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Big Sugar Classic: Transforming Bentonville into a Cycling Destination

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Big Sugar Classic has evolved from a single gravel race to a major season-ending bike festival with world-class mountain and gravel bike racing, October 12-18 in Bentonville.  Listen in as Michelle Duffy, VP of Event Marketing at Lifetime Events, shares an inside look at Big Sugar Classic, and how it has helped transformed Bentonville into a global cycling force. 

Michelle also talks about the impact of Big Sugar Classic and other Lifetime events like the Gravel Rave at the Momentary that gives back to the cycling community and local schools. The Gravel Rave is open to all with performances, awards, food, fun and more on October 18.

Visit BigSugarClassic.com or follow @BigSugarClassic on social media for more information about the events and volunteer opportunities.

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A New American Town is here to help you plan your trip to Bentonville, Arkansas. From guides, events, and restaurant highlights. Find all this and more at visitbentonville.com and subscribe to our newsletter. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X, and LinkedIn.

You can listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify, CastBox, Podcast Casts, Google Podcasts, iHeartRadio, and Podcast Addict.

Nat Ross :

Welcome to A New American Town. I'm your host, Nat Ross. Today we're sitting down with Michelle Duffy from Lifetime Events. She's the VP of Event Marketing and we're going to take a deep dive into the Big Sugar Classic, which is coming up October 12th through the 18th. A deep dive into the Big Sugar Classic, which is coming up October 12th through the 18th, from the events to look out for what makes it so special and how Lifetime supports the Bentonville community. We're getting another epic event this fall. Here we go with Michelle. Let's hear more about it.

Michelle Duffy:

Awesome Thanks, Nat. Thanks for having me. We're excited to be just under a month away from hosting the Annual Big Sugar Classic in Bentonville. Can't wait.

Nat Ross :

Well, fill us in on what the Big Sugar Classic entails. I know it's kind of the end of the season party for the cycling industry. It's been going on several years. Kind of bookmark it end to end and fill us as what two activities the public can participate in or what we can look forward to.

Michelle Duffy:

Yeah. So Big Sugar Classic really came to be as a byproduct of what originally started as Big Sugar Gravel. So Big Sugar Gravel was Lifetime's first entry point into the community in Northwest Arkansas and we have since grown that to be big sugar classic week. So um book ending the cycling season in the united states, a compliment to the storied sea otter classic that happens in monterey, california, in april and really kicks up the cycling season.

Michelle Duffy:

We have built out Big Sugar Classic on the back half of the cycling season. We have built out Big Sugar Classic on the back half of the cycling season as kind of the end cap or exclamation mark on the season, and for Lifetime. That means hosting the Little Sugar Mountain Bike Race on the first weekend and Big Sugar Gravel on the second weekend, ending it with the Gravel and filling that center week with a series of brand activations and industry partner networking sessions, etc. So really creating a space for everyone who likes bikes, for all brands to be able to participate and bike enthusiasts to travel from everywhere to come.

Nat Ross :

Exciting, so it's not just about the racing. And then if folks were to understand what scope of the industry actually comes to visit. You're talking bike brands, protection parts and accessories, nutrition, and really what does the festival look like in terms of an expo? And where's that expo located? Where can folks kind of just check out the scene for the classic?

Michelle Duffy:

Yeah, so for Little Sugar we're actually now expecting close to 90 brands to be out there, so huge growth for Little Sugar and that starts Coler and our expo takes place up there Coler Grove and ends then in downtown Bentonville. And for Big Sugar, we occupy the footprint at the Momentary and this year we're looking at over 150 brands coming out for Big Sugar Gravel to host an amazing expo there. And then, beyond just the brands that come and support Little and Big Sugar, we partner with groups like USA Cycling People for Bikes Visit Bentonville to also highlight what cycling means in the community and in the industry. So there are, as I mentioned, like industry-led and hosted networking events for those who work in the industry, down to clinics for beginners, just different activation points throughout the community for people to engage with.

Nat Ross :

That's the SHIFT Conference with People for Bikes, which is just very active in the sport in general promotion of soft trail to hard surface bike paths, safety, all those pieces. So if you want to learn more about it, like Michelle mentioned, there's so many different things going on. Team USA, with USA Cycling, will be in town and on Tuesday night they're Coler racing racing on Thunderdome with the local kids and community as well. So, like you said, it's a big festival and it kind of bookends the end of the season. But also the Grand Prix, which is kind of one of your brain children.

