Austin Breakfast Club Group Ride Location: Ride departs from The Meteor Join PeopleForBikes and legendary Breakfast Club ATX for a morning group ride to experience what it's like to ride with the Breakfast Club on their rapidly growing community rides in Austin. Explore Bentonville's paved and gravel roads with fellow attendees and get ready to kick off SHIFT'25 on two wheels.
12:00-5:00 PM
Event Registration
6:00-8:00 PM
Welcome to SHIFT‘25 Happy Hour, Dinner, and Networking Location: YT Mill SHIFT’25 festivities kick into high gear at the YT Mill in downtown Bentonville with drinks, dinner, networking, and a live DJ set from DJ Pilgrim.
thursday, october 16
9:00-9:30 AM
Welcome to SHIFT’25 Location: Compton Gardens | The Garden Room Welcome from Kalene Griffith, Visit Bentonville Remarks from Mayor Stephanie Orman, Bentonville Remarks from Tom Walton, Runway Group
9:30-10:00 AM
State of the Industry Location: Compton Gardens | The Garden Room
Keynote from Jenn Dice, CEO + President, PeopleForBikes
10:00-10:15 AM
Networking Break
10:15 AM-12:00 PM
General Session Keynotes Location: Compton Gardens | The Garden Room
Growing Bike Joy: Community in Motion Deep in the heart of Texas, Austin’s Breakfast Club is reshaping how community is built through cycling. Hear from Breakfast Club organizers on how a focus on inclusivity, consistency, and post-ride programming turned casual rides into powerful community-building experiences. Discover how these values can become a strategic advantage by fueling engagement, loyalty, and organic growth and leave with practical insights to support or replicate this culture-first approach at your own organization or initiative. Speakers: Peter Abraham, President, Abraham Content Marketing Studio Preston Glace, Breakfast Club Grant Rogers, Breakfast Club Jordie Ammons, Breakfast Club
Pedaling with a Purpose: The Transformative Power of the Bike Bus In communities across the U.S., bike buses are transforming the way students and families start their day. What began as an effort to reduce car line congestion and encourage biking to school has grown into a global movement. At its core is a simple belief — shared experiences on bikes strengthen community ties and help students arrive at school happier, more confident, and ready to learn. Speakers: Sam Balto, Bike Bus World Keynote: The Future is Here: Innovation, Industry, and Collaboration at Play Successful companies of all sizes encounter unique challenges that require novel solutions to move past and above. Building a culture of creative cooperation and innovation both inside and outside an organization fosters adaptability and resiliency. By identifying internal and external partnerships as well as thought-leadership as a core value can provide a buffer during unsettled times. Leaders in education, technology, and the bike industry will discuss successful collaborations, uncover key leadership approaches, and gain tools to encourage innovation. Speakers: Zoe Maddox, PH.D., Heartland Institute Juliet Scott-Croxford, Brompton Marco Viarelli, Chief Information Officer + Managing Director North America, Vittoria Eric To, Deputy Director of Operations and Business Development, SGS Testing
MTB: Experience Bentonville’s world-famous trails with expert Women of OZ ride leaders. Explore Coler Mountain Bike Preserve and find out why people travel from across the globe to ride this special trail system.
Gravel: Bentonville is far more than just a MTB destination. Gravel in Northwest Arkansas is bountiful, accessible, and fun! Ride with local guides from Ozark Cycling Tours for a taste of the Sugar Creek gravel roads.
Road: If you think Bentonville is only a hot spot for MTB and gravel, our roadie friends would like to show you otherwise. NWA is home to rolling hills and climbs that put you right into the beauty of the Ozarks in minutes.
Town Tour: Join PeopleForBikes’ NWA local Brady Carman for a town tour of Bentonville’s public art and bike infrastructure with highlights including downtown Bentonville, Walmart’s new Home Office, and the 8th Street Cycle Track.
6:00 PM
Industry Hospitality Reception Location: Ledger
Hosted by Life Time Fitness, Visit Bentonville, USA Cycling, Runway Group, Outerbike, and PeopleForBikes
Join PeopleForBikes, Life Time Fitness, Visit Bentonville, USA Cycling, Runway Group, Outerbike, and World Bicycle Relief for one of Big Sugar Classic Week’s signature events — Industry Hospitality Night. This is the industry party you don’t want to miss.
friday, october 17
8:00-10:00 AM
Industry Breakfast Location: The Meteor
Networking Rides | Road, Gravel, MTB, E-Bike Location: Rides depart from The Meteor
MTB: Women of OZ is back with another round of guided MTB rides in the Mountain Bike Capital of the World with a tour of the Slaughter Pen trail system — the trails that laid the groundwork for Bentonville’s MTB trail network. Experience the power of connecting the center of town to the trailhead.
Gravel: Highlighting the Arkansas Rural Recreational Roads project, this route brings you west of Bentonville for a 23-mile ride exploring the back roads of Benton County with OZ Cycling Tours. This route is a mix of gravel and road, so get ready to rip.
Road: Stretch your legs, get your heart pumping, and prepare yourself for a scenic ride as you travel to beautiful Bella Vista. Today’s ride is just under 20 miles, and we’ll have you back in town in no time. Town Tour: Join PeopleForBikes’ NWA local Brady Carman for a town tour of Bentonville’s public art and bicycle infrastructure with highlights including downtown Bentonville, Walmart’s new Home Office, and the 8th Street Cycle Track.