SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, Calif. (BRAIN) — Organizers of the IBD Summit have released the full agenda for its 2017 event, which will be held Jan. 17-19 in Tempe, Arizona.
The summit is presented by Interbike, PeopleForBikes, the NBDA, and the BPSA.
One of the most popular presenters last year, Sam Dantzler, a motorcycle industry consultant and CEO of Garage Peloton, will return with a presentation titled, “Hiring: Stop Doing it Wrong.”
Dantzler has been teaching a new hiring model that he said reduces costly turnover, and allows retailers to see potential hires in action before they get hired. “I’m willing to bet that most IBD’s are hiring the way they were taught – interview, then hire,” said Dantzler. “Small business owners – bike shops, motorcycle shops, craft shops and more have to find a better way to attract, hire and retain and I have a proven method that will save time, energy and money.”
A new summit feature this year is a TEDx-style competition for retailers, sponsored by Shimano and moderated by Dan Mann. This session will feature 8-10 retailers who will present “out-of-the-box success stories on how they were able to overcome one of the most talked about challenges of 2016: finding ways to reverse the trend of fewer people walking in your doors.”
Each person will have no more than 5 minutes to present their idea to The IBD Summit audience. After the presentation, the audience will vote on the best idea – with the first place winner receiving a refund on their 2017 IBD Summit registration fee ($695), three free hotel nights at Interbike 2017 (room & tax), and a set of either Dura Ace or XTR wheels and pedals.
“It’s no secret that business owners like hearing how others from their industry are finding success,” said Dan Mann, founder of The Mann Group. “We’ve included similar sessions over the past 25 years on various topics, and they always garner incredible ideas that manage to help – and directly impact - all in attendance. I’m thrilled that Interbike asked me to moderate this session, as it’s certain to be one of the most valuable sessions any IBD attendee will learn-from at the event.”
The final session added is designed to bring to light three areas that can become new opportunities to help grow the IBD business. PeopleForBikes’ president, Tim Blumenthal, will moderate, “Gateways to Foot Traffic Through Your Door: Embracing New Paths to Better Business & More Riding.”
This session will bring three experts from non-traditional channels to share ideas with the IBD audience, including Bill Smith, CEO of Huffy Bikes, TJ Justkiewicz, president of the Bicycle Tour Network, and a soon-to-be-announced representative from the bike share industry.
“While some may think we’re crazy for having Huffy at The IBD Summit, I can tell you that Bill is one of the sharpest guys in the bike business and he understands that IBD’s play a critical role in the customer lifecycle of bike riding,” said Pat Hus, vice president of Interbike. “I guarantee that our presenters will make retailers think differently about their business, and in this day and age we need ideas that will help ensure the livelihood of the local independent bicycle retailer.”
Retailers can register at The IBD Summit website, where they can also find a list of speakers and their biographies, more in-depth session descriptions, the event schedule and more. Registered Buyers who register before December 16 can take advantage of the $695 early bird price (conference fee covers all food, sessions and conference materials).
A limited number of sponsorship opportunities are available for The IBD Summit and can be purchased directly through Interbike. Contact Andria Klinger at 949-226-5745 or andria.klinger@emeraldexpo.com.
