Quality not quantity, then? No, the show was busy. Marketing man Neill Keen said there were 100+ dealerships present yesterday, including many of Fisher’s top accounts.
Many were travelling on to the Madison dealer convention, which started yesterday.
Whereas the Madison show has seminars and breakout sessions (a report will appear here tomorrow), the Fisher show was wall-to-wall brands, with many overseas representatives from the growing portfolio of Fisher brands, including Mauro Morretto of Selle Italia and Austria-based Bruce Fina, co-founder of US brand Pedros (the Pedros workshop tool range impressed IBDs quizzed by BikeBiz).
There was speculation on and around the SRAM stand about the UK direction for RockShox now that SRAM has absorbed the shock company.
There’s no love lost between SRAM and Shimano: would SRAM wish to line the pockets of Madison, the UK distributor for Shimano? Madison has the RoxckShox agency tied up in a contract until end of 2003.
CAPTIONS:
Top: Who needs an exhibition hall when you’ve got a big warehouse not yet full of stock?
Below: Gordon Fisher seeks divine intervention to make sure the warehouse switchover goes according to plan. Aidan Fudge of Actions lends his moral support.
Base: Bruce Fina of Pedros