BTAC Retailer Power Program
BTAC Retailer Power Program 2011
For a sampling of the topics you can expect to see available at the BTAC Retailer Power Program this year, below is the schedule from our 2011 series while we prepare for 2012.
BTAC Retailer Power Program: Knowledge is Power
Every year ExpoCycle hosts BTAC’s educational seminars for the purpose of providing valuable information to bicycle retailers, suppliers, manufacturers and reps on topics impacting the Canadian bike sector. These educational seminars also provide a platform for discussion where challenges and solutions related to our industry can be explored. Upon selection of a seminar topic, BTAC invites an expert in the field to co-host the educational seminar at ExpoCycle. Join this year’s line-up of industry experts to learn and implement creative solutions to achieve market advantage.
**Seminar topics and speakers are subject to change**
DAY 1 - SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
Social Media: What You Should Know? - Why You Should Care About It For Your Retail Business?
Visual Merchandising 101: Back to the Basics
Building Bicycle Friendly Communities: The Role for Bike Dealers
Face the Facts, Facebook Can Grow Your Business!
Increase your profits selling electric bicycles
DAY 2 - MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
Small Businesses Don't Die They Just Commit Suicide
Social Media for the Bike Industry
How To Shop A Trade Show For Display Ideas
Retail Display Secrets and Solutions
Power Promoting Ideas 2
How To Shop A Trade Show For Display Ideas
More Trails = More Sales
The Specialty Bike Retailer Market - Facts and Trends
DAY 3 - TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
Annual General Meeting – Bicycle Trade Association of Canada
Investing in Media That Matters
DAY 1 - SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
Social Media: What You Should Know? - Why You Should Care About It For Your Retail Business?
8:00 am – 9:30 am
Lynn Switanowski, Creative Business Consulting Group
Social media represents a transformational shift in how brands communicate and connect in today’s online world. This session will help you uncover the power and potential of social media to engage consumers in new ways. Using strategic overviews, interactive discussions and practical takeaways, this seminar will present in depth case studies of retailers who are using social media effectively for their businesses. Learn how companies, big and small, are exploiting the power of Web 2.0 to provide a low cost, high customer return on their marketing investment.
In this seminar, participants will learn:
• What is Web 2.0 and why should I care about it? The origins and applications
• Why the time is now for social media in the marketing plan
• Concepts, technology and tools that drive social media
Visual Merchandising 101: Back to the Basics
10:00 am – 11:30 am
Sharon Leicham, Retail Consultant
Review the basic techniques of successful merchandising. Learn how to organize your store to maximize sales. Find the ways to identify effective display spots and what kind of lighting is best to use. Make the most of the cash/wrap area and learn how to organize products by category. This seminar will give you the basics you need to make your store more profitable.
Building Bicycle Friendly Communities: The Role for Bike Dealers
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm
Eleanor McMahon, CEO and Founder of Share the Road Cycling Coalition
As a bike retailer you work daily in your community – not just as small business owners – but as advocates for healthy, liveable communities. Many local bike retailers lead fundraising initiatives, conduct workshops to encourage children and women to cycle, and many are involved in discussions at City Hall to promote and encourage cycling. As such, YOU are an important partner in our efforts to build Bicycle Friendly Communities. This workshop will present examples of community involvement and leadership from retailers who partner with local organizations to advance important initiatives, and contribute to the healthy communities agenda. When local advocates and organizations partner with local bike retailers’ great things can happen as this workshop will demonstrate.
Face the Facts, Facebook Can Grow Your Business!
1:30 pm – 3:00 pm
Lynn Switanowski, Creative Business Consulting Group
Facebook has more than 500 Million users worldwide and it’s growing daily! Plenty of your stores’ customers are on Facebook interacting with their favourite brands daily. So the question remains- why isn’t your business connecting with your customers on Facebook? In today's seminar, we'll help you learn why using Facebook can be good for your business - whether you sell to 20 year olds or 50 year olds.
In this session you’ll learn how to create a Facebook Fan Page that will:
• Engage customers with unique and interesting information
• Communicate with your customers and let them show support for your brand on a daily basis
• Help you to get insights into what your customers want in real time
Increase your profits selling electric bicycles
5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Alexandre Coulombe, BionX International and IBD owners
Studies prove that IBD’s make more margin from selling an electric bike than from selling a traditional one. But, to capture today’s bicycle customers in this competitive market, IBD’s need to learn who these customers are, what they know and don’t know, how and where they shop and what you can do to close the sale and gain their loyalty and repeat business. Q&A to follow.
