The eCE team will be at Interbike in Las Vegas, Nevada this week and we created a post with helpful suggestions on what to see and do if you are in the electric bicycle industry. Take a look at our helpful list of suggestions.
1. Download the Interbike 2013 App
The Interbike team made a very useful app to make your life easier – download it, it’s free! To find all the electric bike companies that are exhibiting, go to the exhibitors tab on the homepage and search under the product category “Bicycles – Electric/ Power Assist”. Great features include the ability to favorite and keep track of all the exhibitors that you have seen and take meeting notes. You can also find a list of events, seminars, map of each floor, show dailies and shuttle bus info. Before getting to the show, make sure to download and browse through the app.
2. Attend LEVA Events and Pass by the LEVA Booth
For some odd reason, many of the LEVA events are not listed on the Interbike site… but do not worry, we will help you find them. If you are not familiar with LEVA, click here to visit their website. Majority of the events will be held at the Mandalay Bay Meeting Room CORAL C and the LEVA booth is located at the Interbike E-Bike Lounge in Hall D of the trade show. Events will be held throughout the day from Wednesday to Friday and include a variety of helpful seminars and panel discussions focused on the electric bike industry.
3. Talk to Dealers
Dozens of electric bike dealers will be at Interbike so seize the opportunity to get valuable feedback from them. They are at the forefront of each sale and are the key to understanding the electric bike consumer in the United States. Most of them will be attending LEVA events, more specifically the Networking Breakfast which is on Friday, September 20th at 7:30-9:00am in the Mandalay Bay Meeting Room Mariners A. Dealers get in for free and the cost for LEVA members is $35 and non-members are $45. If you feel that you have not spoken to enough dealers, you will most likely find many of them around the electric bike test track.
4. Test Ride Electric Bikes!
Test riding is the best way to judge the quality and system components of an electric bike. Get somebody in your company to visit the electric bike test track and have them ride at least 3-5 electric bikes by the end of each day. This is a great opportunity for your company to sample different systems and components if you are looking for new suppliers and want to see what your competitors have to offer. This year the electric bike test track is located in the corner of Hall D.
5. Connect With Your Contacts on LinkedIn
After the show is over, connect with your contacts on LinkedIn. Business cards can often get lost in a pile of brochures after the show and sometimes you may not need to immediately follow-up with a new contact. Adding new contacts on LinkedIn is one of the best ways to keep in touch and stay up to date with the new people you have met. A great and easy way to do so is to use CardMunch, a free iPhone app that lets you take a photo of a business card, then automatically enters and saves their contact info for you. The best part is that it allows you to connect you with your new contacts on LinkedIn without having to search for their name.
To get real- time updates on what's happening at Interbike, follow us on Facebook and Twitter! If you are not able to attend the show and have questions, post us a question on our Facebook wall or send us a tweet @eCeCycle.
Have a great show!