Hi All! Interbike's way, way around the corner, September 14th-18th with the Outdoor Demo the two days before. As you probably know, the industry's dog-and-pony show is a great environment for Collectives to meet retailers and shop owners and let them know about all the great ways to get involved with what we do on a local and national level.
Last year we didn't get a ticket confirmation until the LAST MINUTE, which was annoying, so I wanted to reach out to the network early this year with two things.
- Would you like to go and get a (free) ticket through us?
- What resources should we bring to bear and share with the cycling
industry?
*1. If you'd like to go, sign up on this sheet https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mcqVNpCdwITiXhBM5RORTaklCbTnj2BZgSreDEh3GhE/edit?usp=sharing and fill out the relevant tabs. *So if you're needing a hotel room, put yourself down in one of the slots, we aim to put 4-6 people in each room to keep 'em cheap. If you're looking to carpool, put down your arrival/departure details and room in your vehicle, if applicable.
Going to Interbike with us comes with responsibility: Firstly, everyone attending has to sign up for two shifts at the Bicycle Collective Network booth (*third tab below*), where we'll be representing the Bicycle Collective and the Alliance for Walking and Biking. Secondly, we will not tolerate conduct that doesn't represent us favorably to the rest of the bicycling industry. Being inconsiderate of an exhibitor's time, heckling for swag or deals from people you haven't developed a relationship with or who haven't clearly offered that sort of thing, or generally behaving like a child will earn you a boot from the show. We're not willing to jeopardize the reputation of the Bicycle Collective Network.
Barring major conflicts, we'd also like to do a night out for Collective folks on Tuesday night, the night before the show, where we would briefly go over our responsibilities formally and then just kick back, catch up across the city, state, and national lines between our different shops.
*Sign up:* https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1mcqVNpCdwITiXhBM5RORTaklCbTnj2BZgSre...
*2. How should we represent the Bike Collective Network? *
In years past, the question we're most asked at the booth is "Who's the local collective in our neck of the woods?"
To answer this question, we have a print-out of the organizations listed on the Bicycle Collectives Wiki:
http://www.bikecollectives.org/wiki/index.php?title=Community_Bicycle_Organi...
Is this the most current and representative list? Or is there a more current resource out there, like the organizations tab on bikecollectives.org? http://www.bikecollectives.org/#organizations
What else would allow us to better connect the industry to our needs and interests this year?
For example, for the Salt Lake/Ogden/Provo Shop I'm always looking for (utility) tube sealant donors and companies that make solid tubes. When I find out a company has a distributor in a given area, I try to get their blemished/overstock/recall items donated to local collectives.
Beyond that, let me know if there's anything else we should try and tout! And I'll send a followup out later when tickets are secured.
Joergen Trepp Director of Operations Bicycle Collective Work // 801.328.2453 Mobile // 231.392.3403
www.bicyclecollective.org
The mission of the Bicycle Collective is to promote cycling as an effective and sustainable form of transportation and as a cornerstone of a cleaner, healthier, and safer society. The Collective provides refurbished bicycles and educational programs to the community, focusing on children and lower income households.