Interbike owner, Emerald Expositions, has announced the trade show will not take place in September 2019 in Reno as previously scheduled. The annual event has been running for 36 years and the organiser has held open the opportunity for a scaled down event in 2020, but has laid off the show and sales directors.
“The past four years have been difficult for the US bicycle market,” said Darrell Denny, Executive Vice-President of Emerald Expositions’ Sports Group. “The substantial increase in tariffs on bike related imports during 2018, and announced for 2019, is compounding these challenges. As a result, we are rethinking how to best serve the cycling industry and will conduct a review of the possible timing, locations and formats with dealers, brands, distributors, reps, designers and media over the coming months.”
Organisers did try shifting dates in 2011 to August and relocated from Las Vegas to Reno in 2018 but failed to slow a decline.
Compounding the Interbike’s problems, major bicycle manufacturers have been missing Interbike in favour of holding their own dealer events.
As a result of the decision to cancel the show, Justin Gottlieb, Show Director, Andria Klinger, Sales Director, Andy Buckner, Art Director and Jack Morrissey, Marketing Manager, will be leaving the company, effective 31 December, 2018.
“Justin, Andria, Andy and Jack have dedicated themselves to the cycling space and worked long and hard,” Denny said. “We will miss them greatly and wish them the best on their future endeavours.”
Interbike was established in 1982 and had grown into the leading bicycle trade event in North America, bringing together manufacturers, retailers, industry advocates and distributors.
Interbike is owned by US trade show organiser Emerald Expositions, which operates more than 55 trade shows.
Bicycle Retailer and Industry News (BRAIN), said the loss of the trade show would not only impact the sales industry but the industry organisations that Interbike sponsored, including PeopleForBikes, the Bicycle Product Suppliers Association and the National Bicycle Dealers Association.
