2012 Gold Rush - Trade Show Executive
2012 Gold Rush - Trade Show Executive
2012 Gold Rush - Trade Show Executive
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
POWER LUNCH<br />
SPONSORED BY<br />
POWER LUNCH<br />
SNAPSHOT<br />
DAVID INGEMIE<br />
Joined SIA in 1976 as marketing director;<br />
promoted to president in 1981<br />
• Developed Subaru Deduct-A-Ski program<br />
which offered incentives for existing skiers<br />
to trade in used equipment to charitable<br />
groups for a tax deduction;<br />
• Developed the Cross Country USA<br />
program encouraging urban development<br />
of cross-country ski centers;<br />
• Created high school assembly<br />
program promoting winter sports;<br />
• Helped create the SIA Ski<br />
Educational Foundation.<br />
Named executive director of the<br />
Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce,<br />
in North Conway, NH 1973 to 1976<br />
• Worked on Volvo Intl. Tennis Tournament,<br />
the Thermos National Amateur Freestyle<br />
Championships, and the Mt. Washington<br />
Valley International Bicycle Grand Prix.<br />
• Chairman of the New Hampshire Ski Area<br />
Operators Promotional Committee<br />
• Named Outstanding Young Man of<br />
America in 1975 by the Jaycees.<br />
Appointed director of marketing for<br />
Wachusett Mountain Ski Area from<br />
1969 to 1973<br />
Professional Affiliations:<br />
• Board of Directors for the Rails-to-Trails<br />
Conservancy in Washington, DC<br />
• Board of Directors for National Center<br />
for Bicycling and Walking<br />
• Board of Directors of the U.S. National<br />
Ski Hall of Fame and Museum<br />
• Board of Directors of the United Ski<br />
and Snowboard Association (USSA)<br />
• Board of Directors of the International<br />
Skiing History Association<br />
• Board of Directors of the 2015 World<br />
Championship Committee<br />
Education: University of New Hampshire,<br />
B.A. in General Studies<br />
Continued from page 36<br />
structure. In addition, we offer a special<br />
drayage package for all those who ship<br />
their exhibits to the SIA warehouse. They<br />
receive 10% off the regular drayage rates.<br />
BOB: You mean you have<br />
your own warehouse?<br />
DAVID: Yes. It’s pretty simple: we needed<br />
a warehouse to store registration counters,<br />
special booths and other things<br />
critical for the show. So we bought a<br />
warehouse for our needs as well as for<br />
member exhibitors. Members pay a<br />
reduced storage fee. We can’t accommodate<br />
every exhibitor, but the lower price<br />
becomes a negotiating tool for members<br />
who have to use a different warehouse.<br />
We are a not-for-profit trade organization<br />
and our job is to produce the best show<br />
we can for the least amount of money.<br />
BOB: What was the rationale<br />
for launching the Sourcing <strong>Show</strong>?<br />
DAVID: This is a new show within the<br />
SIA Snow <strong>Show</strong> for 2013 and it starts the<br />
day before. Because the cost of sourcing<br />
suppliers has increased dramatically, we<br />
decided to put them all into one area and<br />
make it easy for our members. And with<br />
the Sourcing Snow, we will grow another<br />
15,000 to 20,000 nsf over last year.<br />
BOB: What are the On-Snow,<br />
Ski Ride Fest and Nordic Demo?<br />
DAVID: On the two days following our<br />
show, we go to the slopes at Winter Park<br />
Resort for the On-Snow and Ski-Ride Fest,<br />
and to Devils Thumb Ranch for the<br />
Nordic Demo. We have 4,000 people conducting<br />
demos and testing equipment.<br />
It’s a very exciting and popular event.<br />
BOB: What are some of the biggest challenges<br />
facing the snow sports industry?<br />
DAVID: We’re fortunate that our audience<br />
is a high income demographic, so we<br />
are not overly impacted by this economy.<br />
Our biggest challenge is with consolidation<br />
throughout the industry. There are<br />
also challenges with the buy-sell cycle<br />
for different segments of our industry:<br />
apparel would like the show in November<br />
and the hard-goods folks would like it in<br />
March. We hold the show in January, so<br />
these challenges are ongoing.<br />
BOB: I read this in the New York Times<br />
last week: the Arizona Snowbowl will<br />
become the first ski resort in the world<br />
to use 100% sewage effluent to make<br />
artificial snow. Members of the Navajo<br />
tribe say the snow will ruin sacred<br />
ground. Care to comment?<br />
DAVID: First, don’t eat yellow snow. Seriously,<br />
this water will be purer than the<br />
water in our taps. I respect the religious<br />
aspect of this and it’s not for SIA to get<br />
involved, as it is a local Arizona issue.<br />
BOB: How important is global participation<br />
to the success of your event?<br />
DAVID: Very important. Most of our<br />
member companies are global and we<br />
perform a lot of global research. In fact,<br />
we have euro and dollar columns on<br />
some of our economic reports.<br />
BOB: What are the key issues<br />
for the snow sports industry that<br />
you deal with on Capitol Hill? How<br />
much of your time does this require?<br />
DAVID: When we relocated to the Washington<br />
metro area in 1978, we were on<br />
the Hill frequently during the first 10<br />
to 15 years. Now we try to avoid the Hill<br />
and affect legislation in other ways, unless<br />
there is a major issue with customs,<br />
tariffs, consumer product safety, etc.<br />
BOB: Tell me about the challenges<br />
you faced when trying to incorporate<br />
snowboarding into the ski industry<br />
culture. Are both equally represented<br />
on the show floor today?<br />
DAVID: SIA was started in 1954 by<br />
iconic industry leaders, and if you read<br />
the minutes of those early meetings, you<br />
realize what can happen when super egos<br />
are let loose. When snowboarding came<br />
along, I was already an enthusiast. We put<br />
the major players together in a room and<br />
analyzed the potential if each camp went<br />
at it alone. In the end, intelligence and<br />
common sense prevailed and they realized<br />
that together they would be stronger and<br />
more successful. They are still separate<br />
in our show, but they play well together.<br />
BOB: Social media is integral to your<br />
marketing and communications package.<br />
Describe the various platforms you use.?<br />
38 November <strong>2012</strong> | <strong>Trade</strong> <strong>Show</strong> <strong>Executive</strong>