NAHBS Exhibitor Entry Criteria

The previous edition of the 2009 NAHBS Newsletter included an article explaining why the show is introducing stricter controls on who may exhibit there. Briefly, here is an explanation of what the criteria are: frame building exhibitors are required to have either two years' commercial experience or 50 frames; have product liability insurance. "There may be some exceptions we'd consider, and we have a dialog box for that on the online application request" says show director Don Walker, but in general that is it. Those who have already exhibited at NAHBS are grandfathered in regardless.

NAHBS To Introduce Awards Committee

The NAHBS Awards have become an important part of the show, and are here to stay. In view of this, and of the importance of the awards, Don Walker has decided to seek the assistance of a volunteer group of independent experts who will refine the judging, and closely adhere to a range of criteria that is intended to reward not only those that push the envelopes of engineering and style, but also excellence in the everyday frames they build.

There will still be Framebuilders' Choice, People's Choice, and President's Choice awards.

"I understand that the NAHBS awards are very significant in the handmade industry, and a section of the builders feel they could be better served by the awards structure. We are not yet ready to announce the names of the jurors, but it will comprise respected experts who have been watching the industry for several years, and I am confident that this is another step we are taking in the right direction," explained Don Walker. The jury will comprise a number in the region of eight to twelve individuals.
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NAHBS To Introduce Venue Selection Committee

In response to feedback from exhibitors, NAHBS has decided to work with a group of frame builders from around the USA to determine the most suitable venues for forthcoming shows. This volunteer group is still being assembled, and participation in the group is at the discretion of Don Walker, but the purpose is to consider a wide range of viewpoints in selecting future venues.

The Venues committee is likely to be composed of six to eight builders from the northeast, southeast, north midwest, south midwest, southwest and northwest. Venue announcements will continue to be made at the end of the show. "After announcing the Indy venue, I realized that a lot of builders want some representation in the location of the show. I would be very pleased to have the assistance of some builders in this decision making process. I think when other builders get involved in the detailed process of deciding a venue, they will understand more about the decisions that have been made to date and hopefully a positive side-effect of this committee will be that the selection rationale is communicated to the framebuilding community through a group of respected framebuilders, rather than a solitary voice. The strategy of moving around the nation will remain, as I have read on the newsgroups that there is universal support for this concept. The main result of having a venues committee is there will be more consultation and discussion about the locations."

Don Walker is already in the process of researching venues for 2010 and beyond, compiling the considerable body of research data needed to make a final selection.

Southern Oregon Custom Bicycle Show

The United Bicycle Institute and the Oregon Bicycle Constructors Association are presenting their inaugural custom bicycle show Saturday, September 13, 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. on the grounds of the United Bicycle Institute, 401 Williamson Way, Ashland Oregon. In a press release the organizers state that the show is partly an exhibition of Southern Oregon's finest bicycle builders, and partly an open house for the United Bicycle Institute, an institution that has been supporting the bicyle industry for almost 30 years.

The open house will offer tours, frame building demonstrations, and bicycle mechanics clinics for the general public. Show attendees can also register to win a custom steel bicycle frame that will be built by UBI.

The Southern Oregon Custom Bicycle Show will also feature bicycle components, bike clothing and other products, displays from local sustainable transportation advocates, food, and other festivities to celebrate bicycle culture. Admission is free.

For more information contact John Baxter 541-488-1121, or Denise Sutphin 541-488-1121
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Road Racing on the Up in Indy

According to local race promotor Steve Goar, road racing is undergoing a rapid increase in popularity in the Indianapolis area. During 2007, Gore tells us, he was luck to attract 100 riders to his local racing events. This year the average has topped 150 per race. Gore is one of many who are confident that cycling is entering a new era of popularity in Indiana. What a great time to be letting the people there know about your outstanding frames!

It's Shaping up to be Another Good 'un

As at September 5, 61 exhibitors have signed up, representing 20 states and three nations. The applications continue to flow in at a steady rate. A NAHBS marketing team will visit Interbike, September 23-25, to discuss participation with additional eligible companies.

The event promotion machine is getting into gear which includes contacting almost 1,000 cycling clubs in the states surrounding Indianapolis. "The great thing about Portland was the per-capita density of cycling in Portland-Seattle, but outside the cities the western states are relatively sparsely populated. Once you get to Illinois, the population density rapidly increases, with many towns lying in between the large cities. Many of these towns have cycling communities, and I believe that is where NAHBS will draw many of its attendees from. It's just a matter of hitting all these small clubs with show information. I have a list of clubs in all of these states, not only racing but touring clubs also. Of course we have a media communications plan as well, which will promote selected builders in communities in the Midwest." explained Paul Skilbeck, head of public relations for the NAHBS.
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