TBRA banquet review
I hope you were in attendance last Saturday night at the annual TBRA Awards Banquet. If not then you missed a fun and classy evening. TBRA is setting the standard for other cycling organizations to follow, especially when it comes to holding events like this.
It at the Marriott in Cool Springs within one of their larger banquet halls. I don't have an official count, but there were at least 250 people in attendance celebrating the 2005 season. Just 2 years ago the event was held at the same hotel, but across the hall in a banquet room one-third the size!
The growth and interest in the banquet is evident, but this really is due to the presence of guest speaker Tom Danielson. Last year it was Frankie Andreu drawing a large crowd at the Vanderbilt Club. Guest speakers from the pro peloton should draw a crowd, but TBRA deserves credit for going out and securing guys like Frankie and Tom. Without these types of guests we're probably looking at a loss of 100 plus in attendance.
Tom Danielson's speech and presentation were very good. If you didn't know who he was beforehand then you surely know all you need to know now. I thought the video of his stage win up Brasstown Bald was a nice touch. Tom did a great job at adding humor and humility into his personal presentation. I talked to him during the ride earlier in the day and he said he's only been doing these sorts of things for the past month. Not bad for a beginner speaker.
He told me he really likes the Q&A portions because people have lots of questions and loves the interaction. I imagine he'll be doing many more of these in the years to come. When he ended his speech with, "Thank you for having me. I hope to be invited back again in the future," I for one believed he meant it.
Afterward Tom signed autographs and posed for pictures. I wised up at the last second and had him sign a NashvilleCyclist.com jersey. I'll be getting it framed and holding onto it for ripening. Maybe it can become an auction item for a worthy cause after he wins the Tour?
So now the question is who do we go out and get for 2006? The first one to jump out for me, Freddie Rodriguez. After Freddie it would be George Hincapie. Sure George is a logical great pick, but let's get someone outside of the Postal/Discovery camp.
Who do you suggest? Email me with comments and I'll pass it on to the TBRA search committee (yes, there is one!).
The videos about the junior squad and race footage throughout the season was nice to see. It was a great idea to have a photographer's pit so everyone could get a shot of their friends or family on the podium. One thing I'd suggest adding to the awards section is to announce the jersey winner's most significant results. We know they won the overall points, but how about a couple of results that made it happen?
Overall a wonderful evening and one the entire cycling community in Tennessee should be proud of.
It at the Marriott in Cool Springs within one of their larger banquet halls. I don't have an official count, but there were at least 250 people in attendance celebrating the 2005 season. Just 2 years ago the event was held at the same hotel, but across the hall in a banquet room one-third the size!
The growth and interest in the banquet is evident, but this really is due to the presence of guest speaker Tom Danielson. Last year it was Frankie Andreu drawing a large crowd at the Vanderbilt Club. Guest speakers from the pro peloton should draw a crowd, but TBRA deserves credit for going out and securing guys like Frankie and Tom. Without these types of guests we're probably looking at a loss of 100 plus in attendance.
Tom Danielson's speech and presentation were very good. If you didn't know who he was beforehand then you surely know all you need to know now. I thought the video of his stage win up Brasstown Bald was a nice touch. Tom did a great job at adding humor and humility into his personal presentation. I talked to him during the ride earlier in the day and he said he's only been doing these sorts of things for the past month. Not bad for a beginner speaker.
He told me he really likes the Q&A portions because people have lots of questions and loves the interaction. I imagine he'll be doing many more of these in the years to come. When he ended his speech with, "Thank you for having me. I hope to be invited back again in the future," I for one believed he meant it.
Afterward Tom signed autographs and posed for pictures. I wised up at the last second and had him sign a NashvilleCyclist.com jersey. I'll be getting it framed and holding onto it for ripening. Maybe it can become an auction item for a worthy cause after he wins the Tour?
So now the question is who do we go out and get for 2006? The first one to jump out for me, Freddie Rodriguez. After Freddie it would be George Hincapie. Sure George is a logical great pick, but let's get someone outside of the Postal/Discovery camp.
Who do you suggest? Email me with comments and I'll pass it on to the TBRA search committee (yes, there is one!).
The videos about the junior squad and race footage throughout the season was nice to see. It was a great idea to have a photographer's pit so everyone could get a shot of their friends or family on the podium. One thing I'd suggest adding to the awards section is to announce the jersey winner's most significant results. We know they won the overall points, but how about a couple of results that made it happen?
Overall a wonderful evening and one the entire cycling community in Tennessee should be proud of.
posted by NashvilleCyclist.com at 11/02/2005 12:43:00 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home