SOAR Blog

I’ve now been “officially” working in the Sports, Outdoor, Athletics and Recreation industries for slightly more than 3-and-a-half years now, and I must say I continue to be shocked at the overall lack of new media sophistication I see within these industries.

Understand that this is not meant as a slam against all companies in these markets (although it may come across as such).

I also recognize that almost every company I now find in any industry has a Web site. But for many companies, that’s it. And in some instances, companies have little more than a brochure-ware Website.

Others are beginning to step forward and are beginning to embrace newer forms of interactive media, sometimes known as Web 2.0 technologies. These solutions and tools include

• Blogging,
• Online video,
• Social networks (MySpace and Facebook being the most popular, but not the only ones),
• Microblogging (through such tools as Twitter and Pownce, to name two), and
• Podcasting.

What’s even more amazing to me, however, is the seeming lack of interactive / Web 2.0 sophistication among the media companies serving the outdoor and recreation industries. Here again, I’m not attacking every media-publishing company serving clients and/or end-users in the recreation, sports, athletics and/or outdoor industries. Just most of ‘em.

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I’m somewhere above Las Vegas headed for the relative warmth of San Diego and the annual Bicycle Leadership Conference.

Given that it was something like 8 degrees Farenheit last night in Sandy, Utah, 60+ degrees is gonna feel like heaven.

Plus, I’ll get a chance to hang out with several clients and friends, while also getting an updated pulse on the cycling industry.

I’m particularly looking forward to Lance Camisasca’s presentation Saturday morning about future location prospects for Interbike. Should be interesting.

Media now have easier access to suggested retail prices, product images (low and high res) and spec sheets for Scott USA merchandise as a result of a newly launched marketing/press only Web site and portal.

Scott USA marketing team members say they hope the site will help on-deadline media get a logo or product fact quickly without having to rely on a member of the marketing team. (See today’s BRAIN article)

From my perspective, this Web site is yet another example of bike industry leaders showing the importance of using the Internet to better communicate with media and how better business practices can improve the industry’s environmental impact, one company at a time.

A few years ago, the Interbike Expo announced its Green Steps program. The program offsets energy used to operate the show by purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates (REC), recycling aisle and booth carpeting and increasing electronic communication with exhibitors, attendees and media.

New this year, Interbike provided downloadable press kits of more than 40 participating exhibitors for the media to cut down on the amount paper used in the press room.

My hat goes off to these two companies who know how to work with the media and protect the environment as well!

Wow. It’s been a busy few months since my last post on September 20. I need to learn how to juggle blogging, while at the same time serving our clients.

I have a lot of things I’d like to blog about since my last post, for example, working with the media at Interbike, meeting my cycling hero Greg LeMond in the Media Center at the show, and taking a road trip vacation to Colorado - mountain biking and hiking along the way, etc. I’ll write about those later.

This week was a busy week, but a good one. Monday, November 12, we were in New York City for the PepCom Digital Focus media reception. We took our new client, Delta 7 Sports. They make a $12,000 carbon fiber/Kevlar reinforced Arantix mountain bike using a unique tube design called IsoTruss. Before the evening event, we met with “Popular Science” and “The Wall Street Journal.” The staff at both publications were very interested in the Arantix and its IsoTruss technology for possible stories.

Following those meetings we went to PepCom. Even though PepCom was predominately a “digital” high-tech event, we knew the media outlets slated to attend would also be interested in the IsoTruss, because of its highly engineered, science-based, well thought out design.

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So it’s already late Wednesday evening, 9/26/07, and team SOAR is four days into our Interbike 2007 experience. (Yeah, that’s my lame attempt at an excuse as to why I haven’t written anything about my Interbike experiences yet.)

Anyway . . . so Chip, Maura, Lindsay, Melea and I rolled into Vegas on Sunday in preparation for this year’s Outdoor Demo, held again in Boulder City, Nevada (although some 300 yards to the west of prior locations).

But what a nice new location. The City’s done a nice job with initial landscaping and xeriscaping of the “entry area” into Bootleg Canyon, the layout is more open and feels larger than prior years,  and the extension of the blacktop from city into the canyon area is a nice touch.

According to Interbike,  more than 3,300 show attendees braved the wilds of Nevada to participate in Outdoor Demo on Day One alone, a new record turnout.

