SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA (BRAIN)—Interbike has announced its latest exhibitor list for the inaugural OutDoor Demo East, to be held October 21-22 at the Roger Williams Park in Providence, Rhode Island.
The current exhibitor list includes nearly 60 of the industry's key bicycle, component and accessory manufacturers including Cannondale, Felt Bicycles, Fox Racing, Giant, Jamis Bikes, Mavic, Pedro's, Specialized, SRAM, Highway Two, and Earth, Wind and Rider, among others.
The exhibiting company's booths, product displays, demo products and staff will stretch across more than 60,000 gross square-feet of exhibit space in Roger Williams Park.
"Support for Outdoor Demo East continues to grow as manufacturers recognized the unique opportunity they have to reach east coast shop owners and staff who may not have been able to attend the Demo in Vegas this year," said Andy Tompkins, Interbike's show director.
Pre-show attendance information shows a strong concentration of regional buyers from the east coast, with some buyers traveling from as far south as Florida and as far west as California.
Exhibitors are putting their best efforts and product forward, capitalizing on the opportunity to meet with east coast dealers and buyers who may not have attended this year's Interbike Expo and Outdoor Demo.
"For many years Specialized has shown our commitment to the industry by attending Interbike and Outdoor Demo in Las Vegas," said Kathryn Grassl, USA event manager for Specialized. "We're excited to extend this same commitment to east coast dealers by giving them the opportunity to demo our 2009 bikes a bit closer to home."
Highlights from the Specialized demo fleet include the 2009 S-Works Epic (ridden to victory by Christoph Sauser at XC Worlds), the 2009 S-Works Era (World Champion Rebecca Rusch's bike of choice) and Tom Boonen's 2009 S-Works Roubaix SL2.
In addition to its demo fleet, Jamis Bikes is bringing a number of its show bikes from the Expo in Las Vegas. It plans to have no less than 40-50 models on display.
"Dealers often have limited time and a trip to Vegas to attend Interbike can be challenging for them," said Carine Joannou, president and chief executive officer of Jamis Bikes. "Outdoor Demo East is located in an ideal spot where hundreds of dealers are within a three-hour drive. We are pleased that we have an event on the east coast where dealers have the opportunity to see new 2009 product and test out the 2009 Jamis Bicycles."
When dealers get their fill of demos, the National Bicycle Dealers Association (NBDA) will present its Super Seminar series in the Roger Williams Park Casino, a restored 1896 Colonial Revival building. NBDA Super Seminars titles include The Retail Store Manager as Leader, How to Make '09 Turn Out Fine, Practical Methods and Systems to Increase Profits in Your Service Department, and Power Merchandising for Bicycle Retailers.
Mavic and SRAM will also offer technical product clinic during the two-day event. A highlight of SRAM's 2009 line is sure to be their new Hammerschmidt transmission technology.
Providing a festival-like atmosphere, a DJ will be playing music all day and there will be a beer garden and concession stands for refreshment. On the evening of the first day, Pedro's is sponsoring an industry networking party with free food and beer.
"Shop owners, staff and buyers who make the effort to attend Outdoor Demo East will not be disappointed," Tompkins said. "With the caliber of exhibitors and the effort they are making to connect with east coast dealers, attendees are guaranteed a valuable demo experience, top-notch technical clinics, and a great atmosphere for networking and spending time with the industry tribe."
