This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
From the CEO
MORE EXPOSURE FOR TRI
By Rob Urbach


Having spent many years working in the so-called “mainstream” sports world, I fully realize the difference between those sports and triathlon — spectators.


Many team sports have a massive amount of spectators but relatively few participants. In contrast, triathlon has a significant amount of participants in comparison to relatively few spectators. We not only participate in force, but we also participate with much passion — whether learning to swim before your first sprint or competing as part of Team USA at the ITU World Age Group Championships in London on the Olympic Games course in September. With regard to the latter, there is no other sport on the planet that can equal triathlon in the scope and scale of our Age Group Worlds. None.


Likewise, USA Triathlon Age Group Nationals next month in Milwaukee will be this year’s Super Tribowl. If you are one of the nearly 5,000 members attending, come find me for the secret handshake. If you’re not joining us in Milwaukee, this event is something to aspire to for next year. For information on qualifying, visit www.usatriathlon.org/agegroupnationals.


I am also very pleased to report that USA Triathlon recently won the bid to host the 2015 ITU Age Group World Championships, which we’ll hold in downtown Chicago. This event has only been held three times in the U.S. (the last being Honolulu 2005), and will consist of age-group athletes from approximately 100 countries vying for world titles in Olympic-and sprint-distance triathlon and aquathlon, plus elite athletes competing for the biggest prize of the year in the Olympic and Paralympic format, as well as the best Junior and Under-23 racers in the world. You will need to qualify at Age Group Nationals in 2014 for a chance at a world title on home soil.


Ok sports fans, so what is USA Triathlon doing about spectators? Well, a key objective of our Strategic Plan is to broaden media exposure. In other words, we need to create “fandom” to accelerate the virtuous cycle; more mainstream media, more people drawn to our sport, more sponsorships, more participants, more people racing, more profitable events, more prize money and more media — rinse and repeat. Several of our upcoming initiatives are engineered to drive exposure including:


• TV Schedule — We are creating a guide for our website with alert capabilities for all triathlons that are broadcast on network or cable television, as a benefit to the broader triathlon community.


• We are testing a super sprint series with partners KANGA Productions and Fearless Races featuring compact formats designed for TV and spectators with goals of generating more fans as well as providing draft-legal racing opportunities for our elites. The next race will be in Las Vegas on Sept. 19 at night under lights. Visit www.usatriathlon.org for details.


• We are developing an existing series for next summer designed to leverage social energy. Stay tuned race directors — just like Splash & Dash and Retro Series, these programs are created for you to produce and manage.


• We are incubating a reality show built around the platform of triathlon — mainstream entertainment for all.


• We are testing a version of a triathlon-based mobile game. As the National Governing Body we hope to both drive and foster innovation and welcome partnerships that will achieve spectatorship objectives.


Consume triathlon my friends,
Rob


22 USA TRIATHLON SUMMER 2013

Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108