Marketing Report

A great time was had by all this last month at the Annual Meeting & 50th Anniversary Celebration! Thank you to the CC Riders, Region 1H & to all the others who helped make this go so smoothly. With this being a historical weekend, there were lots of faces from years past in attendance. The big smiles and fun memories revisited were motivating. 50 years ago, bikers from around the state came together to protect their rights. Over the years they got to know each other, and many became good friends. Friday was filled with storytelling, laughs, and good times. On Saturday hundreds of bikers rode together from the hotel to the capitol. In order to capture the moment, I was one of a few there early. Pan, Vicki, and a few other riders arrived early with some of the road blockers. It was awesome to watch him fist bump riders as they pulled up and waited to park. It was amazing to see so many people make the trip to show their passion for biker’s rights. Definitely some goosebump moments watching them role in and listening to our speakers and others from around the country. Saturday night’s banquet was nice to hear from some voices of the past on what we accomplished over the years and their interest in our future. We also took time to recognize the efforts of those heavily involved today. Sunday wrapped up elections and we seated our new Board. The whole weekend’s events really got me thinking about our future and how we get people interested…

At the rally, as onlookers started to realize what was going on, they were excited and asked if they could stay and watch. Of course, yes! There was a little boy who was captivated by the motorcycles and couldn’t help but run up to them. There was a young lady getting photos taken celebrating her quinceniera just before the ride was about to arrive. They kindly stepped inside while our event went on. Afterwards, the group asked to get pictures with us bikers. As you can imagine a big group obliged. Of course, my marketing brain was loving the extra exposure for ABATE and bikers in a positive light. I thought about how cool that had to be for that little boy watching with his dad. It all just reminded me that such little moments are really opportunities for us to spark interest in the next generation. When you catch people watching, smile. When you see a little kid coming toward your bike, take the opportunity to teach him/her about hot pipes and the importance of asking first. But then ask mom/dad if it’s ok for the kid to sit on the bike. Think about if these young people were your own kids. How would you share your love of riding with them? Take the opportunity to help other kids in the community grow a love for motorcycles. Help inspire our future.

Hope you all are able to enjoy more riding this year!

Krissy

ABATE of WI Marketing Director