How can I get into InterBike?

In article said:

Does anyone know how a common person can get into InterBike?

Get hired by a bike shop and get them to get you a ticket.

Quoted message said:

Does anyone know how a common person can get into InterBike? I love those kind of shows. I get into
the scuba diving equivalent (DEMA) by being a DiveMaster. But, unfortunately I can't pay money to
be a cycling "professional".

thanks

calvin SJ, CA

Ask someone from a local bike shop to take you as their employee.

Andres

visit my art website at: www.geocities.com/andresmuro/art.html

In article <[email hidden]>, Tim McNamara

Quoted message said:

In article said:

Does anyone know how a common person can get into InterBike?

Get hired by a bike shop and get them to get you a ticket.

It dawned on me after I wrote this- does Interbike have an open to the public day? Most of the
European bike trade shows have one day where the general public is admitted.

Calvin-<< Does anyone know how a common person can get into InterBike? I love those kind of shows.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

<BR><BR>

Ya may love them but there are at present for 'industry' people only. Manufacturers, distributors,
retailers.

Lots of 'common' people, consumers, get in, with pirated credentials. There have been discussions
about a 'consumer day' at Interbike, but it's such a pain to exhibitors already, they don't want it.

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗ "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

The reason the "Trade(s) People" don't want an open to the public day, is they have to watch their
merchandise more closely to prevent theft. And, the jerk(s) with an ax to grind, getting into the
vendor's face... The show is not the place to air grievances. When I used to go to the shows, I'd
walk around and view the displays, keeping my hands to myself. Unless invited by a vendor to "look"
more closely at what they were promoting. And, I did not ask a bunch of inane questions, or even
engage in small talk. Again, unless conversation was initiated by the vendor. I've been to dozens
bike, car, and motorcycle shows, the shop owner's, that provided that opportunity to me, never heard
from a vendor that so-and-so from your shop caused them grief at the show.

Qui si parla Campagnolo said:

Calvin-<< Does anyone know how a common person can get into InterBike? I love those kind of shows.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

<BR><BR>

Ya may love them but there are at present for 'industry' people only. Manufacturers, distributors,
retailers.

Lots of 'common' people, consumers, get in, with pirated credentials. There have been
discussions about a 'consumer day' at Interbike, but it's such a pain to exhibitors already,
they don't want it.

Peter Chisholm Vecchio's Bicicletteria 1833 Pearl St. Boulder, CO, 80302
(303)440-3535 vecchios.comvecchios.comOpen ↗ "Ruote convenzionali costruite eccezionalmente bene"

--

Tp

-------- __o ----- -\<. ------ __o --- ( ) / ( ) ---- -\<. ----------------- ( ) / ( )
---------------------------------------------

Freedom is not free; Free men are not equal; Equal men are not free.

TomP said:

The reason the "Trade(s) People" don't want an open to the public day, is they have to
watch their merchandise more closely to prevent theft. And, the jerk(s) with an ax to
grind, getting into the vendor's face...

Not to mention that margins, costs, etc... are also discussed and in some cases, displayed right out
in the open. This show involves actual buying and selling by all involved, Interbike is not simply a
display of what's new.

Heck, some of the booths aren't even bike stuff. There's machine shops, Far Eastern factories,
etc... looking to do business to business work.

Barry

In article <[email hidden]>, B a r r y B u r k e J r .

Quoted message said:

TomP said:

The reason the "Trade(s) People" don't want an open to the public day, is they have to
watch their merchandise more closely to prevent theft. And, the jerk(s) with an ax to
grind, getting into the vendor's face...

Not to mention that margins, costs, etc... are also discussed and in some cases, displayed right
out in the open. This show involves actual buying and selling by all involved, Interbike is not
simply a display of what's new.

The value of trade shows is in putting manufacturers in front of retailers and wholesalers, so they
can see, be seen, and chat. Mere consumers waste everyone's time by being in the way and increasing
the useless traffic faced by both booth-dwellers and floor-walkers. Theft and confrontation are
hardly issues; all these companies send their PR people and new toys out to deal with the public on
a regular basis.

--
Ryan Cousineau, [email hidden] sfu.ca~rcousineOpen ↗ President, Fabrizio Mazzoleni Fan Club

"Qui si parla Campagnolo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Calvin-<< Does anyone know how a common person can get into InterBike? I love those kind of shows.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

<BR><BR>

Ya may love them but there are at present for 'industry' people only. Manufacturers, distributors,
retailers.

