InterBike 2008

InterBike 2008 – Genuine Innovations

By: Erik Williams

September 24, 25, 26 2008

What a great show this year for Genuine Innovations. Our booth was in a great spot, the Innovations trailer/office is perfect quiet spot for our Distributor meetings. We added in a great demo bar (next year were thinking maybe a beer bar) for showing all our great dealers how to use the CO2 inflators and hand pumps. We flew in our 'Power Girl,' professional model, Bahara Golestani signing our "Flat Tires Suck! DO You CO2?" posters.

InterBike was packed this year, there were more Exhibitors and

the dealer traffic was definitely higher. The Genuine Innovations booth had a constant flow of bike dealers coming up to our demo bar and our staff never had a spare moment to rest. DJ Lopez was

always there is a huge smile to help explain how our valves work. Keith Wentworth, our Road Demo Rep, was there to greet our dealers, especially the ones he visited on his year long cross country trek visiting bike shops with Distributor Reps.

Genuine Innovations new booth looks great thanks to

the sharp eye of our Communications and Marketing Director, Michael Draubosky. Our new branding image, that we started with the packaging of the Second Wind Road, is carrying over to the design look of the booth. We have a huge line of products not

Behind the scenes, in the quiet of the office, Mike McGary Bike Sales

Manager, and Marty Mares, President, were reviewing the numbers and the product lines with our distributors and top reps. Cutting the big deals behind closed doors may sound great but everyone wants to get out onto the show floor to take in the bike industry. Occasionally the meetings, as this one with Marty and Dennis of KHS spilled out onto the floor.

I was lucky enough to be able to walk the show and catch all the

great bike technology. All the major bike manufactures are on display with the latest and greatest. Shimano and Campagnolo had their latest out including the new electric group. Eddy Merckx was signing au

tographs with a line a couple hundred people deep. Joe McCarthy, VP, Director of Engineering for Genuine Innovations, surveyed the show and said, "I'm pleased to see that Innovations CO2 Inflators are the best pumps at the show. Our relationships with all the major OEM's like Bell, Shimano PRO, Trek, Performance, Blackburn and others is a real testiment to the technology, quality and hard work we put into our product."

The commuter market seems to be booming with the price of oil putting a crimp on every ones budget. There were a ton of electric bike companies displaying all the latest designs and it seemed like everyone, including all the majors, released an electric bike line this year. Mike McGary, Bike Sales for Innovations says, "I was happy to see the emphasis on bikes as transportation rather than just toys. Folding bikes, recumbents, delivery bikes, city bikes.... it's more than just the commuter market now and the bike culture is really taking hold instead of bikes just being hobby."