Wow!

With apologies to Tom Demerly - That's huge!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Whoa! Big news...will be interesting to see what changes this drives?

I can think of one.... Price increase.

would there be changes?
i assume the guys that bought WTC know nothing about ironman..

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S�rgio Marques
When it hurts is when it feels good ;-)
Sergio-Marques.com

Exactly, that's why it'll be interesting. Oftentimes the PE firm keep the existing management around, but who knows. Time will tell.

I'm not sure people realize the impact this could potentially have on the entire sport...

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Shawn
TORRE Consulting Services, LLC
http://www.TORREcs.com

"I can think of one.... Price increase."
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Yeah, but there will probably be 3,000 slots available for Kona.

Haim

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"Sometimes you need to think INSIDE the box!" -- ME
"Why squirrel hate me?"

One of the guys at Providence is a top level Ironman AGer...

"Oftentimes the PE firm keep the existing management around, but who knows."
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Yes, but PE is looking for a 30%+ IRR... something will have to change assuming the asset was priced correctly (i.e., not a distress sale).

Haim

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"Sometimes you need to think INSIDE the box!" -- ME
"Why squirrel hate me?"

It'll be interesting to see how they finance this.

I predict:
- Current management intact, unless some had a significant equity stake that's getting cashed out
- More licensing deals
- More efforts to defend everything "Iron"
- More WTC events coming in the near future
- Absolutely, positively zero relief on race fees, refunds, or anything like that.

Outstanding!

Now...let's make RI 70.3 into the full deal. The bike course could go through Massachusetts and Connecticut.

IHE

Please elaborate

Gary Mc

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Gary Mc
Did I mention I did Kona

Is this the same company a dentist I think it was from Clearwater paid 2 million for a few years ago?

Or was that just for the Ironman name?


.

I would guess that they bring in someone to manage the brand side of things and build its image in a more cohesive way: better control of Ironman-branded products, more mainstream media exposure, more races, and more big money sponsors. Better marketing takes more money and more money means bigger entry fees.

My hope is that the pro money increases and they fix the damn live video coverage...

An ST birdie told me this in May this year. The birdie also said look for $750 IM Dot race entry fees in two years.

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Behold the turtle! He makes progess only when he sticks his neck out. (James Bryant Conant)
GET OFF THE F*%KING WALL!!!!!!! (Doug Stern)
Brevity is the soul of wit. (William Shakespeare)

And ditch the cash cow of the IRONMAN mattress? Never!

$750? Very safe bet.

Ironman entry fees, if this board is any indicator, are not very price elastic.

more races x more entrants x more fees = margin improvement, the best possible way for Providence to make money on this investment.

You are probably right and they will fill races up too, but look for some venues to go away or be moved.

1)If the current owners are good business people; they not only want the brand to improve but to maximize their investment. SELL when you can get your most profit.

2)I have been thinking for the last year or so "when will the number of races(140.6 and 70.3) end?"

3)Maybe, they see that it will continue to grow and they don't have the desire to take it to another level.
Either way...hang on!

Too right... bluntly more races, and/or higher prices... maybe put in place through a more differentiated pricing structure. How else could they milk it?... get more money from the towns where it's taking place, bigger expos, official packages including hotels etc, plus expand "Iron" into other endurance sports... expansion into other adjacencies: publications, holidays, training camps, buy-out or push out with complementary service providers like race day wheels, transport and athlete tracking?

Which one at Providence is the top AGer?

Absolutely, positively zero relief on race fees, refunds, or anything like that.

You make it sound like there is no choice, or that people are being forced unwillfully to do this. There were 3,000 people lined up to get into IMWisco for next year this morning!

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Jesse Du Bey.

As I said in my other post, entry fees are highly price inelastic.

I don't race in WTC events, so it doesn't matter to me. I suspect it matters quite a bit to some folks around here, given the amount of bitching we see on the board. Demand > supply, which I suspect is a major point on the Providence investment thesis.