4 • November 2024 • Powersports Business

The 2024 North American NVP Product Expo at the newly expanded Baird Center on September 7−8 exceeded expectations and broke new ground with its extensive floor plan . With an impressive turnout of vendors and attendees , the expo highlighted the latest powersports innovations , solidifying its place as a must-attend event for dealers and industry insiders .

“ It ’ s nice and spacious , and you ’ re never going to be in a situation where you can ’ t stop and see the booths you want to see . So I think that most people would say it is positive ,” comments Paul Langley , chairman of LeMans Corp ., on the move to Milwaukee .

The expanded venue offered an updated , more spacious layout , accommodating a record number of new and returning vendors . Attendees were treated to an impressive array of products , innovative technology , and hands-on demos , including an exciting lineup of electric bike ( e-bike ) highlights . Capping off the excitement was an e-bike credit giveaway , adding a valuable incentive for dealers looking to invest in this growing segment .

A highlight of the weekend was the Saturday night Bike Show and meet-and-greet at The Mecca Sports Bar , located in Milwaukee ’ s vibrant Deer District . With enthusiasts gathering from across the region , the event featured a thrilling stunt show sponsored by ICON .

Some people had flashbacks to the show in Cincinnati when they first walked into the convention center in Milwaukee , a town that revels in motorcycle culture and history .

It was the initial “ wow ” factor that gave some attendees goosebumps to the glory days of the NVP . And with all of the doom and gloom being discussed , the show was like a shot in the arm for the industry .

The move to Milwaukee appeared to be a successful one with a throwback feel to the glory days in Cincinnati .

LeMans Corp . Chairman Paul Langley sat down with us in Milwaukee to discuss their move to the motorcycle-friendly city and some future plans .

We had a full schedule and estimated about 300-350 exhibitors for the first year at the Baird Center .

Madison was a great venue for many years and served LeMans Corp . well over its time near the company ’ s headquarters in Janesville , but the parts distribution giant had outgrown the space , so that was a sign to move on to something new .

“ I would consider this first inaugural show to be a success ,” says Langley . “ I think most people , when we send the survey out in a couple of weeks , will give it pretty high marks .”

By our unofficial estimates , it looked like

With more space , the show had and e-bike track and even had a rep race at the end of Day 1 . about 300−350 exhibitors , which is already more than what Madison could handle , according to Langley . “ The main thing with Madison was that vendors couldn ’ t have as much space as they wanted . And then there were many vendors that we couldn ’ t invite . So that ’ s why we wanted to switch .”

While it ’ s nice to have more space and a nice footprint , we also noticed a lot of booth density , meaning there wasn ’ t much wasted space for extra-large booths . Many booths were smaller in size , predominantly 10−footby−10−foot or 10−foot-by−20−foot , and there was still plenty of room to grow .

Another reason for NVP moving to Milwaukee is that it is easier access for dealers . “ The thing about Midwest is that we ’ ve got dealers from Peoria , Illinois , which is threeand-a-half-hour drive , and we ’ ve got dealers that drove eight or nine hours ,” Langley shares . “ They ’ ll come up , and if they get it all done in one day , they ’ ll fly or drive home . If they need both days , they ’ ll go home in the evening or stay till morning . There ’ s more flexibility and more connectivity by air in Milwaukee than Madison .”

Langley says that the goal , and Fred Fox ’ s vision , is to maintain business relationships through the good times and more challenging ones . “ As a company , we ’ re trying to manage for all times and maintain who we are . We could save a lot of money if we cut the sales force , but that ’ s not who we are . We have sales reps . Some of our competitors don ’ t , but we are committed to a sales force that goes out and visits and takes care of the dealers . We don ’ t have to do these shows . Again , in the short term , if we want to save some money , we could stop doing these shows , but the long term is building and helping those relationships with our dealers . We ’ re trying to continue on as Fred would , which is a longterm view , investing in the future .”

Fred ’ s vision and Langley ’ s ability to carry it out to the letter has paid off in these crazy

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