For Immediate Release
November 12, 1999
New England and Colorado VeloSwaps:
A Resounding Success!
First New England VeloSwap "Exceeds Expectations"
Record crowds again for Colorado VeloSwap
BOULDER, CO -- VeloSwap, an annual consumer expo fund-raiser that benefits
cycling-related non-profit organizations, took its act on the road this year, with
spectacular results. Moving from its home base in Denver, Colorado, where it has become an
annual institution, VeloSwap traveled to American cycling's birthplace in Hartford,
Connecticut.
The first annual New England VeloSwap & Expo debuted October 16 at the Connecticut
Expo Center in downtown Hartford. The cycling fund-raiser, following the proven formula of
the wildly successful Denver VeloSwap, attracted more than 1500 bicycling enthusiasts from
all over New England, New York and New Jersey. They bought cycling-related products from a
wide range of more than 50 vendors and exhibitors -- including bicycle, component and
clothing manufacturers, tour operators, bike clubs and retail stores. Vendors came from as
far away as Pennsylvania, Colorado and California. VeloNews magazine of Boulder, Colorado,
coordinated and produced the event. VeloSwap New England raised funds for the Connecticut
Bicycle Coalition, the Connecticut Bicycle Racing Association and the Connecticut/New
England Mountain Bicycling Association.
Retailer Brian Cohen of Central Wheel in Farmington, CT, was among those impressed with
the first-year effort. "The show exceeded our expectations. We saw customers from as
far away as New York and did more business than we thought we would. It definitely was a
good first show."
David Arnold of Newington Bicycle of Newington, CT, reported that "we did as much
business at the show on Saturday as we did in the store. Any Saturday that you can double
your business is a good day. We have a lot of ideas for next year's show and are looking
forward to participating again. It was a positive experience for us."
One week after the Hartford show, VeloSwap returned to its Denver roots with the
Colorado VeloSwap & Expo presented by Subaru. Held this year on October 23 at the
National Western Complex in Denver, there is no other cycling event quite like it. The
11th annual edition was bigger than ever, and drew more than 10,500 consumers, hosted more
than 400 vendors and covered a massive 130,000 square feet of floor space, making it the
largest consumer cycling event in North America.
In response to numerous requests, this year's Denver event was open to individuals
from all over the country, but floor space for retail vendors was restricted to
Colorado-based bicycle shops. Manufacturers were encouraged to work and sell product
through the retailers involved with the event. The event also featured a reorganized
floorplan and event programs which enabled attendees to navigate the hall with ease.
Everyone wants to be the first through the door at VeloSwap, and the massive line of the
first 1500-plus consumers was inside the event within 20 minutes of the Expo's opening.
This was facilitated by the event's enhanced traffic flow plan, which included ticket
pre-sales, and better vehicle traffic coordination and line control.
New to VeloSwap was the Yellow Design Freestyle Show, informative fit clinics by
VeloNews technical editors Lennard Zinn and Charles Pelkey, and training clinics with
multi-sport coach Gale Bernhardt, author of The Female Cyclist.
Not only is Colorado VeloSwap an event that consumers and vendors alike look forward to
all year long (at least one consumer traveled from Germany to attend this year's event!),
but proceeds benefit Bicycle Colorado, the International Mountain Bicycling Association,
the Bicycle Racing Association of Colorado and the Boulder Off-road Alliance.
"VeloSwap is a great event," said Martha Roskowski, Executive Director of
Bicycle Colorado. "A portion of the proceeds supports our efforts to improve
conditions for cyclists in Colorado. We recruited 25 new members at the event, an all-time
high for us. But I most love the socializing. It is a grand gathering of the bicycling
community." Consumer Keith Nordstrom of Denver echoed these sentiments, "I love
VeloSwap. It's a holiday!"
The New England and Colorado VeloSwap & Expos are produced and coordinated by
Inside Communications, Inc., based in Boulder, Colorado. The Company publishes VeloNews
and Inside Triathlon magazines; operates Velo Catalog and VeloPress, regarded as the
leading book publisher for cycling and multisports titles; and maintains Web sites for all
four brands.
Award-winning VeloNews, the Journal of Competitive Cycling, was founded in 1972 and is
published 20 times a year. Inside Triathlon, acquired in 1993 by Inside Communications, is
the world's only ABC-audited multisport title. It is published 12 times a year, and will
be relaunched in a glossy, standard-size format with the January 2000 issue.
For more information, please contact:
Loraine Gruber, VeloSwap Coordinator at 303/440-0601 ext. 180 or
Lgruber@7dogs.com
