DALLAS (BRAIN) — Organizers of the North American Handmade Bicycle Show announced Friday that they were canceling the show, which had been scheduled for Dallas in August. Earlier this week, organizers of the Outerbike demo events canceled their three summer demos, which were to have been held in Killington, Vermont; Crested Butte, Colorado; and Duluth, Minnesota. Outerbike still plans to hold its fall events in South Lake Tahoe, California; Moab, Utah; and Bentonville, Arkansas.
NAHBS was originally scheduled for March, but was shifted to the August dates because of COVID-19 concerns. Show founder Don Walker said it's become clear that the industry will not be able to attend an August date.
"Based on the many exhibitors I’ve spoken to, no one wants to be in a large crowd, primarily indoors, this summer," he said. "I’ve received similar feedback from the local cycling community in Texas. I’m certain that even if we held the show this August, attendance would be extremely low — which none of us want. Throw in the current difficulties of international travel and limited domestic travel, and the challenges of putting on a successful show this summer are insurmountable."
Walker said the 2021 show will be held in the third quarter, a shift from its traditional late-winter dates. He is considering holding the event in Chicago; Hartford, Connecticut; Dallas; or Indianapolis.
He said the September timeframe has several advantages: It "offers a better opportunity for more framebuilders to exhibit because they aren't under the gun for spring deliveries; and 2) It puts us in the old Interbike timeframe that many of us had become accustomed to, during a time when there are no other shows domestically in the USA."
He said NAHBS will be sending out a survey to exhibitors get feedback about preferred dates and locations. NAHBS will not offer refunds for 2020 show registrations but roll registration costs over to 2021 or 2022 and give 2020 registrants first picks for booth locations. The show will also give 2020 registrants additional promotional and marketing provisions that are typically reserved for sponsors.
"We'll be diligently working on enhanced show offerings, greater attendance, and new onsite happenings for next year's show. And in the meantime, we're working on creating virtual opportunities for 2020, including a YouTube series for framebuilders, among other things," he said.
Outerbike had previously announced that it had canceled its June event in Deer Valley, Utah. It notified exhibitors and pre-registered guests for the summer shows earlier this week, and is offering guests credit for any future Outerbike event through 2021, and giving them a free ticket to bring a friend.
More information: Outerbike's COVID-19 announcement | NAHBS website.
