SNOWBIRD, UT (BRAIN) Monday July 16 2012 5:47 AM MT—Specialized’s annual Dealer Event kicks off today with 529 retailers arriving at this Utah resort to take a look at 2013 bikes, sit through a variety of product presentations and ride the trails and roads in Little Cottonwood Canyon.
But that’s just the start of 10 days of industry meetings and demos in Utah’s Wasatch mountains. Following the Specialized event is QBP’s Saddle Drive, three days at Snowbasin, followed by Raleigh USA’s dealer event and the launch of DealerCamp in Deer Valley, which ends July 26. For the most part, retailers can expect cool mountain temperatures and scattered thunderstorms as they gather at three of Utah’s finest resorts.
Specialized, however, leads the industry’s growing interest in Utah. “We’re really excited to have so many retailers here with us this week—and we have a lot of amazing product to show them,” said Mike Sinyard, the company’s president and founder.
While Snowbird’s only 29 miles from Salt Lake’s airport, attendees could find themselves gasping for breath since Snowbird’s four lodges sit at 7,760 feet. But Specialized dealers have been there before and Sinyard said he’s optimistic about what they will see.
“Retailers have always counted on great innovation from us in performance products and this year is no exception with an all new Ruby and Roubaix and an improved high-end mountain line including an all new Enduro,” he said. A new line dubbed the P.Series includes BMX and slopestyle models. Retailers also will see new helmets, tires and a new line of apparel and shoes.
The Specialized event ends Thursday, but QBP’s Saddle Drive begins Saturday with an open house at its Ogden, Utah, distribution center and a small expo at Snowbasin, a Utah ski resort that hosted several venues for the 2002 Winter Olympics. QBP will bus dealers from Ogden to the resort—a 17-mile trip—where the base elevation is 6,391 feet.
QBP’s Todd Cravens said more than 100 dealers and staff will get a first hand look at the company’s proprietary products—Civia, Salsa, All-City, Foundry, Whiskey Parts and 45NRTH. Besides it own products, some of the key exhibitors at Snowbasin include Finish Line, Jagwire, Pedro’s, SRAM, Shimano, Campagnolo, Park Tool and others.
“Saddle Drive is a targeted event for our brand partners,” Cravens said, noting that this year’s Saddle Drive is bigger than last year’s, which was its first.
Raleigh is also hosting an event for approximately 40 retailers plus retail staff. They will meet with many of Raleigh’s key Asian vendors in Deer Valley. Retailers arrive Sunday, July 22, with a reception and dinner that night plus an event overview from Raleigh’s president, Steve Meineke.
Besides rides and product presentations, retailers will learn more about Raleigh’s focus on promoting so called “cause” rides as well as its involvement with Ride2Recovery, an effort to help wounded veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Raleigh event will overlap with this year’s third annual DealerCamp, a mini-trade show in the heart of Deer Valley that begins Tuesday, July 24, and ends two days later. Lance Camisasca, the show’s founder and director, said 900 unique buyers have pre-registered for it, however he expects some attrition from that number. “Overall, we expect to have 350 store fronts represented,” he said. Dealers will find more than 100 brands from 75 companies at Deer Valley.
“The most important fact about this event is that buyers and exhibitors all understand its product timing and its relevancy to the product launch cycle. It also provides an intimate face-to-face event for dealers and brands,” he added.
“But best of all, and we’re all bike geeks, it’s a great place to get on bikes and ride,” he said.
