SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA (BRAIN)—Interbike marketing staff will hit the road this fall to promote the show’s new venue and time to retailers.
A particular focus will be in the Northeast and Midwest markets, two of the most difficult areas for Interbike to draw attendance, said Interbike show director Andy Tompkins.
“We’ll be doing more to promote this show than we have in many years,” Tompkins said, recognizing that education is needed to inform retailers on the benefits of the show’s new early August timeframe.
Interbike is in the process of hiring a marketing director to head up the efforts, which will also include phone calls to retailers.
In addition, Interbike staff are working to negotiate lower hotel rates in Anaheim, lay out trails for Outdoor Demo and settle on reduced booth fees in advance of the show’s move to Southern California next August.
Tompkins said this week that Interbike plans to send out renewal contracts to exhibitors around the end of October, and that he expected to be able to offer reduced rates through a new partnership with the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association.
Interbike will begin building the new floor plan around February and will solicit input from exhibitors on placement. Interbike may also offer site visits for companies that want to see the exhibition area and is discussing coordinating an industry site visit this fall.
“It will be a new process since we haven’t laid out a floor plan in this place in many years,” Tompkins said. One advantage the Anaheim Convention Center has over the Sands Expo is more frontage booth space, he added.
Tompkins also said Interbike is negotiating with the city for a block of 10,000 to 15,000 rooms for the show, which will be held Aug. 8-12, still a popular time for tourists visiting Disneyland. He expects hotel rates to be comparable to what people pay to stay in the Treasure Island, Harrah’s, the Venetian or the Palazzo in Las Vegas.
He encouraged attendees not to book rooms until Interbike releases its show rates.
Interbike will arrange free shuttles to transport showgoers and exhibitors from nearby Los Angeles and Orange County airports to Anaheim, which is a 35-mile drive from LAX and a 14-mile commute from Orange County’s John Wayne Airport.
At the Outdoor Demo site, located at Irvine Regional Park, 12 miles from the conventional center, Interbike will enlist a third party to pinpoint the best area within the 477-acre park for the demo. The park offers gravity trails, singletrack and road loops, he said.
—Nicole Formosa
nformosa@bicycleretailer.com
