Get the dirt on stuff before you run out and drop coin
Interbike 2011 Underway
OutDoor Demo continues Tuesday, followed by Interbike International Bicycle Expo in Las Vegas
LAS VEGAS – September 13, 2011 – The 2011 Interbike OutDoor Demo kicked off the continent’s largest gathering of cycling industry insiders on Monday with a day of riding in Bootleg Canyon near Las Vegas.
“The first day of OutDoor Demo has been marked by A-list retailers testing product from over 200 brands. This provides retailers from all over the world with a epic venue to test and learn more about the products that will fuel their sales in the year to come,” said Interbike Managing Director Pat Hus. “We’re getting some serious business done and having a lot of fun.”
OutDoor Demo continues today, giving attendees the chance to ride the latest bikes on the scenic roads and trails near Lake Mead.
“We do our buying really early, so OutDoor Demo is an opportunity to ride what we’ve already bought and get more familiar with the product,” said REI’s Mark Harding. “Plus, we see product we use to fill in later if we missed it initially.”
OutDoor Demo also gives exhibitors a platform to meet with new and existing dealers to show off their product and get the pulse of the industry.
“OutDoor Demo is the event that allows us to tie up any loose ends with our top dealers and show our very best to new dealers,” said Andrew Juskaitis, global product marketing manager at Giant. “OutDoor Demo is also a great barometer to gauge how and where our competitors are allocating marketing dollars. Everyone’s got more bikes and a more professional presence then ever before. It’s a big deal.”
New at the event for 2011 is the Strava OutDoor Demo Challenge, a friendly competition over the area’s most popular trails using the company’s social ride tracking software to crown industry champs in multiple categories. Another new feature for this year is the Oasis at OutDoor Demo – a shaded and misted area with food vendors, free ice cream, beer and plenty of seating.
“We’ve been loving the interest in our newest road products. OutDoor Demo gives us the invaluable opportunity to offer retailers an equally impressive road and mountain bike demo experience,” said Alex Bell, USA marketing manager at Specialized. “Getting to spend time on the bikes gets the retailers excited about everything the bikes can do. Heading into the show, that’s where we finish the rest of the conversation.”
On Wednesday, Interbike heads inside to the Sands Expo for three days of new products, educational opportunities and events. A searchable list of all events can be found here.
Photos from the first day of OutDoor Demo can be found at www.flickr.com/interbike. Free shuttles run all day from the Sands to the OutDoor Demo in Boulder City.
About Interbike
The Interbike International Bicycle Expo and OutDoor Demo are the bicycle industry’s leading business-to-business events bringing together top manufacturers, retailers, industry advocates and media to conduct the business of cycling. Interbike is a business unit of Nielsen Expositions, the parent company of the Outdoor Retailer (OR) and Health Fitness Business expos. Nielsen Expositions is a full-service trade show company that creates, markets and produces high-quality expos and educational conferences. Interbike (www.interbike.com) gathers more than 1,100 cycling-related brands and close to 24,000 total attendees annually.