Keynote Address

Time to Cut Out the On-Line Clutter – Keynote Address: David Shing

Why Defriending and Unfollowing Will be the Next Trend Among Social Media Users – David Shing
David Shing, AOL’s Digital Prophet has told his bosses that defriending and unfollowing are going to be the next big thing as users realize that the increasing "noise" on social networks is counterproductive. He believes the new challenge for both individuals and marketers trying to promote their brands using social networks is to stop adding to the noise. Shing will wow attendees with his extensive knowledge of the internet and provide a guided tour and overview of how powerful the web can be if tapped into correctly. In his presentation he will tell what two websites to watch and become more involved with as a retailer. His insights will inspire you and will put you ahead of the digital movement. You will come away with a clear cut plan to move your store’s strategy to a conversation with your customers and away from just creating more chatter. 

Social Media – Stop Wasting Time!

Real Businesses, Real Campaigns, Real Results - Patrick Schwerdtfeger

The vast majority of independent bike shops spending time on Facebook and Twitter are just wasting time. For the most part, they’re using unfocused ineffective tactics that do nothing to attract new consumers or further connect with current customers. Meanwhile, a few are using simple but powerful strategies to explode their businesses virtually overnight. Patrick is passionate about finding the unfair tricks – those juicy secrets – that transform social media from a relentless time waster to a reliable business builder.

Tangible Take-Aways

-    See how different companies are using Twitter to find new customers
-    Leverage the biggest opportunity on Facebook to build your business
-    Discover unfair tricks to get more views for your YouTube videos, an much more

Why Are You So Afraid of What Could Be Your Most Attractive Customer?

Capitalize on One the Fastest Growing  and Most Lucrative Customer Segments – The Triathlete  A panel discussion moderated by Jack Caress and including Dan Empfield, Skip McDowell, Dave Alberga

Why are the industry’s leading manufacturer’s and your key suppliers dedicating so much in design and marketing resources to a segment that you as a retailer might not even want to talk to? What do they know that you don’t? Why are these customers forced to seek out products on line instead of at their local bike shop? In this compelling session we’ll be opening a can of worms that may make some people feel uncomfortable, but hopefully will help you see what incredible opportunity this audience represents. Triathlon participation continues to grow at a very attractive rate. Events are happening every weekend in large venues all over the country as well as in small local neighborhoods. The participants are no longer Ironman-only enthusiasts, but are now including moms, dads and kids. Our panel of industry experts will help de-bug some of the myths of the triathlon consumer and will help get you on a path of inclusion. Learn specific details on what makes these customers tick and where they are spending their dollars. Ask meaningful questions and get straight answers from people that live, eat and breathe the sport. Don’t be afraid to embrace this segment – it may be the easiest and most profitable decision you make this year.

Building a Bridge to Your Island

The NBDA’s P2 Group is Back to Tackle The Most Complex Metrics that Drive Profits – A panel discussion moderated by Dan Mann and made up of some of the nation’s leading retailers.

Too many Independent Bicycle Dealers feel like they’re isolated and on an "island" with no sounding board, no way to compare themselves to their peers, and no road map to improvement. In this practical session we will help dealers really understand their P & L and will clearly identify where they might be losing valuable profit dollars. Once identified our dealer panel will deliver real-life, tangible solutions to address the issue and get you back on the right track. These solutions will come from actual case studies in their own businesses that will show real numbers and real results. This session was rated #1 by our retail attendees as the most valuable content at our first conference. We’ve asked the P2 Group to come back and to dive even deeper into the tools and opportunities that this group can bring to the table. Be prepared to ask lots of questions and take lots of notes. This hour and half session could be the best investment you’ve made in your business in years.

Six Strategies for Stealing Customers Away From Amazon - Craig LaRosa

Consumers today have unlimited access to retailers. Thanks to smartphones, they can walk into a store, experience the product or service, but then actually make the transaction online--where products might be 10% to 15% cheaper--with the added bonus of having it delivered to their doorstep. This process is called “showrooming”--and it’s causing a lot of businesses to scramble.

With Amazon prices sitting 9% to 14% lower than most retailers, the online-only retailer jumped from 19th to 13th largest retailer between 2010 and 2011, during which time Best Buy’s company stock lost 40% of its value. Based on these types of results the retail giant is not going away any time soon, so what are you as an independent retailer going to do to compete?
Craig LaRosa, a Principal for Continuum – a global design and innovation consultancy firm, will show you a fresh new way to approach this “showrooming” problem by first thinking of the business as an ecosystem that exists holistically, rather than a system of channels. In order to boost the value of a brick-and-mortar shopping experience, a business needs to step back and look at its offerings together on the whole to become a true service provider. Instead of creating a multichannel strategy, what companies really need is a customer-centered strategy. Craig will walk the audience through 6 strategies designed to enhance service innovation, giving you tangible tools to take home and implement.