RIGHTS HOLDER SPOTLIGHT

RAVI RAJCOOMAR, HEROMAKER.

USA CRITS, The Collective BEST, NDVR Cycle Co, Consortium Productions, The Moonshoot Collective, Rouleur Classic LAX, Board of Advisors Spot Insurance Co.

Tell us a little about your background and journey to where you are in your career today.

I grew up in West Palm Beach, FL, and attended the University of Florida for both undergraduate and graduate school. Yes, Go Gators!

Looking back, intrinsically I have always been part of the leadership or management of the teams or groups I have been a part of, whether captaining the team or helping pull things together for our competitions, that has been part of what I do.

I took that passion and interest to learn as much as I could in the event space, today known as experiential marketing, and really dive in as deep as possible and take it all in. Truly all aspects of the Sports Marketing ecosystem.

I have been lucky to meet great people and work with some great organizations in the last 25 years. Large organizations like the Olympic Games and ESPN’s X Games; manufacturers like Specialized Bicycles, Cannondale, NDVR Cycle Company; marketing behemoths like Red Bull, Octagon, IMG, and CAA all are successful when they deliver one simple thing:

The best possible experience for their audience.

I try to use that as my north star to help guide the projects and people with whom I have the privilege to work.

As the leader of the amateur and pro criterium tour in America, USA Crits made it’s marked on the sport of cycling long ago, how are you working with your partners to grow the sport and its offerings?

I have been and continue to be a cycling enthusiast and fan of the sport, so let’s start with that.

America has a rich history of criterium racing, a unique form of cycling that stresses high-speed races contested amidst a thriving urban atmosphere. Criterium racing has been the consistent backbone of American cycling since the 1920s when cycling was king of nearly all sports.

Although an unrecognized discipline by the world governing body of cycling and the

Olympic Games, criterium racing brings a unique set of skills to the sport and as such needs its own ranking, points system, the pool of athletes, and media to showcase it. Since criteriums are historically run on short laps - about a half-mile in length - through city streets, they offer spectators the opportunity to watch Olympians, world and national champions up close as they ride at top speeds for up to two hours.

Criterium racing’s ability to combine the most exciting elements of popular sports with the large-scale appeal of downtown arts, food, and music festivals has made it the most enduring and sustainable form of cycling in North America and the most spectatorfriendly form of cycling with an ever-growing following of fans. Some of the more popular and successful events often draw more than 30,000 fans per race.

What key features go into destination selection for USA Crits to “push the button” on a new Tour stop?

We look at host cities that have unique venues with challenging courses that showcase arts and entertainment districts, a large and growing base of spectators, broad community support, and strong marketing opportunities for partners.

We also look for an organization in each market that sees the long term sustainable vision of the event and can ensure it happening consistently at the highest level for years to come. In our experience, gone are the days of bid fees paid to just show up, deliver, and leave town, but rather a long term shared partnership with a host city is the only way to be successful into the future.

We have our 2021 preliminary calendar done – mainly a rollover from this season in which we were not able to race due to the pandemic – so we are future forward-looking at 2022 and beyond. We have some great prospects in the pipeline and open to even more.

As a founding decision-maker on the X Games, Dew Tour, and Red Bull events, you have arguably been the world’s leading expert on action sports for two-plus decades. Where do you see more future growth, individual action sport-specific events or festival style action sports events like ESPN’s X Games?

Thanks for the kind words. Well, in the mid- ’90s action sports were a disparate group of extreme athletes doing their thing and competing in many ways. It’s amazing to see how those core sports have thrived and become mainstream since then. The X Games, Dew Tour, Gravity Games and sponsor led events from Red Bull, LG Electronics, Toyota and others really help paved the way for athletes to perform and compete at the highest level.

I was reminded of this in a conversation last week, anyone who is in their late 20’s or younger have only lived in a world with action sports, both on tv and live events. With skateboarding, surfing, BMX, and rock climbing all added to the Tokyo Games action sports are well-positioned into the future and really are a part of the sport, not on the fringes as in years past.

From Red Bull X Fighters (motocross) to Red Bull Off Course (golf), your agency work with Red Bull continues to impress. What event creations are you crafting for them in the near future?

Red Bull is a brand that prides itself on innovation – whether it’s content that lives on Red Bull TV, first of its kind athlete projects, or jaw-dropping events. That innovation permeates the culture and truly is a driving force. In the very near term with

the pandemic, many of the large gathering events like Red Bull Flugtag and Red Bull Music Festival have been pushed to next year. Much of that energy has continued to develop best in class and engaging digital content, films, and smaller in-person projects with great appeal to Red Bull fans.

I can’t share too much, but keep your eye on Red Bull TV for some new and exciting releases in action, adventure, and esports – another area the brand drives interest globally.

As a new venture, you and your business partners have built an international executive coaching forum that continues to grow monthly. How did this effort develop and what’s your vision for the business?

Over the last decade, I have really seen the importance of executive coaching firsthand. From personal and professional development, mentorship with teams, innovation, renewed energy across organizations, guard rails, and blind spots, you name it – these are things that can only be seen from a like-minded group of trusted advisors.

The Moonshot Collective is built around our manifesto of a global network of proven high-achievers, each of us is a hero in our own field, committed to discovering, amplifying and applying our Superpowers; collaboratively fueling each other’s personal and professional development, and crafting strategic solutions for progressive organizations. I like to think of it as your own personal advisory board or group of Superfriends that are there to challenge and support your growth. It’s a great group with weekly Mastermind sessions, regular retreats, purpose-built GoTeams, and our own unique curriculum to help individuals find their superpower – how they discover their highest best use in the world and contribute to their community. We also tackle big ideas

around legacy and a concept of MoG – moment of glory – what you want to be known for. It’s a lot of fun and continues to see growth during these trying times and post-pandemic when leaders are really reevaluating what’s truly important and impactful in their lives and work.

Now for the fun stuff.

What is your favorite destination or vacation you have been to recently?

I had the opportunity to visit Colombia (South America) in February with two old friends, ride bikes, and be part of all action at the Tour of Colombia bike race. It’s the hottest race in the world right now and rivals the Tour de France from a local popularity and cycling IQ standpoint. It was wonderful. The people, weather, vibe were unbelievable, and can’t wait to go back next year. We are planning on taking a cycling tour group with us to enjoy the festivities next February.

What’s the most prized possession you have in your office?

That’s a good one. Not many keepsakes or memorabilia in my office, other than family photos and photos my dog, Ruxy. I am looking at some Emmy awards and an Olympic torch, so those are pretty cool.

What is your favorite sporting event annually?

Don’t laugh too hard here…I don’t love golf, but my annual trip to Augusta National is really something I look forward to, its just such a spectacle. The Tour de France, Athens Twilight, and a University of Florida Gator home football game would also be on my can’t miss list.