Interbike’s Lance Camisasca to Focus Efforts on Strategic Direction of Interbike and Bicycle Industry

Following one of its most successful trade shows in its 26-year history, Interbike, North America’s leading bicycle industry business-to-business event, today announced changes within its upper management and sales department to better serve the bicycle industry.

Effective January 1, 2008, Lance Camisasca, will work as an industry consultant to Interbike helping the company develop sales & marketing strategies, identifying new market opportunities and acting as Interbike’s key liaison for its advocacy and industry relations efforts.

Nielsen Business Media, Interbike’s parent company, will not seek a replacement for the position of group show director for the Interbike and Health+Fitness Business Expo trade shows, which Camisasca held.

As Group Show Director, Camisasca directed all sales, marketing and operations efforts for Interbike, the OutDoor Demo and Health+Fitness Business since 1998. This past Interbike was Camisasca’s 10th year at the helm. During his tenure as group show director, Camisasca oversaw 31 events, dating back to the Interbike Philadelphia regional event, the 1999 Open Air Trade Fair and two Winterbike’s, to name a few.

As a marketing consultant for Lifeboat Solutions, a firm Camisasca will launch in January, Camisasca will use his 30-plus years of bicycle industry experience advising companies on sales, marketing and event management, with Interbike being his first client.

“There have been a lot of changes in the 10 years I’ve been with Interbike, both as a company and within the tradeshow industry,” Camisasca said. “Interbike’s parent company is now Nielsen Business Media, a fantastic organization with tons of experience in both the business-to-business arena and in the sports industries. Nielsen is also a company that really understands how to produce outstanding trade events, in part by having experts focus on what they do best, such as operations, sales, marketing, to name a few.

“The time for me to step outside of the bubble and work closely with Interbike as a client, Bikes Belong and the entire industry to further the importance of Interbike down the stretch couldn’t be better. I leave in my wake exceptional sales, marketing and operation teams, who run efficiently, professionally and passionately in their day to day efforts. I am confident that my new role working with these strong individuals bodes well for Interbike and future events.”

Camisasca will act as a key industry consultant, working directly with the Interbike sales and marketing teams and Vice President of Nielsen’s Sport’s Group, Joe Flynn.

“Lance is an invaluable asset to Interbike,” said Flynn. “His new role with Interbike will allow him to focus on the big picture, instead of day-to-day operations. Lance will now be able to assist me in formulating short and long term strategies for the cycling industry. In addition he will be working closely with industry groups such as the NBDA and Bikes Belong, making himself available to customers – large and small, collecting feedback and providing effective ideas on improving the show.”

"No one knows the show or the needs of the bike industry better than Lance," said Tim Blumenthal, executive director of Bikes Belong. "Lance's new role should allow him to focus on Interbike's big picture, relationships with key partners like Bikes Belong, and the process of making Interbike even more productive and more fun for everyone involved."

Sales Department Changes
Robert Roman, Interbike’s senior account executive, has been assigned additional sales territories and will focus specifically on meeting the needs of the cycling industry with the Interbike Expo and OutDoor Demo moving forward. Previously, Roman was also an account executive for Interbike’s sister show, the Health+Fitness Business Expo, the leading retail fitness industry business-to-business trade event.

Interbike’s sales department is led by Andria Klinger with Account Executive, Brian McKavic and Senior Account Executive, Robert Roman. Klinger and McKavic have been with Interbike for the last two shows and Roman for more than seven years.

For more information about Interbike visit www.interbike.com. To view on-demand video footage of 2007 Interbike or view exhibitor electronic press kits, please visit “The Media Center” at Interbike.com.

About Interbike
Interbike, produced by Nielsen Business Media, the parent company of the Outdoor Retailer (OR), Action Sports Retailer (ASR) and Fly Fishing Retailer trade shows, is a full-service trade show company that creates, markets and produces high-quality expos and educational conferences. Producers of the OutDoor Demo and Interbike International Bicycle Expo, Interbike is the leading bicycle industry business-to-business event management company, bringing together top manufacturers, retailers, industry advocates and media to conduct the business of cycling. Now celebrating more than 25 years of successful events, Interbike (www.interbike.com) gathers more than 1,000 cycling-related brands and close to 23,000 total attendees annually.

The dates for next year’s Interbike trade-only events begin with the Outdoor Demo September 22-23, 2008 in Bootleg Canyon and continue with the Interbike Expo September 24-26 at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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