DAY 2 - MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12
Small Businesses Don't Die They Just Commit Suicide
8:00 am – 9:30 am
Tom Shay, Profits Plus
Find a business that is closing, and you will likely find that a sizable competitor is blamed for the unfortunate turn of events. Unfortunately most businesses that fail do so because of their inactions or incorrect actions. Whether it is a business in the first ten years of existence, or one that has been around for decades, this presentation by Tom Shay will review the top ten reasons for business failure, what can be done about it, and send you home with a short list of things to do to ensure the profitable future of your business.
Social Media for the Bike Industry
10:00 am – 11:30 am
Luc Dupont, Professor of Communication, University of Ottawa
(FRENCH ONLY SESSION)
In a world characterized by continued growth of the Web, the question is not whether you should use social media in your marketing strategies, but rather how to use these new tools to maximize sales (Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, SlideShares, Wordpress, etc.).
How to Shop a Trade Show for Display Ideas
10:00 am – 11:00 am
Sharon Leicham, Retail Consultant
Merchandising expert Sharon Leicham will guide you on an interactive tour through the show floor highlighting excellence in visual display by our exhibiting brands. The tours are designed to help provide new display strategies to improve in-store flow, increase profitability and feature the 2012 product lines. Draw your customers in for repeat business with vibrant new display ideas.
Retail Display Secrets and Solutions
12:00 pm - 1:00 pm
Sharon Leicham, Retail Consultant
An interactive discussion dealing with common in-store merchandising concerns and challenges. We will identify the best fixtures to use and where to place them, how to make room for clothing areas and dressing rooms, merchandising small spaces and organizing cycling accessories. Bring your merchandising problems and challenges and we'll find solutions together.
Power Promoting Ideas 2
1:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Tom Shay, Profits Plus
Tom Shay first presented the idea of power promoting to an audience in the summer of 1998. What audiences have nicknamed, "the posters" has become a favourite presentation for all groups and types of small businesses. And now, with the help of many of those earlier years of participants, Tom has another edition of Power Promoting Ideas.
The ideas are new. The posters are new. Come and refresh your stockade of promotional ideas with Power Promoting Ideas 2!
How to Shop a Trade Show for Display Ideas
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
Sharon Leicham, Retail Consultant
Merchandising expert Sharon Leicham will guide you on an interactive tour through the show floor highlighting excellence in visual display by our exhibiting brands. The tours are designed to help provide new display strategies to improve in-store flow, increase profitability and feature the 2012 product lines. Draw your customers in for repeat business with vibrant new display ideas.
More Trails = More Sales
3:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Lora Woolner, Executive Director, International Mountain Bicycling Association (Canada)
You know bikes. IMBA knows trails. Find out what IMBA Canada is doing to provide more and better trail opportunities for you!
The International Mountain Bicycling Association's Canadian office is celebrating six years of successful operations. Find out more about what IMBA Canada is up to - Learn about our celebrated field programs, and the partnerships that are helping us to grow the nation's mountain bike trail network. IMBA Canada has programs for industry and retailer members, and we are looking for more ways to collaborate. Join us in shaping mountain biking's future!
The Specialty Bike Retailer Market - Facts and Trends
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Rob Jones, Editor of Canadian Cyclist & BTAC’s Director of Data Capture
In these turbulent economic times it is more important than ever to know what is happening in your industry. Successful retailers realize that the more you can understand about your industry the better positioned you are to identify and take advantage of opportunities and avoid potential threats. Rob Jones, BTAC's Director of Data Capture Programs, will provide an overview of the information that has been gathered from both wholesale and retail sources, and explain how this is relevant to every Specialty Bike Retailer. Q&A period to follow.
DAY 3 - TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13
Annual General Meeting – Bicycle Trade Association of Canada
8:00 am – 9:00 am
(Open to everyone)
Find out more on the initiatives your organization has been involved in on behalf of the Canadian bicycle industry.
Investing in Media That Matters
10:00 am – 11:30 am
Luc Dupont, Professor of Communication, University of Ottawa
(FRENCH ONLY SESSION)
In this seminar, Luc Dupont relates his views on the factors for smart investing in today’s media landscape. To do so, this seminar will provide an overview of the world of advertising with a central question: "How do I make the most of every dollar and avoid costly mistakes?" Traditional media – such as Newspapers, Magazines, Billboard, Radio and Television - and new media – such as Internet and Social Media – will be explored.
