time is a huge benefit to the learning process. There is also the element of being able to demo a product and feel it in your hands. That personal experience is better than having someone tell you how great a product is.
CHAGRIN FALLS, Ohio: Jacob English, owner Mountain Road Cycles
I think in-person events like trade shows are very relevant, but gone are the glory days of (the Interbike shows in) Vegas and Anaheim, or dealer events at exclusive resorts in new parts of the country. All of these events built community and camaraderie among suppliers, shop staff, and owners. We made memories. We got to see our heroes in person and build a culture. I feel bad for anyone that did not get to the GT/Riteway Long Beach Interbike party or see the Brian Setzer or Fabulous Thunderbird shows of the past. There’s nothing like traveling with 10 to 20 employees and spouses on a bike adventure. I think our industry has lost that. I commend CABDA for doing a great job of trying to bring that element back.
We chose not to attend any trade shows, seminars, or dealer events this year, primarily to save money to put toward other endeavors. In 2025, we’re planning on CABDA Midwest and Bentonville Bike Fest.
We will attend an event if we deem it to be worthwhile, and I will say that free meals, airfare, or other comps go a long way toward making that case.
CHICAGO: Gillian Forsyth, owner BFF Bikes
In 2024, I attended CABDA Midwest and the NBDA Retailer Summit. I found the retailer summit exceptional and would recommend it highly. I like how it is based around the Bentonville Bike Fest, with lots of good bike vibes in one place. If you didn't attend shows, I don't know how you would even begin to carve out enough time to weed through all the emails and promotions you get on a daily basis.
In 2025, I’m planning on going to CABDA Midwest, the Bentonville Bike Fest, and a manufacturer’s event. I personally think shows and dealer events are very relevant. They are a good way to get a hands-on look at new products and talk to the people you would be dealing with at a supplier. If I don't like you, I don't deal with you. It is that simple. Meeting people in person gives you a good feel for what it will be like to deal with them, should you carry their product in your store. Trade shows are also a great opportunity for your staff to take in-person classes on working with new products in the shop. That said, we also often get great reps who will come into the store to do a private class on new products, which is really great. This is in addition to going to the in-person trade shows. I honestly like it when our reps come by with their products because it really shows that they’re adding value.
NEWINGTON, N.H.: Steve Gerhartz, owner Seacoast E-Bikes
I attended CABDA East and Eurobike this year. Next year, I’m planning to only attend manufacturer’s/supplier’s events. We attended CABDA East in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Over the three years, we saw attendance and the number of exhibitors decline, and there really wasn’t anything new to see. Eurobike was interesting, but it is heavily weighted toward brands that are not available in the U.S. market, and many bikes that I saw are just the same thing with different frame styles. In place of trade shows and other types of dealer events, we will depend on our manufacturer’s sales reps to help educate us about new products and service training.
WINTHROP, Wash.: Julie Muyllaert, co-owner Methow Cycle & Sport
We attended Outdoor Retailer in October 2023 and CABDA West in January 2024. As of now, our only plan for the next year is to attend the WWRSA show in December 2024. Historically, we’ve enjoyed trade shows for exposure to new products, access to industry-related seminars, and maintaining relationships in person with colleagues and business partners. The trade shows that we’ve attended in the last couple of years have delivered on the seminars, but general lack of participation by suppliers and retailers alike have left us wanting.
Given the state of trade shows, we pay attention to new product launches and attend supplier webinars and trainings virtually. The upside of virtual events is the ease of attendance and the access to supplier teams, including engineering, sales, marketing, and product managers. The downside is that building and enhancing relationships is difficult via these events.
LITTLE FALLS, Minn.: David Sperstad, owner Touright Bicycle Shop
We didn’t attend any trade shows or dealer events in 2024. We may attend CABDA Midwest in Chicago next year, as it's been a couple years since the last time we went to that show. I don't feel that it is an annual necessity for us to attend any show that costs too much in the way of finances and time. We’ve attended a few in the past that worked well for us. As a small one- to two-person shop, it is hard for me to be away and have the store closed. While I'd love to attend Sea Otter, Bentonville, or even Eurobike, I just do not believe that the return on investment would be there for us. Those events require travel and are scheduled during the times that we are busier in the store. Plus, we would have to be closed for the better part of a week or longer, and it just doesn't seem as if it would be rewarding enough.
Instead of attending in-person events, I do a lot of reading, online tutorials, and talking with sales people that come into the store. The NBDA used to have a dealers’ forum that was well followed but seems to have fallen behind for whatever reason. I also try to read up on things in BRAIN, and the various industry-leaning Facebook forums. I listen to our customers and what they’re talking about, asking about, or interested in. If it's a one-time thing, then it’s likely not necessary for us to invest time, energy, and finances to learn more about it.
ALAMEDA, Calif.: Larry Tetone, event coordinator Alameda Bicycle
We didn’t attend any events in 2024. In 2025, we’re planning on Sea Otter and a manufacturer’s/supplier’s event. The relevance of trade shows seems to be pretty minimal as of late. Before COVID, attending trade shows helped us to get an idea of future products and made some of those prebooks easier to understand. The times we've attended Sea Otter have been quite fun, and occasionally we find a smaller brand or niche product that catches our eye that we'll bring in. It's a nice thing to be able to go out to, but I'd say we don't make it out to these events every year like clockwork. A lot of our training seminars are done virtually. Otherwise, I rely pretty heavily on reps and a handful of sites I visit in my downtime to keep me up and the latest tech and products.
