NEMBA Fest 2016: For the Love of Bikes

What is your role at NEMBA, and what is NEMBA’s role in the northeast?
I’m the executive director of NEMBA, and have been in this role since 1998. I’ve been associated with the association since 1993. I was inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame a few years ago for my advocacy work. NEMBA is a 501c3 non-profit, with over 5,500 members. We are in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine; with only one chapter in southern Vermont. We put on hundreds of trail maintenance events per season, and thousands of mountain bike rides every summer. We basically work to build the mountain bike community all over the northeast.

How did you guys get together with the Kingdom Trails Association? Why is this region such a good fit for the event?
5 years ago we began partnering with the Kingdom Trails up at Burke Mountain. We had always wanted to have the event here, but the issue was the lack of any real estate for an event like this. Only recently has an area opened up that’s really suitable for this. Our first year was up on the mountain, and it was awesome, but we immediately ran out of space. After that first year, we realized this and began looking for another venue, and we found the perfect partner in the Wildflower Inn. It was a match made in Heaven with all of this open space, and the trails that go right through this property. It’s been a great partnership between us, the KTA and the Wildflower Inn. We all bring different things to the table, and it’s been great to build this up together.

What is NEMBA Fest all about?
It’s a bit different than a lot of the other mountain bike festivals out there. What we’re really trying to do is bring the broader community of mountain bikers together. We’ve been holding festivities on Father’s Day weekend so people can come with the whole family. We really believe that the future of our sport is about families and kids. We want the full scope of riders; young shredders, older riders, and with no racing here, it’s all about folks who are just passionate about bikes. That’s who we’re after. I think that by appealing to such a broad range of riders, that’s what will keep this festival going. Everyone plays nice, and we’re just trying to encourage people to be good stewards of the land. The vibe here is chill, gentle and fun; that’s what we’re going for.

What was the attendance officially this year? How has it grown over the years?
This year's NEMBA Fest had a considerable increase of participants as well as vendors. We had 5800 in attendance for the three days including 250 vendor personnel and 150 volunteers. It grew comfortably for the first four years, but this year was a marketable increase and I believe the industry reps were pleasantly surprised by the number of attendees, campers and families that showed.

Who are some of the folks responsible for putting on this event?
There are three major partners: Kingdom Trails, the New England Mountain Bike Association, and the Wildflower Inn. The major supporters are Pedro's Bike Products and The Burke Area Chamber of Commerce.

What makes the Kingdom Trails such a good fit for the festival?
First of all, it's the inexplicable vibe of the area, where mountain biking is an everyday theme and widely supported. That really makes a difference. 150 local folks sign up to volunteer to either coordinate parking or to lead group rides. The proximity of the trails to the festival, the perfect trails for bike demos, and the ability to take your kids out in another direction are all great selling points for the industry and the participants. Plus you can't beat the view of the Vermont hills in late June.

What kind of prep work does the KTA Trail Crew put into the network leading up to NEMBA Fest?
The crew and I try and get things as "showcase ready" as possible. We take a lot of pride knowing that riders come here to ride the trails we design and build and want them looking as good as possible. We try and get the Three T's (Tody's Tour, Tap n' Die, and Troll Stroll) as dialed as they can be since they are part of the demo loop and see a ton of action. Ideally we try and get at least one new project completed prior to the festival. This year we had the bottom of Cat Box Hill rerouted and machine built as well as constructed a new bridge on Bemis and put in a switchback to make it easier for beginners. I like to try and get a few guys out with brush saws and our mower to get as much mowed and trimmed as possible. It really can be quite hectic leading up to the festival for the all of us. Not only do we do the trail work leading up to it, but we do much of the festival site work leading up to the event: fencing, flags, banners, signage, camping and parking layout, etc. I don't have a full crew sometimes until a week before NEMBA Fest, so I'm often forced to throw guys right into the fire which can be a bit tricky when they are green to trail work. This year I have the least experienced crew I've ever managed, but they killed it. I'm super proud of their efforts before, during, and after the fest and look forward to this summer with them.

What were some of the new features and updates that you think people were most excited about?
As mentioned before, we reworked Cat Box Hill with a mini excavator, so that got some use. Last year at NEMBA Fest we hadn't built Bear Back or Piggy Back yet so those two trails were able to be showcased and since they've been constructed have become two of our premier trails. We also just completed a new beginner skills track right next to the venue site and it got a ton of use! It was dusty, but that didn't stop the little groms from hitting the rollers, tables, berms, and small drops. It was in constant use throughout the weekend.

As the event continues to grow in popularity, do you envision the need to temporarily enforce a directional system throughout the network?
Event or not, that is something I'd like to see happen on the trail system, or at the very least make more trails directional. Allocating certain trails to either climbing or descending only will obviously will help with the flow system-wide all season long. Some weekends here are crazy busy; actually most weekends are, and I'm starting to see the need to make directional trails a policy. But we first need to have some more discussions with our Trails Advisory Committee about it. To designate the entire system directionally just for the festival would be a huge undertaking logistically, and would require a crazy amount of signage.

What do you think the Kingdom Trails represents to the rest of the northeast?
I think we represent collaboration. We have over 60 private landowners who let us use their land to provide this trail system. We have an entire community behind us, that helps support what we have going on here. Sure, we have some amazing trails, but there is amazing riding everywhere. What sets us apart is the people: the landowners, locals, visitors, businesses, and the entire KT staff that work hard to make sure that the area is the best it can be with all of the positives we bring. Generating revenue for an entire region just from mountain biking is a model so many people want to replicate, but very it's hard to do. A lot needs to go right, but if it does you can see from what we have going on here that it can be an amazing thing.

What is the value for KTA to partner with NEMBA and hold the event on the Kingdom Trails?
NEMBA brings a solid group of volunteers and devoted members from across New England as well as strong Industry relations. Kingdom Trails and the surrounding businesses benefit from the exposure of all that the area has to offer to so many people. Over the years, KT and NEMBA have have settled into the roles that have worked best, which has strengthened our partnership and made it possible to grow the event.

What would you like to see happen in the future for NEMBA Fest? Do you think it can continue to grow, or do you guys need to cap the attendance?
NEMBA Fest's growth in popularity is due to so many factors! There's the amazing venue at The Wildflower Inn being a gorgeous open field with 360 views set smack dab in the middle of a 100 mile network of really great mountain biking trails for all ability levels. The location and range of trails options make it a very family friendly event which people really love. The Industry support has been a factor also! With over 80 vendors and several supporting sponsors including Pedro's Bike Care as the Title, this is the largest mountain bike event on the East Coast and the best opportunity to demo a bike or find out what's new in the MTB world. In addition, we try to think of everything so that we'll have something for everyone: clinics, group rides, rockin' music, raffles, trials demos, games, yoga, massage, coffee, sushi, art...you name it! Last but not least, the support that the community gives to this event can be felt. It takes over 200 volunteers and 23 full time staff members for weeks leading up to the Fest to make the 3 day event happen. That time is given happily and I think that the participants feel the hospitality.

What did you enjoy most about NEMBA Fest this year?
The very best part was just how happy everyone was. The feedback on all sides was that it was an epic event. More than one person actually told me that they found the experience to be life changing! Seth Brosnan from Cannondale sent us this feedback: “I am humbled and impressed by the sheer magnitude of such a spectacular event. This was the most impactful thing I have ever been a part of in 18 years. My team and I were blown away by the hospitality, professionalism and kindness that was shown by all to all at NEMBA Fest. I wish we could do it again this weekend!"