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LAS VEGAS, USA - North America's largest bicycle trade show wrapped September 28 after five days of frenetic activity. Interbike continues to be the hub of the US bike industry, but also attracts numerous international visitors keeping up with the latest products and trends.

Speaking on the final day of the event, Show Director Lance Camisasca said preliminary figures pointed to total attendance of 22,515 unique badge-holders, of whom 11,054 were buyers. This is up from 21,682 and 10,378 respectively in 2006. "I don't think we've ever had this many buyers," remarked Camisasca.

There were 3,787 unique businesses (retailers) represented at the show, up from last year's 3,239, despite fewer bicycle retailers, flat bike sales and lower cycling participation in the US. The higher number may be due to more international visitors, especially from Latin America, although a detailed breakdown by nationality was not yet available. The Outdoor Demo days attracted an estimated 4,718 people, of whom 3,500 were classified as buyers.

Decision on the future of the show

On the question of a possible change in the future location and timing of the show, Camisasca replied that the Interbike team would gather research and feedback in the coming months and put forward proposals to the industry at the Bicycle Leadership Conference in January. He expects a decision on the future of the show in early spring next year. "Last year we thought we would have to lock in the show in Las Vegas for the next three years, but now we only have to commit to 2008," he said.

Regarding the timing of the show, he said that survey data still shows that retailers and visitors continue to vote for the first week of October as their first choice, while exhibitors prefer the last week of September. Certainly the timing of the event is not perfect for OEM ordering, with some exhibitors suggesting January as a better point in the development cycle, but Camisasca stressed the networking aspect of the show: "There are orders being written at Interbike, but we try to put the emphasis on 'the gathering of the tribe', with our events and advocacy efforts."

Instituting public days

Officially a trade-only event, Interbike is clearly infiltrated every year by many enthusiasts, begging the question of instituting public days. "We're moving towards a majority that wants this," said Camisasca, "but retailers are still resistant to the idea."

Interbike seems to have little impact in traffic-choked Las Vegas, with little local media coverage, but Camisasca said efforts were under way to try to change this. "We're talking to the mayor and the city authorities here to organize an event on the 'strip' that will attract the media."

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