MERRILL, Wisconsin — Racing Promotion Monthly marked 102 gatherings for promoters, and its 27th consecutive meeting in Reno, with its just concluded Western National Workshop at the Eldorado Hotel Casino, Reno, Nevada. The short-track promoters’ event attracted 121 tracks, associations, and series, 35 exhibiting companies representing 23 states and three Canadian provinces. The three-day, 27-session Workshop opened with keynote remarks from Ray Evernham, discussing the unrealistic expectations he had about track ownership and the challenges he encountered operating East Lincoln (NC) Speedway. Twenty-nine other presenters, panelists, and speakers discussed topics ranging for business management and food and beverage, to social media, and sponsorship.
Opening day sessions included a case history and discussion about a neighbor’s effort to use noise complaints to end racing at Ocean (CA) Speedway, attorney Gerald Brandenhoff’s report in on expanding efforts by states to broaden sales tax laws to include race track entry fees, Cary Agajanian’s annual report to promoters on case law from 2011 affecting short track operation, and Toby Kruse’s panel discussion with three small market or rural track promoters who outlined their strategies for tightening their belts in a poor economy and promoting events to cash-strapped fans. Other Monday sessions included RPM editor Stewart Doty’s talk with promoters about maximizing their advantages as “location-based attractions” fighting for customers in home-based virtual and digital world and thirty-fifth Auto Racing Promoters of the Year Randy and Ryan Queensland talking with promoters about their experience as the most successful “outsider” promoters to enter the industry.
Eleven Tuesday sessions included the always-popular Workshops “Risk Management Q&A” panel discussion and social media expert Jim Belosic’s advice on best practices for making most of the evermore important Facebook platform. Also Monday, insurer Paul Underwood discussed the claim consequences from the K&K files, and a panel of “flat-brimmed hat and baggy pants” promoters discussed their methods for drawing teen and young adult fans of the mobile digital generations. Afternoon, sessions included those of the “Short Track Short Course,” concurrent sessions including Dennis Paul’s discussion of souvenir merchandising, Bill Martens discussion about sealed engines, Sue Gramm and Jody Deery’s food and beverage discussion and Chuck Deery and Gregg McKarns talk with promoters about selling sponsorship in a tough economy.
The Workshop concluded with three Wednesday sessions the first of which discussed the strategic decision making process for establishing and effective and profitable schedule. Afterward, Gerald Brandenhoff and Mike Lemke discussed the complexities of parts confiscation as a tech policing practice and RPM Editor Stewart Doty introduced the RPM Media License; a tool for licensing race track intellectual property and preventing unauthorized web broadcasting of short track events.
The Workshops now move on to Speedweek 2012 convening at the Plaza Resort & Spa, Daytona Beach, FL, February 20-22, 2012.
Racing Promotion Monthly, the idea newsletter for auto racing promoters, is published year-round with the support of K&K Insurance Group, Inc., Hoosier Racing Tire.
The Workshops are produced with additional support from the Eldorado Hotel Casino Reno, INEX, Chevrolet Performance, Moffett Productions, Simes Graphic Designs, AMI Graphics, Raceceiver, Lucas Oil Products, Sunoco Race Fuels, Advertising Edge, and Firethorn Marketing.
More information is available from RPM at 715-536-1067, or on the World Wide Web at www.racingpromotionmonthly.com.
