With endurance sports as a key focus of MPA Event Graphics sales and marketing activity, the Ironman World Championships on Kona, Hawaii not only captures a lot of my attention, but is also one measure of our success in the category. In 2017, MPA clients comprised nearly 40% of all Ironman expo participants, including exhibitors in the main expo itself in the Athletes Village, or along various points north and south along Alii Drive. It was our best year so far, representing steady growth since we began to focus seriously on endurance several years ago.
Needless to say, we’ll be working for 50%+ in 2018.
I go to the ironman in Kona each year for meetings and to pitch new business, of course. But mostly I go to check in with clients who have come to trust us with their brand. My first job is to go from tent to tent, saying hi, checking to make sure everything arrived as scheduled and is working. How are we doing? What else can we do? How can we do better? I think that kind of thing is important. And from what I can see, it’s what sets us apart from the competition. It’s one thing to say you care; it’s another thing to show that you really do.
See you in Kona in 2018. If you need a tent or anything else in the way of event signage, be sure to shoot me an email: [email protected]. — MP