Lots of 'common' people, consumers, get in, with pirated credentials. There have been discussions
about a 'consumer day' at Interbike, but it's such a

pain

Quoted message said:

to exhibitors already, they don't want it.

I think they were open to the general public one year a few years ago, but decided not to
do it again.

If you can't figure out a way to wrangle your way in, you probably don't belong there. If you can,
well, enjoy, but don't waste reps' time with stupid questions. They have people to meet, and real
business to conduct.

Matt O.

For an industry that isn't particularly healthy, one that has been struggling for consumer
excitement, it would well behoove the industry to figure out some way to have a day for consumers.
In the end, it's the consumers who drive the business -- so why not do something to make them happy?
Consumers will come back from the show all excited at seeing the new stuff, be much more likely to
buy, tell their friends and get them excited....

Quoted message said:

But that's the BIKE SHOP'S job...to introduce what's new-

Sure, the bike shop is one component of generating excitement for bicycling. They are who the end
user ultimately deals with. In a larger sense, though, marketing is the overall industry's job.
Who runs most of the advertisements, which are supposed to generate demand and excitement? It's
the manufacturers, not the shops. It's not like the bicycling industry is super healthy right now.
Most shops and manufacturers are struggling. It's going to take some new marketing. A consumer day
would get the most influential cyclists excited and evangelize to the their friends. It's not
going to by itself create a new boom, but it could be part of a more impactful marketing effort by
the cycling industry.

Further, shops don't carry the range of product that a consumer could see at the show. Maybe that's
why you don't like the idea.

I've attended Interbike a few times, thanks to passes furnished by friends at a bike manufacturer. I
had a blast and know I came back a lot more excited about cycling than any trip to a bike shop. I
told a lot of friends about the fun time I had and the stuff I saw. This is the kind of word of
mouth excitement the industry needs more of.

It's quite unlikely to be able to see Ugo Derosa, Greg Lemond, Eddy Merckx, etc. etc. etc. in a
weekend at my local bike shop.

(Eagle Jackson) said:

Consumers will come back from the show all excited at seeing the new stuff, be much more likely to
buy, tell their friends and get them excited....

Isn't that what magazines are for? <G>

Let's face it. Allowing consumers into a trade show isn't going to attract much _new_ money, only
the die hard cyclists who are willing to travel to Las Vegas to attend. These are the same folks who
would normally seek out the info via the web, magazines, etc...

Barry

[email hidden] (Qui si parla Campagnolo) wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

eagle-<< For an industry that isn't particularly healthy, one that has been struggling for
consumer excitement, it would well behoove the industry to figure out some way to have a day for
consumers >><BR><BR>

But that's the BIKE SHOP'S job...to introduce what's new-

But, since the local bike shops DON't do it, the mail order houses do.

Ryan Cousineau may have said:

In article <[email hidden]>, B a r r y B u r k e J r .

Quoted message said:

TomP said:

The reason the "Trade(s) People" don't want an open to the public day, is they have to
watch their merchandise more closely to prevent theft. And, the jerk(s) with an ax to
grind, getting into the vendor's face...

Not to mention that margins, costs, etc... are also discussed and in some cases, displayed right
out in the open. This show involves actual buying and selling by all involved, Interbike is not
simply a display of what's new.

The value of trade shows is in putting manufacturers in front of retailers and wholesalers, so they
can see, be seen, and chat. Mere consumers waste everyone's time by being in the way and increasing
the useless traffic faced by both booth-dwellers and floor-walkers. Theft and confrontation are
hardly issues; all these companies send their PR people and new toys out to deal with the public on
a regular basis.

There are lots of consumer-level car shows, I will note, but these are not even similar to a trade
show. They're a combination of a travelling manufacturer exhibit, a local dealer display area, an
enthusiast display area, and a retail vendor area. The latter's booths tend to be occupied primarily
by snake-oil salesmen. It is not unknown to get those same snake-oil guys at trade shows, by the
way, but they tend to have to modify their pitch *a lot*.

On the other hand, trade shows for specialty and aftermarket car parts and repair equipment do
exist, and as at Interbike, the public isn't invited...and in most cases, the public would have
little of interest to see. Those tend to be aimed well over the heads of even the repair shops and
parts stores.

I haven't looked; are there any significant consumer-type bike shows, or is this subject just too
rarefied for the mass market at this point? It requires a *lot* of traffic to cover the expense of a
major hall for several days, and it strikes me that in even a major city, there might not be enough
interested bike enthusiasts to allow such an event to make a profit.

