PARK CITY, Utah (BRAIN) — Next month's The Big Gear Show will include a range of retailer education opportunities, including presentations, panels, and small group discussions covering a wide range of topics. The show is Aug. 3-5 at the Deer Valley Resort.
Organizers said the bike-focused presentations will span universal topics on inclusion and customer retention, and narrow to exploring still-new categories like e-bikes.
Kent McNeill, the CEO of IMBA and Steve Matous, the president of NICA, will give ideas to keep new cyclists engaged, put more kids on bikes, increase diversity, and break down barriers of entry for all types of new cyclists.
Bosch will lead sessions focusing on how finance options and e-bike rental can increase revenue, while Greg Robidoux of the Serotta International Cycling Institute will help retailers see the potential of bike fitting in today's market.
The NBDA also will host a State of the Industry Panel on Tuesday with Scott King, who is one of SRAM's co-founders, Tobie De Pauw from PeopleForBikes, and Larry Pizzi of Alta Cycling. The NBDA will also present the Bicycle Retailer Excellence Awards at the show on Wednesday, Aug. 4.
Camber Outdoors will moderate a panel on the effects of REI's recent vendor requirements around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), revealing opportunities for all retailers to expand their audience. Throughout these structured seminars, panel discussions and talks, attendees will have the opportunity to join smaller breakout sessions, roundtables, and other more intimate opportunities, the show said.
"The goal of these educational presentations is to bring people from multiple facets of the outdoor industry — bike, outdoor and paddlesports — together for the first time in over a year and learn," said Sutton Bacon, founder and co-owner of The Big Gear Show. "Much has changed in the industry — and the world — over the past year, and the Big Gear Show is the perfect place for us to collectively learn from all of these trials we've just been tested by."
"The importance of planning has proved fruitful over the past 15 months, with the most profitable retailers benefiting by staying informed and pivoting with the trends and times," said Heather Mason, president of the National Bicycle Dealers Association. "Dynamic content, focused specifically on 2022 planning entwined with daily peer-to-peer learning sessions makes The Big Gear Show the best opportunity to learn from our current moment while planning for future success. All retailers in attendance, both bike and outdoor, will find these topics engaging."
The full agenda is at thebiggearshow.com/schedule.