Nat Ross :

This is something that you've been working on, is very near and dear to you and your team. You've grown the Grand Prix to be kind of a world renowned and followed globally event. In fact, this weekend when you had the sports stop of the series, I noticed with the men on the podium there were six different countries represented. So fill us in on the Lifetime Grand Prix and what that looks like for the elite racers that come into town, or even the under-23 to junior development pipeline.

Michelle Duffy:

Yeah, so we're entering. We're in our fourth year of the Lifetime Grand Prix this year, which essentially has been our effort as event producers or I would say nation leading or industry leading event producers to really put some emphasis or thrust around professional cycling in the United States. And as we've crafted this calendar over each edition of the Lifetime Grand Prix and really thought about where is the place that makes the most sense for the culmination to happen, it has been Big Sugar. That's been a constant for us. So, coming into this year's event, what's new is that, rather than just Big Sugar Gravel being the last stop of the Grand Prix, we've actually added Little Sugar into the lineup as well.

Michelle Duffy:

So there's a head to head, a lot of points and money on the line for these professional cyclists coming from all around the world and competing not just for prize money but for industry attention, for sponsors, for fans.

Michelle Duffy:

It's great opportunity for them to really build their network and establish themselves as professional athletes, establishing cycling as a professional sport again in the United States, where for the last decade or so there's been a lot of fatigue or disinterest in professional cycling. At Lifetime we kind of felt we have this responsibility, that pros are starting to come to our events because we were attracting the mass participants, so why not give them the opportunity to really help us grow pro cycling? So it's pretty special. I think that Northwest Arkansas you know around the country, seems like this little tiny region that many people, if they aren't interested in bikes, arts, culture, haven't really heard about or experienced the location. And now we're putting not one but two of the world's biggest cycling events, the most meaningful cycling events on in their community and back to back weekends surrounded by, you know, $300,000 in prize money, which is pretty special.

Nat Ross :

Yeah, very exciting. But one thing that you are part of the community. Lifetime actually does hold offices, has office space in Bentonville. You guys have staff here and the lifetime foundation gives back to the community. Also, there's a lot of volunteer opportunities that actually benefit, even like the local NICA teams. So can you speak to the Lifetime Foundation and how it's integrated into the schools and how the community is benefiting from that and how you guys give back?

Michelle Duffy:

Yeah, so for years the Lifetime Foundation was really focused on improving healthy foods in school districts and in recent years we've been lucky that we could extrapolate that mission into helping people be like healthy people on a healthy planet and live a healthy way of life, and the Lifetime Foundation is focused on the youth portion of that.

Michelle Duffy:

So Lifetime our mission you know events aren't the only thing we do, but this spoke of the wheel that events help us fill is that we help people live healthy lives, set goals outside of their day-to-day and as a part of the Lifetime Foundation, we've been able to make a sizable donation to Westside Elementary School, where we are going to be giving 25 strider bikes to the school to incorporate in PE, which is pretty cool.

Michelle Duffy:

So cycling will become a part of the PE curriculum for kids in kindergarten and first grade for kids in kindergarten and first grade, as well as 25 helmets and an adult bike to be able to teach and coach these kids at a young age and introduce the bicycle at a young age. This is part of our learn to ride program, so this will be a robust program for that elementary school. We've also donated four gravel bikes to residents in McDonald County in Southwest Missouri, including the mayor of Anderson, the principal of the school and two others, and equip them with a training plan and accessories and a kit, and they're actually going to be taking on Big Sugar this year in a variety of different distances. So, yeah, it's pretty exciting and beyond that, I think it's just been amazing to be a part of the community and amazing to have an impact. You know we partner and support trailblazers and a series of other community groups who really help us put the event on, and without the local community we wouldn't be able to do what we do.

Nat Ross :

What a big undertaking. I think I want to hear from Michelle and Michelle Duffy what makes this week special for you, what you're most looking forward to in October for the Big Sugar Classic and, if you get time to participate in anything, what that is for you.

Michelle Duffy:

Yeah, a lot of the times people ask me do you get to ride or participate in your own events? And typically I say no and then typically people say, oh, what a bummer. But I actually think it's really special for me as a marketer to be able to have the reward of getting to see people complete their goals and have those emotive moments at the finish line or on course. Like that's so rewarding for those who work in adjacent industries, like I wear other hats at Lifetime and all of my work is rewarding, but it is different, rather than just seeing a campaign come to life, to see someone get a medal around their neck or a kid complete their first race. So I think that's like it's so special to get to be a part of that. And I'm eight years in with Lifetime and 12, 13 years into the event industry and I love it so, so much.

