The new owner of DealerCamp said he plans to lower exhibitor costs and convert it to a non-profit venture with proceeds used to continue a multi-year expansion.
Organizers have scheduled next year's dealer event for July 24-25 in Deer Valley. Following on the heels of the Thursday to Friday expo will be a weekend-long consumer event now called Bikefest.
In a letter sent to Bicycle Retailer & Industry News, Joe Wrona said he plans to grow DealerCamp as part of a four- or five-day summer biking festival in Park City and Deer Valley. Wrona acquired the rights to DealerCamp from Lance Camisasca and Chad Battistone in September.
"Owning and operating DealerCamp is part of a larger vision to promote a multi-channel bike event in Park City that serves the bike industry and Utah's rich cycling community," he said. Deer Valley will remain the venue for DealerCamp.
Wrona added that he hopes to continue and expand the area's reputation as a key place to host product launches, sales meetings and dealer shows as companies unveil products for the upcoming season.
?"We are working on a plan to lower every vendor's cost of attendance and that plan includes the conversion of DealerCamp to a non-profit venture," Wrona said.
DealerCamp—held for the fourth time last July—has had a mixed record. While suppliers liked the location and the timing, it had been difficult to bring in a sufficient number of dealers to make it a cost-effective venue for most exhibitors.
However, Camisasca added a consumer day this past July that attracted a surprising number of visitors given the low-key approach taken in promoting it. In late June, KPCW, a local National Public Radio affiliate, had hosted Park City Cycling Fest as a fundraiser for the station. Last year it attracted more than 2,200 consumers.
Wrona has been chairman of KPCW's board of trustees for several years. "I came up with the concept of linking the DealerCamp event to the Park City bike fest so that vendors who attend DealerCamp can stay for the weekend and benefit from the outstanding consumer exposure that Bikefest provides," he said.
