Interbike 2014, Las Vegas Sept 9-13

[spinningmagnets]

I know it may seem a little early to be talking about Interbike 2014 (7 months away?) but...it's gotten bigger each year, and 2013 was truly a break-out year for E-bikes, so I believe that 2014 will truly be a historic event.

http://www.interbike.com/show-info.htm

It was only two years ago that I saw large global bicycle manufacturers adding E-bikes to their line-up, and last year two magazines wrote complimentary articles on them (some cynical readers think magazines are only thinly-veiled extensions of their advertisers).

The 10th, 11th, and 12th are a Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Saturdays and Sundays are always pretty crowded in Las Vegas by week-enders who drive/fly-in for gambling. Be aware September is still VERY hot in Las Vegas, and 100F degree weather is possible, though it will likely be in the 90's. Mon/Tues from 9-5 is outdoor demo day, which is held south of Las vegas at "Bootleg Canyon Park" (near Hoover dam, 30 minutes away if there is no traffic), a shuttle from the hotel is available, but no word on when or how often it will run...

Just to give you some options, although the convention is at the Mandalay Bay (at the southern tip of the "strip"), you could also reserve a room at the Excaliber or Luxor, and still be able to walk to the convention without needing to cross any streets. If you don't reserve a room soon, there is no way to know ahead of time if they will have plenty to go around, or if they are all sold out...

 

[spinningmagnets]

Bump...Paul from em3ev.com has verified he will be in booth 5016, and...starting next month he should be able to start shipping packs with the Samsung 25R cell.

 

[t3sla]

Bump one month away

 

[Paderolis]

I really want to check this out as I've never been! I visited the link that was posted in the first post but can not find the cost to attend!

 

[teslanv]

Looks like it's only for "Bicycle-affiliated employees & representatives" we independent enthusiasts are SOL.

QUALIFICATION CRITERIA FOR INTERBIKE:
This is a trade event and is not open to the public. No personal buyers will be allowed into the show. To gain entrance to the show the company must apply to attend and be qualified by show management by providing materials confirming their role in the bicycle industry. Each company must be able to prove they purchase bicycle parts or supplies. Each qualified company may enter individuals as buyers for their company. Show Management reserves the right to audit any, and all individuals registered to confirm their role in the industry and their affiliation with the qualified company.

All Attendees must be active Retailers, Importers/Distributors, Wholesalers, or otherwise affiliated with the Bicycle industry. Show Management reserves the right to request additional documentation for each Company and Employee beyond what is listed below if deemed necessary.

Please note: All documentation must be uploaded no later than September 1, 2014. After September 1, 2014, all credentials must be provided onsite for review.

Retail Buyers, Importers/Distributors must provide two (2) of the following credentials:
•Invoices showing purchases of FINISHED brand name goods in the cycling or fitness industry made within the last six months. Invoices for samples/blanks do not qualify as finished goods.
•Business Card that includes your current company address.
•Business License indicating you are a retail business (Please DO NOT bring a tax ID or a seller's permit, these are not acceptable credentials).
•Letter of intent from an attorney or bank on official letterhead stating the intent to start a new retail business in the cycling/fitness industry (this is acceptable for new businesses only).

Retail Employees (Register as Retail Buyers):
•Business card that includes your current company address.
•Pay Stub within the last six months.

Non-Profits must provide the following credentials:
•501(c)(3) Tax Exemption letter.
•Business Card that includes your current company address.

Independent Reps must provide the following credentials:
•Commission check dated within the last six months.
•Business Card that includes your current company address.

To maintain PCI Compliance, be sure to black out the following information prior to sending your credentials: credit card numbers and any government issued ID, Sales, Tax or SSN number.

 

[spinningmagnets]

Thanks for posting this, I have never been there before, so I really need to get some credentials in order. (and find loopholes)

 

[cal3thousand]

I'm on Kayak.com looking for decent rates right now.

