CABDA’s Virtual Expo to go live on 10-11 February
Organizers of the CABDA Expo plan to unveil its newest event next week: CABDA Online. Taking the place of its usual, in-person Q1 events, the virtual B2B event hopes to offer some degree of normalcy for its attendees.
Jim Kersten, Show Director, said: “It’s a whole new world for us really. We had to pivot from freight handling and floorplans, to coding, social media, and video production. But if we cannot bring everyone together in person, this is the next best thing.”
Registration for CABDA Online opened in December, and already has more than 2,000 registered attendees from 920 shops across the United States and Canada. Although Kersten expects attendance numbers to increase as the event approaches. “We located our in-person shows in regions with a high concentration of bike shops to make it easier for folks to attend, but with this event being virtual we’re seeing a ton of registrations from areas where we usually don’t see a ton of turn out,” Kersten said.
The virtual event features over forty breakout sessions including: Sales and tech training, an industry panel discussion led by NBDA President Heather Mason, and a Keynote from Sales Trainer Joe Marcoux titled ‘Prepare Now for a Post-Covid Winter’.
All sessions will be available to attendees on-demand after they air live. Attendees can also visit fifty virtual exhibit booths and schedule meetings with sales reps, as well as attend industry Q&As, live tech clinics from SRAM, and a virtual job fair.
Kersten added: “The platform is as interactive as you want it to be. Some people are super comfortable turning on their webcam and chatting with everyone they can. Other people want to keep the camera off and just look around and check out the exhibitors and seminars. We have options for both groups.”
CABDA Online will be live February 10 & 11, however attendees will have access to all sessions and exhibitor booths for thirty days after the event. An interactive schedule of breakout sessions is posted online. Free registration for retailers runs through Thursday.
