Gain Retail Knowledge and New Perspective at The Big Gear Show

July 2, 2021

There’s more than just gear available to retailers at The Big Gear Show; attendees can expect a curated and expansive range of educational opportunities to benefit their businesses.

PARK CITY, UT (7/2/21) – The Big Gear Show, a premier bike, camp, climb, hike, overland and paddle industry gear event for summer 2021, is pleased to announce an extensive range of retailer education opportunities during the August 3-5 show, held in Park City, Utah. The 3-day event will feature educational presentations, panels, and small group discussions covering a wide range of topics. Industry leaders and professionals can expect training and talks that are relevant to all categories of business.

The bike-focused presentations will span universal topics on inclusion and customer retention, and narrow to exploring still-new categories, like eBike. Kent McNeill, the CEO of IMBA and Steve Matous, the president of NICA will help 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 eBike 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 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 People for Bikes, and Larry Pizzi, of Alta Cycling. The NBDA will also present Bicycle Retailer’s Excellence Awards at the show on Wednesday, August 4th.

Outdoor specialty and paddlesports retailers will be able to benefit from presentations by Rich Hill, President of Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, on point of sale retail data and how to use it; Teddy Schiavoni of Locally.com, on how to connect with local markets and showing your stock online in local searches; and a panel hosted by Yoon Kim of Outdoor ECom looks at the importance of content marketing to increase your online clout at any stage of retail business. There will also be numerous paddlesports-centric sessions, with an emphasis on supply chain issues, how to convert new participants into enthusiasts, and shipping and logistics. These sessions will feature panelists like Darren Bush, owner of Rutabaga Paddlesports and co-founder of The Big Gear Show, and other leading paddle shops like Alder Creek, Appomattox Paddle Shop, Outdoorplay, and The Trail Head. There will also be a “State of the Paddlesports Industry” roundtable discussion.

Inclusivity is among the must address topics across all outdoor, bike and watersport industries. Camber Outdoors will moderate a panel on the effects of REI‘s recent vendor requirements around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, 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 with Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, SmartEtailing, Ascent360, Locally.com, Bosch, and other outdoor recreation, business and diversity experts. Throughout The Big Gear Show, attendees will find unparalleled access to network with top industry thought leaders.

“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 Big Gear Show is scheduled for August 3-5, at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, Utah. The event is an invitation-only, multi-category trade event for the bike, camp, climb, hike, outdoor, overland and paddle markets. The show targets an invite-only group of hand-selected retailers and brands across these industries, as well as associated national media.

Getting out in beautiful environments is the foundation of the outdoor industry, so attendees will use Deer Valley Resort to test gear and gain a new perspective of their own industry over the course of the 3-day event.

Find a complete list and schedule of Educational Opportunities at The Big Gear Show here.

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ABOUT THE BIG GEAR SHOW:

The Big Gear Show is North America’s first open-air trade show taking place in Park City, Utah, August 3-5, 2021. The show is built by and for retailers and offers an integrated, best-in-class demo-driven buying experience serving a curated group of 500 hand-selected retailers and hundreds of brands across the outdoor, cycling and paddle communities. The Big Gear Show is endorsed and co-presented by the Grassroots Outdoor Alliance, National Bicycle Dealers Association and People For Bikes. There is simply no better place to discover new brands and products and drive your specialty business forward.