Planning on heading up Thursday night after work and attending the show on Friday. I'll check out Saturday morning and head to the disc golf park for 18 holes before heading back to LA. Anyone up in the area that plays a little Frolf care to join?

 

[nicobie]

You can get a room at Excalibur starting at $20 a night and they have a tram that will take you to Mandalay Bay for free.

 

[cal3thousand]

You can get a room at Excalibur starting at $20 a night and they have a tram that will take you to Mandalay Bay for free.

20 bucks? for real? I couldn't find that

 

[Paderolis]

Looks like it's only for "Bicycle-affiliated employees & representatives" we independent enthusiasts are SOL.

QUALIFICATION CRITERIA FOR INTERBIKE:
This is a trade event and is not open to the public. No personal buyers will be allowed into the show. To gain entrance to the show the company must apply to attend and be qualified by show management by providing materials confirming their role in the bicycle industry. Each company must be able to prove they purchase bicycle parts or supplies. Each qualified company may enter individuals as buyers for their company. Show Management reserves the right to audit any, and all individuals registered to confirm their role in the industry and their affiliation with the qualified company.

All Attendees must be active Retailers, Importers/Distributors, Wholesalers, or otherwise affiliated with the Bicycle industry. Show Management reserves the right to request additional documentation for each Company and Employee beyond what is listed below if deemed necessary.

Please note: All documentation must be uploaded no later than September 1, 2014. After September 1, 2014, all credentials must be provided onsite for review.

Retail Buyers, Importers/Distributors must provide two (2) of the following credentials:
•Invoices showing purchases of FINISHED brand name goods in the cycling or fitness industry made within the last six months. Invoices for samples/blanks do not qualify as finished goods.
•Business Card that includes your current company address.
•Business License indicating you are a retail business (Please DO NOT bring a tax ID or a seller's permit, these are not acceptable credentials).
•Letter of intent from an attorney or bank on official letterhead stating the intent to start a new retail business in the cycling/fitness industry (this is acceptable for new businesses only).

Retail Employees (Register as Retail Buyers):
•Business card that includes your current company address.
•Pay Stub within the last six months.

Non-Profits must provide the following credentials:
•501(c)(3) Tax Exemption letter.
•Business Card that includes your current company address.

Independent Reps must provide the following credentials:
•Commission check dated within the last six months.
•Business Card that includes your current company address.

To maintain PCI Compliance, be sure to black out the following information prior to sending your credentials: credit card numbers and any government issued ID, Sales, Tax or SSN number.

Well ain't that a *****!

 

[teslanv]

I propose the ES community establishes a Cooperative Non-Profit Organization. Do I hear a second?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cooperative

 

[aroundqube]

http://www.peopleforbikes.org/blog/entry/your-ticket-to-interbike

 

[teslanv]

Yep. My bad... Non-business people can attend the "Custom Appreciation Day" on Friday.
http://www.interbike.com/show-info/interbike-2013.htm

 

[teslanv]

Damn. Now I'm looking at flights. My wife is going to strangle me. Washington Electric Nationals is the weekend before, and I barely got the hall pass for that...

Head count-Who's planning on going beside Ron? - And anyone besides em3ev presenting/have a booth?

 

[LockH]

"Interbike adds extra floor space after reaching max capacity"
http://www.triathlonbusiness.com/20...tra-floor-space-after-reaching-max-capacity/

ED: http://www.interbike.com/static/pdf/IB13_Event_Report_LoRes_F.pdf
Page 16:
"One of the most exciting features of Interbike 2013 was an expanded outdoor test track, ideal for electric bike demos, that framed The Paddock area. Thousands of retailers walked through the convention doors to get firsthand experience with a variety of models, including a large selection of cutting edge electric bikes, available from Interbike exhibitors."

snort snort. chortle chortle.

 

[cal3thousand]

Damn. Now I'm looking at flights. My wife is going to strangle me. Washington Electric Nationals is the weekend before, and I barely got the hall pass for that...

Head count-Who's planning on going beside Ron? - And anyone besides em3ev presenting/have a booth?

