Interbike, the largest annual bike show in North America, has unveiled a number of new initiatives and changes for its 2017 edition. The Incubator, a new crowd-funding area, will feature the latest innovations for the bicycle industry on crowdfunding platforms such as Kickstarter. The purpose of the Incubator, which will be located in a high-traffic area of the show, is to get innovative ideas and their creators in front of an audience to help them launch their products and brands. The New Product Showcase area, also located in a high-traffic area of the show, will give companies an opportunity to present one new product innovation. From this area, exhibitors can then take visitors to their booths, where they can see more products and get further details. In addition to these new features, Interbike has announced that it has canceled the Customer Appreciation Day on the final day of the show. This special day was started three years ago but attendance was moderate, and the organizers of the show have now decided to go back to the old format, making it a trade-only event. Furthermore, the show will now close at 2pm on Friday, as opposed to its usual 4pm closing time, to give exhibitors more time to pack. Interbike was established in 1982. The event now gathers more than 1,200 cycling-related brands and attracts more than 20,000 total attendees every year. The upcoming edition of the show will take place at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas on Sept. 20-22.

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