--
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On Mon, 08 Sep 2003 20:13:20 GMT, B a r r y B u r k e J r .

may have said:

Let's face it. Allowing consumers into a trade show isn't going to attract much _new_ money, only
the die hard cyclists who are willing to travel to Las Vegas to attend. These are the same folks
who would normally seek out the info via the web, magazines, etc...

Precisely. That's why the majority of the big car (and some boat) shows are actually migratory; they
travel around the country to make it easy for the mass market to come to them. If the only annual
consumer-level car show was in Detroit, I doubt that it would get much actual exposure.

The same is true for gems and jewelry, by the way. There's a travelling Intergem show that hits a
bunch of major US cities three times a year, but the heavy-duty real *wholesale* show is in just one
location, once a year, and doesn't have the same crowd of peddlers and hawkers that the others have.

--
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Quoted message said:

Eagle<< It's quite unlikely to be able to see Ugo Derosa, Greg Lemond,

Eddy

Quoted message said:

Merckx, etc. etc. etc. in a weekend at my local bike shop. >><BR><BR>

"Qui si parla Campagnolo" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I doubt these guys are thrilled at going to even the non-consumer

Interbike.

Quoted message said:

Most sit behind the scenes, sipping cafe and smokin cigars, and yakking in Italiano, excpet for
Greg, I guess...

That's very true. The last time I went to a show (been a few years) I was in a restaurant nearby in
early afternoon and saw Eddy eating alone, apparently unrecognized by the younger generation. At one
time he would have had a crowd around him every waking moment.

--
Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971

In article said:

The value of trade shows is in putting manufacturers in front of retailers and wholesalers, so they
can see, be seen, and chat. Mere consumers waste everyone's time by being in the way and increasing
the useless traffic faced by both booth-dwellers and floor-walkers. Theft and confrontation are
hardly issues; all these companies send their PR people and new toys out to deal with the public on
a regular basis.

The one time I got to go to Interbike as the guest of a bike clothing company, my badge clearly
indicated I was a guest so the booth dwellers knew I wasn't going to be buying anything for a store
or whatever.

I didn't ask the booth people questions unless they weren't busy either.

--
Mike Iglesias Email: [email hidden] University of California, Irvine phone: 949-824-6926
Network & Academic Computing Services FAX: 949-824-2069

Quoted message said:

Precisely. That's why the majority of the big car (and some boat) shows are actually migratory;
they travel around the country to make it easy for the mass market to come to them. If the only
annual consumer-level car show was in Detroit, I doubt that it would get much actual exposure.

Absolutely true, and absolutely not within the realm of possibility for something as small as the
overall bicycle market. We're the tiniest little spec on the retail radar screen, particularly if
you compare us to the auto industry. Heck, the entire bicycle market is probably smaller than just
the battery segment of the auto industry!

We're passionate, we believe, we walk the talk. But realistically, we're also small potatoes, and
Interbike just barely gets by as it is. For the retailer, it's a big hassle... a lot of time away
from the shop & family, and way too much to see in too small an amount of time. Adding more days to
the format (so you could squeeze in a consumer day) is extraordinarily expensive... you have no idea
what Interbike charges exhibitors! Plus, the exhibitor has basically abandoned their offices, so
good luck to guys like myself or Peter or Sheldon or Andy (and sorry if I left out any others)
trying to get any business done for several days before and following a show!

--Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles chainreactionbicycles.comchainreactionbicycles.comOpen ↗

Werehatrack said:

I haven't looked; are there any significant consumer-type bike shows, or is this subject just too
rarefied for the mass market at this point? It requires a *lot* of traffic to cover the expense of
a major hall for several days, and it strikes me that in even a major city, there might not be
enough interested bike enthusiasts to allow such an event to make a profit.

I think there are ones in Toronto (?) and New York, probably combined with swap meets, but
realistically, this is what the expo booths at bike events like races, MTB festivals, or big touring
events are for.

I question the idea that the bike industry needs to grow by hyping people up about each year's
newest gewgaws (which seemed to be somebody's idea for a consumer day at Interbike). I am not a
retrogrouch, but bikes are not like consumer electronics; the technology is pretty mature. The
bicycle industry needs to grow by getting more people riding bikes. IMO, people like Mike J, Peter,
and other shop owners here understand this.

Mike Jacoubowsky' may have said:

...you have no idea what Interbike charges exhibitors!

Actually, I might. I'd expect it to be between $2500 and $8000 for a 10x10 booth, with even higher
rates for remium locations, and additional charges if an electrical connection or any setup
decoration is required.

(A 10x10 booth at the major politcal conventions is reportedly going to be over $25000 this
coming year.)

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