Me, Dave, Corbin, Sonny are going thanks to Sonny (urbancommuter owner)

I barely got the hall pass too, since I'm trying to visit Tahoe next week to regroup with some old college buddies.

 

[t3sla]

It be cool to have an ebike nerd cast from the show, round table style is Troy going?

 

[LockH]

... ebike nerd cast...

Hehe... Nerd and nerdettes pls.

 

[t3sla]

Euroerbike is now underway. So not long until interbike, 10 or so days.

 

[LockH]

Via Faceplant "The latest BionX products will be on display in booth 5005, and demo rides will be available."

 

[spinningmagnets]

The breakfast buffet at the Mandalay Bay is $18, so I grabbed a Nathans hot dog and a coffee (open 24-hrs). If you've registered online at least a week before the event, you will receive an email with a bar-code on it (to print out and bring, it cost $5 to print mine at the hotel business center) to show at the badge desk. This will speed up the process. I was there when the badge desk opened at 6:30, got the badge printed out very fast and received a "swag bag", and then boarded the first bus. As soon as it was full we took the 30-minute drive to "Bootleg Canyon"

The Mandalay Bay is a fairly classy casino compared to most of Las Vegas...





There were two free water bottles in the swag bag, and when I got to the "Outdoor Demo", there must have been 20 booths of sports drinks (and energy bars) scattered about, with free samples in small paper cups. If you found a flavor you liked, you can fill your gift water bottle up as often as you want.

View attachment 10

The busses ran every 30 minutes, and they were free to anyone with an event badge.



Don't let the lack of riders fool you, I was the first one off the first bus from the Mandalay at 7:00, so this guy drove his own car to beat the crowds. As I was leaving around noon, it had gotten very hot and very crowded.



As I walked in the entrance, I grabbed a quick shot of the first booth before any riders could grab a bike to test. All of the non-electric bicycle booths looked like this.



I climbed the hill overlooking the event, and couldn't get the whole thing in one pic. Plus, it really was divided into two groups of booths. This first pic is looking to the right.



This pic is from the same spot at the same time, but looking off to the left. There is no overlap in these two pics.





There was a truck to haul enthusiasts up to the top of the hill, where there were a lot of dirt trails to test out any bike you wanted. I just zipped past them on an E-bike to get the "up high" pics...



It might be hard to see in this pic, but this is where the truck was taking the riders and bikes. If you look close, you can see a blue sun-shade with free sports drinks alongside one of the trails. There were some serious jumps available for any brave rider to fully test out the latest off-road bikes.



Not a lot of fancy clothes, everyone came to ride instead of preen (a high percentage of bike shop owners). Didn't see any cats, but there were a dozen well-mannered dogs in attendance.



The event was about 80% pedal-only off-road bikes (29'rs and 27.5-inch tires everywhere), a surprising number of pedal-only fat-tired bikes that were getting a LOT of action. There was a paved bicycle trail that was getting used by about the 10% of booths that were "roadie" bikes (skinny tires, carbon fiber, etc), and about 10% of the booths were electric bikes (when counting the booths that had both). I was very happy to see how much interest the E-bikes were getting. I was even stopped and asked about them by genuinely curious attendees, since over 95% of the folks had come there for the pedal-bikes. I didn't see any E-bike hate...I think the general public is warming to the idea.

Of course there were many accessory booths...helmets, sports glasses, every bike gadget you could imagine.

More pics and info posted later. Tuesday is outdoor Demo day, Wed/Thu/Fri is the VERY LARGE indoor convention, the first two days are for badged industry people, and Friday is open to the public.

 

[BarkMau]

That looks awesome! Have fun SMagnets, and bring the good stuff as usual.

 

[teslanv]

Lots of photos! Keep 'em coming SM!

Let us know if Mxus has their 45mm DD Hub on display? Curious to know more about that one.

 

[docnjoj]

Did the Xiongda folks make it to America?
otherDoc

 

[LockH]

OMG... Totally jealous re Magnetic Guy.