Cycling trade show Interbike announced that Pat Hus, who has been show director since 2011, will be leaving the company to pursue other opportunities. He will be replaced by Justin Gottlieb, who has been promoted to interim show director.
“Justin has an intimate knowledge of the cycling industry, having worked in the space for over 20 years and has been a senior part of the Interbike team for six years,” said Darrell Denny, executive vice president at Emerald Expositions, Interbike’s owner. “He has a broad range of successful experience in bicycle retail, wholesale and at the brand level and has been an integral leader at Interbike. Justin is known, respected and excited to be leading our team going forward.”
Gottlieb joined Emerald in 2012 and has been serving as communications and PR director for Interbike, and corporate communications director for Emerald Expositions. In addition to his involvement in strategy development on Interbike, Justin also managed Interbike features and activations, retail education development and projects such as the Interbike Mechanics Challenge.
Most of his more than 20-year career has been in the cycling/sporting goods industries, on the retail, wholesale and events side of the business. He earned a BS in public relations from the University of Florida, where he was a member of the cycling team, and later an MBA from Averett University.
Additionally, the show is expanding its format this year to become Interbike Marketweek.
The 2018 show will begin with a consumer festival (the Northstar Free-Ride Festival, powered by Interbike) with demos starting on Saturday, Sept. 15, at the Northstar California Resort, located near Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada mountain range.
The Northstar California Resort is home to Northern California’s largest bike park, includes downhill runs and cross country trails and is accessible by gondola and chair lifts, offering the chance for consumers to test products from many brands in the bicycle industry.
The Free-Ride Festival will continue Sunday, Sept. 16, through mid-day, but will transition to Interbike OutDoor Demo that afternoon. OutDoor Demo, open only to the trade, will continue Monday, Sept. 17, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., with free gondola access to all attendees.
Following the demo experience, the indoor Interbike International Trade Show will take place and include more than 400 industry brands from Tuesday, Sept. 18, through Thursday, Sept. 20,. at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center (RSCC) just south of downtown Reno.
