SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. (BRAIN) — Registration is now open for the 2016 IBD Summit, to be held in Tempe, Ariz., Jan. 12-14.
The event, presented by Interbike, PeopleForBikes, the NBDA, and the BPSA, also revealed some details about the planned content. Next year's event will feature fewer keynote presenters, but more industry panels from top executives in (and out) of the bicycle industry, enhanced business seminars from The Mann Group and extended interactive group collaboration time.
The event will feature a panel discussion with motorcycle industry representatives, led by powersports industry veteran and owner of Vroom Network, Eric Anderson. The presentation, titled "Lessons Learned from The Motorcycle Industry: Takeaways for IBD's," will tap into the minds of four industry veterans who have gone through challenges similar to the bicycle industry's. The group will discuss retail successes and failures, OEM relationships with retailers, analytics on motorcycle data and how it relates to the bicycle industry, maximizing parts, garments and accessories, profits per square foot and more.
The panel from the motorcycle industry will include George Gatto, owner of Gatto Cycle Shop in Tarentum, Penn. Gatto brings a unique perspective as a long-time, multi-store IBD and as a retailer for motorcycle brands including Harley Davidson, Polaris, Triumph and more. Also joining the group is Scot Begovich, director of data solutions at Experien Marketing Services. The final panelist will be Robert Pandya, external relations manager for Indian Motorcycles. Pandya brings two decades of experience in the motorcycle world to the panel, working with brands such as Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, KYMCO, and Victory Motorcycles and recently led the PR efforts for the re-launch of Indian.
"This panel alone will make the investment worth any dealer's while," said Pat Hus, vice president of Interbike. "We know our retailers get the most out of these types of other industry comparisons, and this one should be no exception. There are so many lessons to be learned from the moto world and especially from iconic brands such as Harley and Indian."
Mike Robbins and Stephen Shapiro are two of the three scheduled keynote speakers. Shapiro is one of the most sought-after speakers on the circuit and was most recently inducted into the National Speakers Association's Hall of Fame. His keynote address, "Keeping IBD's Ahead of the Game: Making the Impossible Possible," is a thought-provoking segment, and his proven approach will present easy-to- implement ways in which retailers can embrace change and be ready to capitalize on opportunities.
Robbins is a veteran speaker and author, who will deliver a keynote discussing, "How the Power of Authenticity Affects Your Employees, Your Customers and Your Business." Robbins' session will leave attendees with five powerful principles of authenticity that will change the way IBD's engage with their staff and customers, and set them up for greater success in the future.
At the 2015 IBD Summit, The Mann Group hosted several small breakout sessions for store managers and owners to attend before and during the event. The upcoming version will give The Mann Group center stage as they present three sessions to the group on the following topics:
- Buying and Inventory Strategies: Exploring the key metrics that allow store owners to forecast the inventory that is successful for their business, and uncover where they can take some risk.
- Visual Merchandising 101: This session will uncover how often IBD's should change their store look, the best way to display performance apparel, the key areas retailers need to look at every week to know how product is selling through and more.
- How to Measure and Evaluate Employees Productivity: From setting goals to defining metrics based on customer engagement and more, IBD's are encouraged to come prepared to review your sales goals and your employees performance against those goals, and an in-depth discussion of how to get to where you want to be in your market.
Retailers can register at The IBD Summit website. Registered Buyers who register before Dec. 21 can take advantage of the $695 early bird price (conference fee covers all food, sessions and conference materials). The price increases to $750 after Dec. 21.
