Interbike riding out of Las Vegas for Reno

Interbike, the largest U.S. cycling trade shows, is riding out of Las Vegas for cooler and cheaper pastures.

The annual sport convention that attracts biker makers and retailer will park has signed a five-year deal to park its wheels in Reno starting in 2018, according to Emerald Expositions, which runs the show.

Interbike, which launched in 1982 and attracts about 20,000 participants, has been held in Las Vegas for the last 20 years following a brief stint in Reno in the 1980s. The 2017 show will be the fifth straight year at the Mandalay Bay.

Reno offers cooler temperatures for bikers, more individual attention for big convention attendees as well as lower hotel, show floor and restaurant prices, said Darrell Denny, executive vice president for Emerald’s sports group division.

“We will be a big fish in a small pond. Every restaurant and hotel is all about your business,” he said of the move to the state’s second city up north.

Lower convention and room costs will certainly be welcomed by an industry that has been struggling in recent years.

Cycling has been a stagnant sport in terms of participation and sales over the past decade and bike producers have been dealing with excess inventory since 2015, said Denny.

Interbike attendance peaked that year at around 24,000 and will probably be around 20,000 this year, including about 1,200 exhibitors, he said. Independent bicycle dealers are the prime attendees at the trade show.

“The general feedback brought up to our sales team is that costs have been an issue,” said Justin Gottlieb, director of communications for Interbike.

Interbike will add expand its event in Reno to include a new, consumer festival that will kick off before the traditional outdoor demo and trade show.

Contact Todd Prince at tprince@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0386. Follow @toddprincetv on Twitter.