SAN DIEGO, CA (BRAIN)—Building on its now proven format, Bicycle Retailer and Industry News will produce 2011 Dealer Tours in three vital cycling markets: San Diego, Philadelphia and Denver.
Following a three-day schedule, BRAIN staff and sponsors will get on bikes to personally visit a dozen retailers in each market. Editors will talk with storeowners about the local cycling culture, the state of specialty retail, and if they are seeing a rebound in consumer purchasing.
BRAIN will kick off the year with the San Diego Dealer Tour, March 1-3. Sponsors Campagnolo, Ergon, Lifeboat Events, Masi, Todson and Zoic will join BRAIN staff to canvas the coastal city, visiting its diverse specialty retailers.
“Todson, Inc. has been in business for three generations and we understand that our dealer relationship is vital and evolving. We believe that understanding the dealer’s unique perspective of their market will help us provide better service and assist in the evolution of new products, while fostering strong relationships,” said Dorothy Nichols, director of event marketing for Todson, a returning Dealer Tour sponsor.
“Our visits to DC metro stores during the 2010 BRAIN Tour demonstrated this philosophy. We look forward to visiting our terrific dealers for the upcoming San Diego BRAIN Dealer Tour,” she added.
The San Diego Dealer Tour also will offer local sponsors Campagnolo, Masi and Zoic an opportunity to shed some light on the cycling culture within their own backyard.
“We’re exceptionally pleased to sponsor the San Diego Dealer Tour and help to showcase our humble corner of the bike universe,” said Tim Jackson, brand manager for San Diego-based Masi Bicycles.
“San Diego has historically been dominated by the bigger bike brands, but the market has been slowly changing and smaller brands are beginning to get better representation in the area. San Diego is also an emerging center of the industry with more and more bike and accessory companies calling the area home, so we think the Tour will surprise a few folks—in a very good way,” he added.
The Philadelphia Dealer Tour, sponsored by Advanced Sports Inc., June 1-3, will precede the Philadelphia International Championship on June 5. BRAIN will round out the year with the Denver Dealer Tour, Sept. 27-29, sponsored by Giant Bicycle.
Since its inception in 2008, Bicycle Retailer has produced Dealer Tours in Orange County, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Boston, Phoenix, Washington, D.C., and Dallas-Ft. Worth. For each tour, the magazine’s editors produce a special standalone insert with dealer profiles, shop photos, a market overview and an advocacy update.
Sponsorships for the San Diego Dealer Tour are sold out. For information regarding Philadelphia and Denver sponsorship opportunities, contact Robert Roman at rroman@bicycleretailer.com.
