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oug Emslie , who
D as chairman of Tarsus oversaw the organiser ’ s sale last year to Informa for near on $ 1bn , is combining business with pleasure and has launched , with two partners , TrailCon , a groundbreaking event for the trail running community . The event aims to celebrate , Emslie says , the spirit of unity and innovation within the fast-growing sport .
A keen amateur runner himself , Emslie says the idea is to create TrailCon as a “ forum where passionate trail enthusiasts , industry senior executives , and visionary leaders converge to chart the course for an even brighter future ”.
The project kicks off in California with a preview event , ‘ A Taste of TrailCon ,’ on 26 June , 2024 . Emslie promises energetic panel discussions , networking opportunities , and he says , the taster event will set down a marker for the main forum , as TrailCon launches proper on 24-25 , 2025 .
Emslie explains that the plan is to position the event between the iconic Broken Arrow Skyrace and Western States 100 , in order to harnesses the energy of these premier races to create a transformative experience .
Emslie is acting as co-organiser in his own personal capacity alongside partner Brendan Madigan , a local Tahoe resident and owner of the 49-year-old speciality retailer Alpenglow Sports , and who brings a
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wealth of independent experience to the TrailCon discussions as the event creator and race director of Broken Arrow .
The third member of the organising team is Dylan Bowman , pro runner and CEO of Freetrail . He is a driving force behind trail industry media and co-race director of Gorge Waterfall and The Big Alta events .
Emslie can also rely on his experience in this field , having organised the Boston Run Show and the Boston Outdoor Show via his role at Raccoon Media .
A Taste of TrailCon will open in Tahoe , 26 June with panel discussions and insights from industry luminaries and be followed by a networking
Sights on the event trail in Tahoe
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n This year ’ s taster event is free to attend and more detail can be found at : visit www . trailconference . com . |
event . Confirmed speakers include , Craig Thornley , Sally McRae , Catherine Poletti , Tim Tollefson and Zoë Rom .
Brendan Madigan says : “ Running Broken Arrow has shown me the power of our community coming together . TrailCon is our chance to shape the future of our sport through meaningful dialogue and collaboration .”
Although Emslie is known primarily for his exhibition organising , he tells EW the idea with TrailCon is to start as a “ high-level conference to debate where the industry is ”, and then to look at plans to develop commercial opportunities for products and ways of showcasing innovations in the sector .
TrailCon ’ s content will be split into four categories : Firstly , examining how running events are staged , with sessions targeted at race directors and participants . Secondly , TrailCon will provide a platform for debate on trail running ’ s evolution . And here Emslie believes there is a large audience , with some trail runs attracting over 10,000 viewers on live streams currently , he says .
A third category he picks out is ‘ brands and athletes ’ and how they work together , a stream that would involve social influencers , he foresees .
The fourth category will be Retail and discussion of how that side of the trail running sector is developing . That would include issues around clothing and equipment and nutrition . EW
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