BOULDER, COLO. (June 29, 2022) — PeopleForBikes, a national bicycling advocacy organization and the U.S. bicycle industry's trade association, is pleased to announce SHIFT'22, taking place Oct. 18-20, 2022, in Bentonville, Arkansas, the self-proclaimed "Mountain Biking Capital of the World." Surrounded by a can't-miss week of bicycling events, including a UCI World Cup cyclo-cross race, Outerbike Bentonville and the Life Time Big Sugar gravel race, PeopleForBikes is bringing the bike industry together in Northwest Arkansas for SHIFT'22, a dynamic, peer-to-peer gathering to share and discuss the bold ideas and challenges that unite the bike industry for more and better bicycling nationwide.
" As the Mountain Biking Capital of the World, Bentonville, Arkansas, is the best place to host a bike industry conference like SHIFT'22," said Kalene Griffith, president of Visit Bentonville. "The culture of our welcoming community is grounded in creativity and we welcome everyone to embrace the exciting progress and cutting-edge work taking place both on and off our trails and bikeways."
PeopleForBikes, with more than 300 supplier members and 1.4 million grassroots supporters, organizes the SHIFT'22 conference to collaborate, lead and realize the bike industry's collective vision for better bicycling across America. Over three days, participants will network, attend educational sessions and ride world-class mountain and gravel trails, exploring lush forests and scenic backroads across Northwest Arkansas. "No matter what you do in the world of bicycling, your voice is crucial to the future direction and success of our industry," said Jenn Dice, president and CEO of PeopleForBikes.
"Bentonville stands as a model for what we know bicycling can look like in cities across the U.S., and we can't wait for the entire industry to experience the magic of Northwest Arkansas — the trails, the people, the natural beauty. This conference is designed for anyone in the industry who wants to grow and make a difference in bicycling. SHIFT'22 is not just another bike conference, it's creating the bike industry we want to see."
At the event, PeopleForBikes' seven subcommittees and working groups will convene for the first time in three years in person to tackle the most important challenges and opportunities facing bicycling and the bike industry in an immersive workshop setting.
"We are lucky and grateful to have more than 160 of the bicycle industry's best and brightest minds in our subcommittees and working groups — expect some big announcements and key learnings in Bentonville," said PeopleForBikes' VP of Business Network Ravi Rajcoomar. "We will have general sessions, immersive in-depth tracks, inspiring discussions and plenty of time to ride bikes with industry colleagues."
The conference will focus on leadership and development across three immersive tracks:
● Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: Building a welcoming culture within the bike industry and community and having the tough conversations that get us there.
● Sustainability and Climate Initiatives: What it really means for our industry and the steps we need to take to create a greener and healthier future.
● In America: The post-pandemic reimagining of manufacturing and assembly based in the U.S. and fostering breakthrough innovation.
"We designed the conference to address the issues that are top of mind for the industry and the key to our future," said Dice. "How do we make the bike industry an attractive and long-term career choice for our diverse colleagues? How do we support, sustain and grow meaningful and effective DEI initiatives? How do we build more sustainable products and explore manufacturing and assembly in the U.S.? Bikes are a climate solution, but our manufacturing isn't — let's tackle these big challenges together."
With any questions about getting involved with SHIFT'22 or the rest of PeopleForBikes' 2022 Bicycle Leadership Series of events, please contact PeopleForBikes' VP of Business Network Ravi Rajcoomar, at ravi@peopleforbikes.org.
About PeopleForBikes
PeopleForBikes is making biking better for everyone by uniting millions of Americans, thousands of businesses and hundreds of communities to make every bike ride safer, more accessible and more fun.