I’ve been putting off writing something for our blog for a couple of reasons. One, life here at SOAR has been incredibly busy. Our biggest client, Interbike, is having their annual bicycle tradeshow in Las Vegas in 4 days and we have spent the last couple of months ramping up for that. The other reason is, I’m new to blogging, and I wasn’t sure I had anything interesting or significant to post.  Now I do.

I’m bummed. The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency found Landis guilty of doping (see AP story here). I haven’t ridden regularly in a while, but I’m still an avid fan of cycling and racing.  My wife and I cheered loudly at the TV during Stage 17 of the 2006 Tour, only to stare silently again later while learning that Landis was accused of doping.

I’m not even going to pretend to understand the facts surrounding the case and spout my opinion here in this post. I’m just bummed for Landis, racers in general and for recreational cyclists and potential recreational cyclists who might think twice about participating in a tainted activity.

The news about Landis will make for an interesting next few weeks, especially with the industry’s largest trade show, Interbike, and the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) World Championships taking place at the same time. I’m sure everyone will be talking about the verdict and will have an opinion.

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Check out Ergon’s new Outdoor Tourenrucksack, Outdoor Daypack fur Tagestouren and Outdoor-Allroundrucksack (the Outdoor Touring Pack, Outdoor Day Pack and Outdoor Allround Pack, respectively). Very cool!

What I love about these lightweight packs is how well they’ve been ergonomically designed to meet the needs of the active outdoor adventurer.

On page 6 of Ergon’s online product catalog you’ll note what the company calls its Flink ball joint. This feature allows the back to rotate from side to side while enthusiasts are bombing down a hill on a mountain bike, straining across an untracked meadow on cross country skis or starting mile four on a 12-mile run.

The company literature also explains that the strapping system of its packs allows users to keep the bulk of the weight (up to 80 percent) distributed to the hips rather than the shoulders, making for better posture and easier/safer activities while on the go.

Ergon’s packs will be priced at $199 and less. Look for ‘em in booth #71018 at Outdoor Retailer, Summer 2007. (Ergon will be at Interbike 2007 too.)

I love going to a trade show for the first time ’cause it always provides an opportunity to quickly gauge the pulse of an industry.

That said, my trip to the Health+Fitness Business Expo & Conference started off on a somewhat different note than most as I began the afternoon out near the Denver airport to participate in the 2nd Annual SNEWS Golf Scramble at H+FB, a charity event to benefit Augie’s Quest.

To be honest, I was a bit nervous to be out on the links again as I had not been golfing once since I had had surgery to repair labrum tendon in my right shoulder. (Not that I was a great golfer before my surgery, mind you; but I was a bit concerned.)

Nevertheless, the opportunity to support a good cause while golfing with two leaders in the recreation industry — Tim Blumenthal, Executive Director of Bikes Belong; and Joe Flynn, Vice President Sales & Marketing, Nielsen Sports Group – was a chance I could not pass up.

As it was, Tim and Joe were excellent partners for me (and each other) in the scramble, as they both hit quite well and were very supportive of me as I had a consistently inconsistent round. Interestingly, the best part of my round was my chipping game. something that’s never been a strong suit before. Who knew?

Our team finished in the middle of the pack (score-wise) which was fine for me as I wasn’t expecting to compete for top honors anyway, just mostly looking for a good time, an opportunity to make some new friends and the ability to support a worthy cause.

The tourney at Green Valley Ranch Golf Club also allowed me the opportunity to connect up with SOAR Communications clients Lance Camisasca and Rich Kelly, Show Director and Marketing Manager, respectively, for both H+FB and Interbike.

Last comment. Steve Beuerlein, former NFL quarterback and now an NFL Game Analyst for CBS (and fitness club owner), was recruited as “the” celebrity golfer for the tourney. Beuerlein set up camp at the 12th Hole at GVR, where for $20 he was available for an extra drive off the tee for each team in the tourney.

Since it was for a good cause, the members in our team each ponied up twenty bucks, which led Beuerlein to guarantee he’d drive a ball out to the 200-yard marker for us.

And doggone it, sure ’nuff, we found his ball right where he said it would be.

Anyway, thanks to everyone at SNEWS and H+FB for putting together a great event. I look forward to hitting the links once again at next year’s H+FB.