BOULDER, COLO (September 30, 2021) — PeopleForBikes, a national bicycling advocacy nonprofit and the bicycle industry’s trade association, is pleased to announce the agenda of its latest virtual Bicycle Leadership Conference (BLC) and upcoming in-person Electric Bicycle Summit, as well as future events planned for 2022 aimed at bringing the bike industry together through comprehensive educational programming.
PeopleForBikes’ third virtual BLC will take place Nov. 2-3, 2021 and feature a stellar lineup of keynote speakers, paralympians Clara Brown and Jerryd Wallace, and critical bike industry topics including the potential of U.S.-based manufacturing, industry sustainability initiatives and a brand new, nationwide electric bicycle battery recycling program. The full agenda can be found below.
“PeopleForBikes’ industry education and networking events are some of our most important offerings as a trade association and advocacy group,” said Ravi Rajcoomar, vice president of PeopleForBikes’ Business Network. “Delivering compelling content, sharing best practices and working across all aspects of our industry to get more people on bikes more often is paramount to the current success of bicycling and its sustainable future.”
PeopleForBikes is working with leaders from its industry Electric Bicycle Subcommittee to design and host an in-person Electric Bicycle Summit on Nov. 19, 2021 in Tucson, Arizona. The event will take place in concert with El Tour de Tucson and is open to all who are interested in the future of electric bicycles. Topics to be discussed include data on electric bicycle sales and rider participation, updates to public lands access and the power of effective advocacy techniques. Tickets to the event, as well as a full agenda, can be found here.
Next March, the in-person Bicycle Leadership Conference will return for three days in Dana Point, California. Dates will be announced soon. PeopleForBikes is also in the preliminary stages of planning a Leadership Summit for fall 2022 in Bentonville, Arkansas. These events will be filled with opportunities to come together in person to collaborate, learn, network and create a world where bicycling and the bike industry thrive.
Every month in between, PeopleForBikes will continue its popular online industry webinar series available to PeopleForBikes members, featuring exclusive content and topics including new rider information, purchasing behaviors, trade and tariff threats, public lands and conservation issues, all things electric bicycles, market and retail insights and more.
November 2021 Virtual Bicycle Leadership Conference Agenda:
Day 1:
Better Biking for All — Cyclist Clara Brown and sprinter Jerryd Wallace will share their journeys to the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo and highlight how the power of community, passion and perseverance can accomplish truly monumental feats.
Made and Assembled in the USA — This panel will explore what onshoring could mean for the bike industry. The bicycle industry, like many others, has been deeply affected by the pandemic, trade wars and rapid price increases in international freight. This panel will bring together experts from across the industry to explore the potential for U.S. production to help stabilize the supply chain and generate new jobs. Panelists include Arnold Kamler, chairman and CEO of Kent International; Charles Cooper, managing director of Signal Group; Patrick Cunnane, President and COO of Yuba Bicycles; Joe Graney, CEO of Santa Cruz Bicycles and Drew Medlock, CEO of Allied Cycle Works.
Day 2:
Bikes: A Climate Solution — Every day, our industry is presented with choices to make our internal and external operations more sustainable. In this session, you will learn and gain inspiration from industry leaders who are paving the way in this space. From packaging to marketing, to corporate partnerships, our choices make a difference as we learn and grow together to combat climate change. Panelists include Arleigh Greenwald, marketing and PR at Tern Bicycles; Chris Van Der Linden, packaging designer at Trek Bicycles and Aaron Kutzer, senior manager, retail division at PEARL iZUMi.
Industry Campaign for Electric Bicycle Battery Recycling — This session will address the growing need for convenient and sustainable battery recycling solutions as more riders discover the joy and convenience of electric bicycles. PeopleForBikes proactively addressed this need by collaborating with Call2Recycle to develop a voluntary battery recycling program for the U.S. bicycle industry. In this session, you will learn more about this initiative, hear from current program participants and learn how you can get involved to support the long-term and sustainable adoption of electric bicycles. Panelists include Kunal Kapoor, service, quality and compliance manager for Bosch eBike Systems Americas; Jeff Haltrecht, executive at Call2Recycle; Sara Beach, regulatory compliance specialist at Quality Bicycle Products and Erik Saltvold, owner and founder of ERIK’S Bike Board Ski.
Scholarships are available and if you have any questions regarding the vBLC, or any of PeopleForBikes’ continuing education programming, please contact Ravi Rajcoomar at [email protected].
