No Interbike for 2019, Maybe 2020?

If you were starting to plan a trip to a bike show for 2019, you can scratch Reno, NV from the list. The company behind Interbike, Emerald Expositions, has cancelled the event for 2019. It could return for 2020, but we won’t know until next year.

While there has been a lot of positive feedback about having the show in Reno, there were also some major drawbacks for attendees. First off, for those traveling, they faced additional connections and a higher cost than flying into McCarren International Airport in Vegas. And once there, Reno lacked the supersized hotels of Vegas that can hold most attendees within a few block radius. When you add on the loss of many major brand, preferring to host their own shows for their dealers, many attendees chose to attend those shows instead.

The show started 38 years ago with only a few hundred vendors. It made its way from the west coast to Philadelphia and Atlantic City before heading landing perminantly out west.

“The past four years have been difficult for the U.S. bicycle market,” said Darrell Denny, Executive VicePresident of Emerald Expositions’ Sports Group. “The substantial increase in tariffs on bike related imports during 2018, and announced for 2019, is compounding these challenges.”

There’s that issue too.

One of the hidden consequences of Interbike’s cancellation is the financial support to multiple non-profits in the industry. People Fir Bikes, 
Bicycle Product Suppliers Association, the National Bicycle Dealers Association are three of the biggest benefactors of Interbike, and will not recieve financial support this year, and will struggle to make it up. 

It doesn’t mean trade shows are dead in the US though. Many shows like Sea Otter and Philly Bike Expo offer unique experiences and a chance for dealers and their customers to interact with brands. 

“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,” continues Denny. “Our goal is to develop and deliver thoughtful solutions which provide strong returns on investment for all industry participants.”

With the loss of Interbike, we are not sure what this means from RenoCross. The event started as CrossVegas and became a midweek staple for the event. It has drawn many top stars from Europe, and helped start the movment for early US based World Cup events.

We’ll keep you updated with more info on the show and cyclocross event as they become available.