Expanding the Demo Day Program at Ironman and 70.3 events across North America, Wattie Ink has inked a deal with World Triathlon Corporation (WTC), owner of the Ironman brand worldwide.
Wattie Ink is led by Sean Watkins, formerly of Triathlete Magazine, who entered into the agreement to handle future promotion and sales of North American event expos at Ironman and Ironman 70.3 events, as well as head up promotional activity for Ironman’s website sales.
Select event expos will now include Demo Days, as seen at the 2009 Ford Ironman World Championship, an interactive experience that includes the latest in triathlon gear and apparel. The first event on the calendar is Ironman 70.3 California on 27 March 2010.
“I started the Demo Days experience in Kona two years ago,” said Sean Watkins of Wattie Ink. “The goal was to enhance the event experience for the participants and fans, while giving the manufacturers a platform to promote products and allow potential consumers to test them. The Kona experience has been extremely successful and as a result, the 2010 Demo Days expo in Kona is already close to being sold out. That success drove the decision to allow that experience to live beyond Kona.”
The following 2010 events will include Demo Days within the expo:
Ironman events
June 27, 2010 – Ford Ironman Couer D’Alene
July 25, 2010 – Ford Ironman Lake Placid
Oct 9, 2010 – Ford Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, HI
Ironman 70.3
March 27, 2010 – Ironman 70.3 California Oceanside
Aug 8, 2010 – Ironman 70.3 Boulder
May 16, 2010 – Foster Grant Ironman World Championship 70.3
“Sean took the Ford Ironman World Championship Village in Hawaii from an expo to an interactive demonstration and testing ground for the athletes and spectators. We are excited to have Sean bring this new experience for the athletes to other Ironman races in the US,” said Andy Giancola Director of Licensing and Sponsorship for Ironman.
Similar to the Ford Ironman World Championship, all events will include a three-day expo area where consumers can test the latest in tri bikes, aero wheels, running shoes and even take a dip in one of the on-site Endless Pools to test the latest wetsuit technology.
Each expo will include a stage with vendors announcing the debut of new products, clinics, professional athlete signings and press conferences. In addition, each event will include a formal Bike Count with the Bike Count Championships to be at the Ford Ironman World Championship in October.
