The first rule the U.S. Multi-Sport
Team agreed upon was a budget for
Interbike, the industry trade show that
took place in Las Vegas at the end of
September. We had an extensive schedule of meetings and decided our gambling budget would be a whopping $0.
Everyone in Vegas has a hand out for a
tip (I thought I even saw a cat with his
paw out, or was that a dream?), and
everything is on the high end of pricing.
Plus, we had to fly stand-by to make this
trip work in the first place. But the real
reason for our non-existent gambling
fund is because we went to Vegas to
focus on meeting new clients for our
2007 Multisport Directory.
Last year was our first year at
Interbike, and it was mind blowing. It
took three days just to walk through the
show. This year we tacked on another
week to make the most of the trip. After
day three, you’re overwhelmed, excited
and exhausted. It feels
like you’re in a cave. No widows. So
when you finally do make it outside, it’s
like a new world. A different world.
And inside the cave, people from all
walks of life come together to provide
products to promote health and fitness.
The products range from bikes
(triathlon, road, mountain, BMX) to
new nutrition and clothing products
and every bicycle component you can
imagine.
As work came to a close on the showroom floor each day, darkness crept in
and so did the party crowd. It was a
chance for us (if we were lucky enough
to be invited) to meet industry people in
a more casual environment. One party
was in the Voodoo Lounge on the top of
the Rio. The patio was packed with
plenty of entertainment, even girls in
cages, and many pros strutting their
stuff. The complete rock ‘n’ roll effort.
Pre-show mornings consisted of a
leisurely run to jump-start the heart.
Courtesy of Hubie and Warren
The distance was determined by how
much the previous evening lingered in
our veins (hard to avoid good times in
Vegas). Running in Sin City is an
adventure at best, and we have a new
saying, “No one walks in L.A., and no
one runs in Las Vegas.” We found a big
parking lot in UNLV and ran through
the campus.
One problem we ran into immediately was that the budget was swiftly dissolving. The best deal we found was a
can of Foster’s (25-ouncer) for six bucks.
When you are a grassroots organization
you have to be a smart consumer. On top
of the six-bucks deal there was free live
entertainment. Taking advantage of that
means you’re an educated consumer.
Chalk one up for the team.
Overall, the multisport part of this
show is growing by leaps and bounds.
For us to be a part of this brings a great
feeling of pride to see and hear this
industry rock. So let’s all get psyched
for the upcoming year and indulge ourselves in what we love to do. Swim,
bike, run, ride, paddle, climb, walk,
gamble, crawl, whatever it is . . . just
keep moving and enjoy our awesome
sport. Start planning your events now
for 2007. See you next month . . .
