This year’s Kendal Mountain Festival was one of the most successful ever, with 16,000 enthusiasts, athletes and industry folk descending from all over the world. 

Since 2000 Spring has packed its bags and headed north to join the fun. And this year, for the third in a row, we’ve represented Hydro Flask. So how do you make sure that such a prime audience, full of influential people see, touch and buy your product?

Nora Muller, Marketing and Events for Hydro Flask in Europe added, “The great visibility and Hydro Flask’s success at Kendal is only possible thanks to our great Spring team with their sparkling ideas, a very open-minded festival crew and, most importantly, festival visitors who enjoy our product and are ready for an alternative to plastic.”

So how did we do it? Using our experience from previous years, we brainstormed the issues and came up with creative solutions…

“For Polartec it’s a chance to explain the tech behind the kit. People this passionate about their sport invest in good clothing and want to know what powers it – the way the fabrics work that make their particular piece of kit their go-to gear.”

Rouleur Classic is now in its fourth year. Sandall calls it a “new type” of bicycle show, “The event is an exclusive, intimately curated celebration of the very best in road cycling, all put together with Rouleur’s meticulous eye for detail. Unique in the world of cycling, the event has proved a great success having already won three industry awards.”

This year there was an unrivalled array of talent live on the Rouleur Classic stage which included Eddy Merckx, Bradley Wiggins, Mark Cavendish and Fabian Cancellara.

This year’s event was a celebration of the UCI World Road Cycling Championships and had more than 45 of the very best premium, performance focused road cycling brands displaying their exciting new products for 2019. 

“It’s different from other shows because people are passionate and they really know about the product. Visitor, Alan Butt from Birmingham is a regular to the show: “Coming here is like visiting your local bike shop. Exhibitors remember you and you recognise people in the queue. It’s a relaxed atmosphere too and everyone is so friendly.”

Another visitor, Keith Barton from Hertfordshire, described it being like a kid in a toy shop, “The latest tech. Latest kit. I dream about my next bike. I’ve been mainly in the halls for the talks, I’ve watched them all talking and they’ve been great.”  

Spring Founder, Stephanie Briggs attends Rouleur Classic each year to support Polartec: “This has got to be the future of consumer shows. Intimate, rich in content and high quality; it offers an almost club-like feel for people that are bonkers about road cycling. You’re literally rubbing shoulders with some of cycle sport’s finest and you get chance to get under the skin of your favourite brands. 

Cycling journalist and Rouleur regular, George Scott, says, “The Rouleur Classic has rightly established itself as the world’s finest cycling exhibition and this year was no different. The Classic brings together beautiful bikes and the latest tech, alongside some of the sport’s most iconic riders. It’s a unique event in an intimate setting perfect for the Rouleur audience – and with Eddy Merckx among 14 world champions in attendance, it’s no surprise the 2018 show was packed to the rafters.”

Another regular visitor, Steve Cutler from South Norwood said it’s the only show that’s got soul. “It gives you a very intimate experience of the brands. With other bike shows it’s very stand offish. For example, I’ve just been chatting to Brian Stalker who makes the world’s lightest bike. You really talk to the people who make the equipment. I’ve touched Geraint Thomas’ jersey. It’s really great to be intimate with the kit and you feel special coming here.”

Plans for 2019 are already underway. Bruce Sandall told us the show will be themed around the legendary Grand Tours – Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and La Vuelta España, with lots of exciting new innovations. Can’t wait!