Summary
On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Kenny Belaey, Founder and CEO of Bentonville Bike Fest, a festival that celebrates and champions everything bike related in Bentonville. Originally from Belgium, Kenny is a globetrotting mountain biker who holds the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) record for most podium spots at a world championship in the discipline of trial. Since his career started in 1996, Kenny has been nicknamed the Magician for his ability to clear seemingly impossible obstacles. He has been featured on the Extreme Sports Channel and is a Red Bull ambassador. Throughout the episode, James and Kenny discuss the motivation behind establishing the Bentonville Bike Fest, Kenny’s travels across the world and the exponential growth of the biking industry in Bentonville.

Thanks for tuning in!

‍Show Notes
Timestamps in this blog are for the audio-only version of the podcast; video timing differs.
(0:52) Introduction to Kenny
(8:37) Kenny’s Journey to Bentonville
(16:12) Bentonville’s Transformation into the Mountain Bike Capital of the World
(18:02) About the Bentonville Bike Fest
(30:04) Engaging with the Biking Industry in Bentonville
(41:07) #BecauseBentonville Story
(47:40) Closing Thoughts
‍
‍Links
JAMES BELL‍‍
‍BENTONVILLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT‍‍‍‍
‍KENNY BELAEY
BENTONVILLE BIKE FEST
‍
Quotes
“Bigger is not necessarily what we want. We want to be better…It’s going to feel more like a festival. The Old Applegate actually has a lot of history, so we’re bringing back a little bit of the old memories of the locals.” – Kenny Belaey, (18:01)

“…it’s about relationships they’ve built and I think everybody, even in Europe, knows about [Bentonville]. Locals don’t realize that, but everybody is looking at Bentonville as doing something. They don’t exactly know what yet, but they’re doing something that’s different, that works. So everybody is looking at this place.” – Kenny Belaey, (20:28)
‍
“We are blessed with where we are because of all the brands that have a presence here. I’m talking about the CPG brand and all those companies, and they want to support cycling as much as the bike industry wants to support cycling. And that’s great and that’s something we want to keep growing on.” – Kenny Belaey, (31:05)

‍Celebrating Bentonville’s Thriving Cycling Economy With Kenny Belaey and Bentonville Bike Fest
On this episode of The Bentonville Beacon, host James Bell is joined by Kenny Belaey, Founder and CEO of Bentonville Bike Fest, a festival that celebrates and champions everything bike related in Bentonville. Originally from Belgium, Kenny is a globetrotting mountain biker who holds the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) record for most podium spots at a world championship in the discipline of trial. Since his career started in 1996, Kenny has been nicknamed the Magician for his ability to clear seemingly impossible obstacles. He has been featured on the Extreme Sports Channel and is a Red Bull ambassador. Throughout the episode, James and Kenny discuss the motivation behind establishing the Bentonville Bike Fest, Kenny’s travels across the world and the exponential growth of the biking industry in Bentonville.

Producing a One-Of-A-Kind Event
With Bentonville being the Mountain Biking Capital of the World, partly due to its innovative and endless network of trails, Bentonville Bike Fest celebrates this through an action-packed, four-day event that offers enticing attractions for all riders. With the goal to make Bentonville Bike Fest the world’s epicenter of biking, it is exciting for riders of any skill level or age and for non-cycling spectators alike.

The festival includes group rides, workshops, trial bike shows, an expo, meet and greets, multiple races, live artists, demo bikes, a pump track, BMX shows, US Trials Nationals, Guinness World Record attempts, hundreds of vendors, food trucks and more. Along with Bentonville Bike Fests’ already impressive list of events, the festival features the North American debut of the 2023 Mountain Bike Eliminator Pan American series.

“…it’s about relationships they’ve built and I think everybody, even in Europe, knows about [Bentonville]. Locals don’t realize that, but everybody is looking at Bentonville as doing something. They don’t exactly know what yet, but they’re doing something that’s different, that works. So everybody is looking at this place.” – Kenny Belaey, (20:28)

Embracing Local History and the Bentonville Community
Now in its third year, Bentonville Bike Fest debuts its new venue, Old Applegate, the former home of the historical Applegate Arts and Crafts Festival. These historic fairgrounds are an ideal location to host Bentonville Bike Fest due to adjacency to Coler Mountain Bike Preserve and close proximity to downtown Bentonville.

“Bigger is not necessarily what we want. We want to be better…It’s going to feel more like a festival. The Old Applegate actually has a lot of history, so we’re bringing back a little bit of the old memories of the locals.” – Kenny Belaey, (18:01)

Bentonville Bike Fest is able to offer free general admission because of the support from local sponsors such as the Walton Family Foundation and Fortune 500 companies with offices or headquarters in Bentonville and Northwest Arkansas. In 2023, the festival is May 25-28. Moreover, it anticipates 15,000 – 20,000 attendees. Bentonville Bike Fest caters to bicycle enthusiasts, while also sharing the passion of cycling with those who have never ridden bikes.

‍“We are blessed with where we are because of all the brands that have a presence here. I’m talking about the CPG brand and all those companies, and they want to support cycling as much as the bike industry wants to support cycling. And that’s great and that’s something we want to keep growing on.” – Kenny Belaey, (31:05)
‍
Get Connected!
‍Thank you for tuning in to this episode of The Bentonville Beacon! Join us weekly for more stories from entrepreneurs and business leaders who are sparking the rise of Bentonville. If you are interested in discussing whether your business should have a presence in Bentonville or would like to discuss this podcast, please contact James Bell. You may reach James at JBELL@GREATERBENTONVILLE.COM or (479) 273-2841.