Building Tomorrow’s Mountain Biking Today

From Whistler, British Columbia in 2004 to Steamboat Springs, Colorado in 2014, IMBA’s world summits always draw a worldwide audience. Each host community adds its distinct flavor, as leading representatives from mountain bike advocacy groups, land management agencies, and the bicycle industry gather to share success stories and plan the future of mountain biking. The 7th World Summit will take place in Bentonville, Arkansas from 10-12 November. Featuring Northwest Arkansas and its iconic trail systems within the Ozark Mountains, participants will experience the rugged beauty of this area exploding with mountain bike enthusiasts and see the unique trail connectivity that showcases both the bustling downtown city and the scenic Ozark landscape.The World Summit program includes keynote speakers, educational sessions, an expo, networking and—of course—plenty of time to explore local trails.World Summit Program at glanceWednesday (9/11) – Kick off the festivities with a pre-opening of the expo from 12 pm – 5 pm and a special opening ceremony in the evening.Thursday (10/11) – The summit launches with thought/industry leaders presenting dynamic topics and discussion panels throughout the day. To top off the day, celebrate our chapters with us at the breathtaking Crystal Bridges. Friday (11/11) –  The morning continues with cutting edge industry discussions before wrapping up to head over for an action packed afternoon at the world class bike park, The Railyard. The afternoon fun will include the expo being open from 12 pm – 5:30 pm, special guest appearances from Danny MacAskill and Hans Rey, a night ride, and autographs signing with the pro’s. Saturday (12/11) – Epic ride, bbq, and beer! Check out the VIP Experience (seperate registration required) and ride with MTB Hall of Famers in the morning followed by an evening reception for our VIP guests. Scottish Mountain Biking Conference – Innovation EditionCan’t make it to the World Summit? A week later, our colleagues from Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland are welcoming you at the Scottish Mountain Biking Conference in Aviemore. Aviemore is located in the stunning Cairngorms National Park, offering amazing panoramic views and great riding opportunities. The 2016 Scottish Mountain Bike Conference will be focussing on innovations in mountain biking, both from within Scotland and the latest innovations across the world. Innovation is traditionally associated with developing new physical products but we believe that the etho’s and attitude which are required to help progression and improvements can be applied to tourism, sport, increasing participation, alongside product development.The opening day (17th November) will focus on innovations and new thinking related tomountain biking tourism and economic Development. A full and exciting programme of speakers and workshops will be followed by the first ever Scottish MTB awards evening.The second day (18th November) will cover new developments, innovations and an update on progress in mountain biking participation and sport development. Again, a full programme of inspirational speakers and informative workshops will be delivered during the day. Afterwards there will be the opportunity for everyone to let their hair down at a Scottish BBQ and a film & photography evening which will use the MacDonald Hotel 4K cinema.The last day of the conference will offer delegates the exciting opportunity to attend a variety of field visits to view good practice and discuss improvements on mountain bike trails across the Highlands including the UK’s only Enduro World Series qualifier at Kinlochleven.[[{“type”:”media”,”view_mode”:”media_responsive”,”fid”:”623″,”attributes”:{“alt”:””,”class”:”media-image”,”style”:”max-width: 629px;”,”width”:”100%”}}]]