Michelle Duffy:

I also care deeply about the Northwest Arkansas community and have been engaged and involved in Big Sugar since before it was Big Sugar and didn't even have it, and so it is. It's also special. Again, I love everything that I get to touch at work, but when you've gotten to be a part of something since before it was something I think it makes it really special to get to see the growth and the wings and the life that it's gotten, and I think our team shares the enthusiasm just around. Like it's a festival for us too. Like it's amazing for our team that we have team members from around the country who come and spend two and a half weeks in Bentonville together, getting FaceTime together and enjoying the same things that everybody else gets to Like we get to carve out time to hit the trails, go to restaurants, just hang out with one another, and that's really meaningful for me as well.

Nat Ross :

Well and honestly, you're bringing the entire cycling community, globally as well, to a big stop to kind of wrap up a very special season. So I think, can you speak to the gravel rave? I know it's at the moment, terry. You've had famous cycling DJs like Taylor Finney and even Alexis Skarda appear last year. What is the Gravel Rave? And then? What can folks look forward to in terms of participating, volunteering, all those pieces, yeah, so the Gravel Rave is our after party.

Michelle Duffy:

Many events just have a, you know, a traditional finish line after party, and that exists too. But Gravel, the Gravel Rave is our after party. Many events just have a traditional finish line after party, and that exists too. But the Gravel Rave for us, takes place at the momentary and it's a non-traditional event for a lifetime, to be totally candid. But it's a bit of a give back to the cycling community both in Northwest Arkansas and our participants of Big and Little Sugar. We will have a series of acts and DJs up on stage, so there's definitely a performance and entertainment component of the Gravel Rave.

Michelle Duffy:

People deck out in awesome outfits and we have photo opportunities. You know beverages and food, and then also it is the award ceremony for the Lifetime Grand Prix. So it's a really special evening for both the athletes and then those who get to witness the top 10 Lifetime Grand Prix athletes on the men's and women's side be awarded for their accomplishments for the year. And yeah, there's always some surprise and delight performances. Last year we had some acrobatics from the ceiling of the momentary and a mirror man dancing for the dj, and so we just like to make it fun and give people a really good time. You know we are a publicly traded corporation and that helps us be able to do what we do, but also we know how to let our hair down and have a good time and I think people are starting to really learn that about us and our team. And I think you know it's open to the community, so anyone can attend. Anyone can get a ticket to the event and show up and enjoy. So I hope to see a lot of people there.

Nat Ross :

Well, we're excited because Lifetime does bring for the Big Sugar Classic, Little Sugar, the events in general. There's so many people in town. It's the biggest event other than the beginning of the season event that happens in the cycling space in North America. So where can folks learn more about the Big Sugar Classic? Where can they volunteer?

Michelle Duffy:

Yeah, all of that information lives at BigSugar Classic. com or Big Sugar Classic on social media. Thank you for calling out volunteers, because we also could not do our events without so many amazing volunteers and we are looking for them. So this is definitely a hot time for us to be recruiting volunteers, and if you do volunteer, you earn volunteer hours that guarantee you entry into next year. So if you're hearing this, maybe your appetite's wet to participate next year. Volunteering this year can secure you a spot. But yes, please join us and help make the two weekends really memorable please join us and help make the two weekends really memorable.

Nat Ross :

Oh, I love it because the events do sell out and it's one of those special things that there are opportunities and even if you're a local, there's still opportunities. So Lifetime it has a big footprint in Northwest Arkansas. You guys give back to the community and, michelle Duffy, thank you for bringing your team and your expertise to this area, and we cannot wait through October for the Big Sugar Classic and to basically wrap up the end of the season with Lifetime.

Michelle Duffy:

Awesome Thanks, nat. And just to kind of close the loop on the all kids bike initiative, those kids are being presented with their bikes on September 23rd at Westside Elementary, so keep an eye out for the content around that. I'm sure we're going to see some really happy faces and I'm looking forward to seeing all of your happy faces in a few weeks.

Nat Ross :

Oh, Big Sugar Classic coming your way. Michelle Duffy and team, thank you for the podcast time today.

Michelle Duffy:

Thank you.

Nat Ross :

Well, that was a very special conversation with Michelle Duffy there, because Lifetime Events really brings the energy especially to this area at the end of the season when there's a lot of event fatigue and just folks in general have been going all summer, so it's a great way to wrap up the end of the season with beautiful scenery and great people in town and great people in town. Well, don't forget, Visit Bentonville is here to help you navigate the things to do when you're in town, when you're researching and that includes where to stay what's going on in our new American town? Check out the show notes for us on social, sign up for our newsletter and check out our website at VisitBentonville. com. Thanks for listening. This is Nat Ross signing off.