IBD Summit set to focus on retail evolution as registration opens

The 2017 IBD Summit will be themed around the evolution of bike retail, the organisers have announced.

With registration now live, retailers are invited to take advantage of a host of a plethora of best practice talks and seminars on doing business in the present climate.

Backed by the NDBA, BPSA, PeopleForBikes and presented by Interbike, the event introduces new peer-to-peer TED Talk style session designed to offer success stories from top retailers around the country, an increased focus on data and statistics as requested by event alumni, and the elimination of the extended roundtable sessions.

Continuing over from 2016, the event will also feature industry panels from top executives in and out of the bicycle industry, enhanced business seminars from The Mann Group and opportunities to ride and network with colleagues. The IBD Summit will return to the Marriott Tempe at The Buttes in Phoenix, AZ, January 17-19, 2017.

New for 2017 is session titled, “Driving Foot Traffic: 10 Successes from IBD Peers.” In a fast-paced discussion, ten retailers will present examples of how they’ve been able to drive foot traffic in their stores. IBD Summit management is seeking retailers that are willing to participate, and are confident that the session will come together quickly.

“We know that there are tactics being implemented today that are helping IBD’s get more people through their doors,” said Pat Hus, Vice President of Interbike. “The ultimate goal of this session is to share ideas among non-competing businesses, in an effort to help improve the collective pie.”

Leading off the event each day will be keynotes from nationally recognized experts on topics that are on the minds of retailers in all industries today:

The Age Of Disruption: Everything Has Changed and Nothing Is Different: Scott Stratten, a self-titled “Disruptive and UN-traditional Sales, Marketing, Branding & Social Media Expert,” will offer enlightened fresh perspective on how to effectively market, sell and engage – that flips traditional advice on its head. He encourages individuals and businesses in all industries to think differently, in order to achieve results. Stratten has been featured by various leading media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Huffington Post, Entrepreneur Magazine, Fast Company, and on CNN.com, and is the author of four best-selling business books, including his newest, UnSelling: The New Customer Experience.

Creating a Shop Culture Based on Customer Experience and the Creation of Memories: Garry Ridge, President and CEO of WD-40, believes that in this time of eroding foot traffic through your doors, bike shops can ill-afford to lose those valuable customers that do venture in with the hopes of becoming part of the cycling community. He will call on his experience outside of the bike industry to share success stories where other industries such as hardware have been threatened by big box and online competition, and have won-out through creating experiences that leave lasting memories.

How to Build a Cult Following: The tools that foster loyalty to your store – your brand: Customers become advocates of stores because they develop an emotional connection with their core purpose. How then, does an Independent Bicycle Dealer (IBD) ignite the passion in their customer base that leads to this emotional connection? Through the lens of The Brand Ecosystem Model, IBD Summit attendees will learn how to leverage the phenomenon of “following” to transform average customers into advocates.  And more importantly, they will learn the functional tools that drive loyalty, how to measure the efficacy of creating long-term sustainable customers and why they are the engine of revenue growth and profitability.

Returning to The IBD Summit is Scot Begovich, Director of Data Solutions at Experian Marketing Services. Begovich was part of a dynamic panel from the motorcycle industry earlier this year at the 2016 IBD Summit, which concluded with attendees wanting more. He is putting together a fresh presentation that speaks to shopping trends, buying habits and how analytics is changing the landscape of retail.

Retailers can register at The IBD Summit website (www.theibdsummit.com), where they can also find a list of speakers and their biographies, more in-depth session descriptions, the event schedule and more.

Registered Buyers who register before December 16th can take advantage of the $695 early bird price (conference fee covers all food, sessions and conference materials).