Attendance for the Interbike International Bicycle Expo  rose 3% in 2010, as more than 24,000 attended the event.

Other numbers remained flat, including a total store count of 4,000 and total buyer attendance at just over 11,300.

The Outdoor Demo drew 120 exhibitors and 3,900 retailers, which was flat with 2009.

“This is our first foray into the bike market,” said Patrick Piller, national sales manager for Osprey Packs. “Osprey is a gold standard in the outdoor world, but Interbike is a totally new audience for us. We came here and make a good impression, meet our retailers in person, get a lot of the guys from Osprey experience in the bike market. We are seeing what our retailers are about, getting feedback directly from them and talking to some of our competitors. Interbike is a good venue for us to get immersed in the bike market quickly.”

Carmella Petitt, specialized public relations manager at Interbike, said the company's booths were all busy at this year's show.

“There is a really good energy here,” she said. “We have heard a lot of people talking about our 29er and the whole urban end of things. There has also been a lot of attention on our three bikes that won in the Tour de France.

“Coming to Interbike every year has always been really great for Specialized. We always do the Demo and we always come inside in a very big way,” she added. “By the time we come to Interbike this time of year we’ve seen a lot of our dealers, but it is always great to come back and revisit with them, and go over product that we didn’t have at any of our dealer launches.”

Next year's show heads to Anaheim, California, Aug. 8 – 12.

“The success and vibrancy of this year’s show demonstrates the importance of Interbike as an industry gathering for all members of the bike industry,” said Rich Kelly, Interbike's marketing manager. “We are going to strengthen and enhance this value by moving Interbike to more relevant dates next year that will better serve all stakeholders.”