New E-Bike Event Planned for Colorado in 2023

This story, reprinted from Outside Business Journal, was first published by Bicycle Retailer and Industry News.

Lost Paddle Events, which owns the Big Gear Show, is planning a June 2023 e-bike show that may be the first national trade show for the e-bike segment in the U.S.

The show is called (e)revolution and will be held June 8-11 at Denver’s Colorado Convention Center. It will include two days for the trade and two days open to the public, along with educational and demo opportunities throughout.

Lost Paddle produces the Big Gear show and four paddlesport industry trade events. Lost Paddle’s Lance Camisasca, who directs the bike aspect at the Big Gear Show and is a former director of the Interbike Expo, will be the show director for (e)revolution.

“With sales expected to double in the next five years, e-bikes are one of the fastest-growing outdoor recreation markets,” Camisasca said. “(e)revolution addresses the need for innovative e-bike brands and suppliers to take advantage of this future growth by providing a venue where they can engage directly with both retailers and consumers in an industry-wide event.”

Camisasca said in recent months he’s met with an informal industry group who said they would support the event. He said he expected some of the largest e-bike brands in the market to exhibit in Denver.

“The general thought is that there is a need for a high-quality national event,” he said. He said the event would include exhibitors who sell through the IBD channel as well as consumer-direct brands.

“Education is another key that the brands say is needed,” Camisasca said. “There is a need for education about access, battery storage, battery maintenance and recycling and more.”

Denver’s downtown convention center previously hosted the Outdoor Retailer and Snow Shows and 2013’s North American Handmade Bicycle Show. The OR show is returning to Salt Lake City for its 2023 events, which made the convention center available for the e-bike show.

“When (OR) vacated the convention center, our eyes lit up,” Camisasca said. He said Lost Paddle has made a two-year commitment to holding the show there.

While the convention center currently lacks a convenient nearby outdoor bike demo area, Camisasca said the show plans to build out a demo area in one of the center’s indoor halls. Show organizers also are looking into holding an e-MTB demo at a nearby park, perhaps on the day before the show opening.

The Denver area has more than three million residents and is one of the strongest bike markets in the country, which bodes well for consumer attendance at the event, Camisasca said.

Early exhibitor registration will begin in late August.

“Colorado is a national leader on e-bikes, and we are excited to welcome entrepreneurs and innovators to Colorado as we continue our work saving people money on this fun, healthy, and efficient way to get around our beautiful state,” said Gov. Jared Polis in a statement.

The second edition of the Big Gear Show is being held Aug. 2-3 in Park City, Utah. As of late June, the show has 259 retail businesses committed, representing about 1,325 retail locations. The event also was expected to host about 200 total brands from 145 registered exhibitors.