I recall a time when I used to get excited about the annual meeting in Las Vegas. I would burn through pages of each and every magazine that covered the show in attempts to find my next must have items. This was before the Internet turned out images and news long before the show, and before you could just tune into this or that blog/review site and have a pretty darn good idea of whats what.
A few long years back I went to the show as a shop rat and had a blast. Except for a minor surgery that is. I was able to see the show live and drool over cool bits. A kid in a candy store.
Now a days I am in the industry and part of that show. I spent the last two years with a small time operation trying hard to find a way to break in. I learned a lot in those years. How the industry works, how sponsoring riders work, and how to really make things happen-----more importantly how not to make it happen.
I do not want to sound jaded or bitter but Inter-bike killed me. I just came off the road for 8 months and was looking forward to some time off with Midget and getting to ride everyday should I want. I was looking forward to only setting up the bike I was riding, and not 50 others. Well, that was a delusion at best. Instead I grabbed 3 days rest and went back to 12-14 hour days getting ready for the show.
How does one get ready for Inter-bike? Start by building a demo fleet from scratch. This year was 60 bikes, evenly split from road to mountain. Mix in catalogue bikes-- that's four mountain bikes times two of every color. Then you must have a new road catalogue as well so add 6 more bikes, two colors and several options on parts and gruppo's. There you have near 20 bikes you are not going to use for show or demo. Just for pictures and then after the show you can use them for other uses....say our factory showroom or whatnot.
Ok. Now you can build the demo fleet. Then you must pack catalogues, displays, tools, spare parts, give aways, the whole enchilada so to speak. Everything has to be there should something go wrong, and you must plan for every JRA that can or will happen. You have to get your dealer programs ready, market breakdowns, and you must have you technical knowledge ready to roll of the tongue---- about 1000 times a day. The crowds do not stop. They just grow.
My Vegas experience was started on Sunday morning with a 3 am departure for Bootleg Canyon. KT the design guru and I headed out for a 10 Am load into the outdoor demo area. Come late and you have a logistical nightmare. We were 1/2 hour plus early---and late at the same time. Parking was still OK. But I would have preferred to be first in our area--I was second.
Dirt Demo was CRAZY. I work for one of the three most popular IT bikes it seems. The crowds sorta confirmed that. We had every bike gone all day and 2-3 hour waits for our new bike. All in all it was a good two days, busy beyond comprehension but good. After Tuesdays 6 am start I had to follow that up by driving my rig back to Phoenix right after Dirt Demo ended Tuesday at 6pm. We were loaded and I was rolling at 7pm. Made it home to Phoenix and in bed by 12.31 am Wednesday.
More on I- Bike later......
