Lost Paddle Events, which owns the Big Gear Show, will debut an electric bike trade show that is the first known e-bike-focused national trade show in the country, if not the world.
Dubbed (e)revolution, the e-bike trade show is scheduled for June 8-11, 2023, at the Colorado Convention Center in the Mile High City.
The Colorado Convention center, which is 2.2 million square feet, previously hosted the Outdoor Retailer trade show, returning to Salt Lake City in 2023, Snow Shows, and the ninth annual North American Handmade Bicycle Show.
"Colorado is a national leader on bikes, and we are excited to welcome entrepreneurs and innovators to Colorado as we continue our work saving people money on this fun, healthy, and efficient way to get around our beautiful state," said Gov. Jared Polis in a statement.
The e-bike trade show organizers
On a national level, e-bike sales continue to surge, creating demand for a trade show.
The sales of e-bikes surged 39% year-over-year in 2021, reaching a value of $770 million, reports NPD Group. The e-bike category experienced similar growth the year prior. An estimated 12 million e-bikes to be on the ground in the United States by 2030.
The show director of (e)revolution is Lance Camisasca, the Bike Show Director of Last Paddle Events. Lost Paddle Events, under the leadership of Sutton Bacon, founded the Big Gear Show and owns the four other marine consumer trade shows.
Camisasca is also the former director of the Interbike Expo, the largest bicycle trade show in North America.
As a long-time trade show producer, Camisasca will also work with a team of veteran show leaders.
Trade show format
The four-day e-bike trade show will focus on connecting manufacturers with e-bike retailers and e-bikers, as well as local and national media outlets.
With a unique approach, the format will split. The first two days will focus on business-to-business or meetings between retailers and brands.
The second two days will invite the public, focusing on consumer and retailer education.
Issues include how e-bikers and retail fleets should manage battery storage, maintenance, and recycling. The best safety and environmental standards have been evolving: recently launched the nation's first-ever industrywide electric bike battery recycling guidelines and program, co-created by PeopleForBikes.
Those two days will include hands-on e-bike demonstrations and an opportunity to test various e-bikes. There will also be social meetups and inclusive industry networking events.
According to Outside Business Journal, the organizers are also considering hosting an e-MTB demo at a park the day before the show starts.
Why the trade show is a good match for Denver
As a bike-friendly destination, Denver was a top pick as a host city for the new trade show.
According to a recent Explore Worldwide report, Denver ranked 13th among the 50 best cities for biking in the U.S., based on overall safety, bike-sharing, infrastructure, climate, and the number of bike commuters.
Most recently, more than 3,000 Denverites applied for the city's popular e-bike rebate program, exceeding the available funding and anticipated demand for the year. (The 2022 limited-release model provides rebates on a monthly basis.)
Then, according to a recent WalletHub report, Denver ranked as the third best city nationwide for biking based on infrastructure, road connectivity, and the number of bike commuters.
In a comprehensive study, PeopleForBikes gave Denver an overall ranking of 127 out of 1105 cities, putting the state capitol in the 89th percentile.
"As one of the most bike-friendly cities in the country, Denver is the perfect location for (e)revolution. With 850 miles of urban bike trails across our metro area, we think this aligns perfectly with our city's outdoor, urban adventure brand," said Richard Scharf, the president and CEO of Visit Denver, in a statement.
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