Triathlon Business International (TBI) has today announced the initial agenda of conference topics for its 2017 Annual Conference on 22-24 January in Dallas, Texas. TBI and USA Triathlon (USAT) will be presenting joint programming on Sunday 22 January, with the TBI-specific programming beginning on Monday 23rd.
The first set of conference topics on Monday includes:
General Session: Moderated Interview and Q&A Developing Partnerships Between Rights Holders and Sponsors: Building a Platform to Promote a Brand and Engage with a Community
Panel Discussion: Expanding Diversity in Triathlon
Panel Discussion: Working with Municipalities
In ‘Developing Partnerships Between Rights Holders and Sponsors’, TBI President Richard Adler will guide an interactive dialogue with Ben Cummings, Vice President, Head of Sponsorships and Events, Columbia Threadneedle Investments and Michael O’Neil, President of active-ethos and Owner of the Columbia Threadneedle Investments Boston Triathlon.
“We’ll be talking about how a major, non-endemic sponsor has successfully leveraged triathlon in key markets around the world, including Boston, their US headquarters market,” said Adler. “As the biggest global sponsor in the sport, there are plenty of lessons to be learned from Threadneedle’s model of forging diverse community relationships and folding in employee activation.”
‘Expanding Diversity in Triathlon’ on Monday morning will be a panel discussion led by Sara Gross, PhD., co-founder of TriEqual and a two-time IRONMAN champion. Her panellists will talk about diversity markets that encompass African American, Latino and women, including how to reach them, what barriers might exist and what will motivate them to participate in the sport of triathlon from an athlete and business standpoint.
One of the Event Director breakout sessions on Monday will be ‘Leveraging Relationships
with Municipalities’ with panellists Stephen Del Monte, DelMo Sports; Darren Gray, City Manager, Clermont, Florida; and Andy Hesser, Manager, Parks & Recreation for the City of Rockwall, Texas. The panellists bring different perspectives on how best to use public resources to efficiently manage and grow events, including what general costs might be expected; tips that can make the experience of pulling permits less painful, what does a city generally consider when assigning cost, and how they can help market and promote an event.
The Monday morning schedule will open with a moderated Q&A discussion with Lance Armstrong. A current conference schedule can be found on the TBI Conference webpage. Additional speaker and panel topics will be announced in the coming days.
Sponsors of the 2017 TBI Conference include ACTIVE Network, the Dallas Sports Commission, Headsweats, Endurance Sportswire and Bicycle Retailer and Industry News (BRAIN). TBI Corporate Partners are Ashworth Awards, MPA Event Graphics and FinisherPix.
Registration Early Bird fees for the 7th annual TBI event are US$595 for current TBI members and US$695 for non-members. Early Bird registration has been extended through 9 December. Registration includes all sessions, meals, the networking events and one ticket to the Ron Smith Awards celebration. Once delegates register for the TBI Conference they can register for the USA Triathlon Symposium at a 25% discount. Special conference room rates are available at the conference host hotel, the Fairmont Dallas, through 7 January 2017.
Registration rates for the 2017 Annual TBI Conference presented by ACTIVE Network:
- 11 October to 9 December 2016: US$595 members (member number required / US$695 non members)
- 10 December to 10 January 2017: US$695 for members / US$795 non-members
- 11 January and after: US$795 for members / US$895 non members
Companies interested in conference sponsorship or Expo space should contact feedback@triathlonbusinessintl.com. Conference details and online registration are available online.
