With word last year that the NGA Tricky Jackson would be no more, this left a strong Frankfort market with no promoter. I had the privilege of covering The Tricky while it was an NPC show and later as an NGA one. The numbers didn’t fluctuate much and his team remained faithfully by his side. Some years The Tricky would surpass 50-60 bodies on the stage (maybe more). The reason for that rested largely with Tricky, himself. He was huge on customer service (many years greeting each and every guest), he knew the area, and he put on a great show that athletes wanted to compete at. That said, Jackson wasn’t necessarily a social media guy. In fact, when he moved to Louisiana, his physical interactions were even less, but the show never skipped a beat. Wouldn’t it be cool if there were another NGA contest in Frankfort? There’s a been successful contest there for years, there’s a host hotel that’s also the contest venue, and I’m if anyone tries their hand with this show, they’d have a mentor in Tricky to bounce ideas off of and get some valuable insights.
With word that the NGA River City Classic won’t be held in 2025, this seems almost unbelievable in Kentucky’s largest city. Kevin Whaley is a great guy and really loves natural bodybuilding. He did his best over the years, but the show was struggling. The last couple of years I believe there were less than fifteen bodies in the whole show. Where were the athletes? It was a decent venue, manned by a good team, with a promoter who truly loved what he was doing, but it was just languishing. What was missing? Social media for sure. The River City should be just as successful as both Lexington shows if we were looking only city sizes and populations. Louisville is substantially bigger than Lexington and has hundreds of thousands of more residents as well. Louisville also shares bridges with a number of small but bustling Indiana cities. Yet the River City was getting a small fraction of the numbers Josh Miller commands. Social media is a big part of that. Popularity is also key. Much love to Kevin, but I’m excited about who may step up to fill the void.
Although I’m writing about a lot of different points, I want to stress that my role here is that of a journalist. I’m not part of the NGA, I don’t speak for them, but it’s my hope that my article will make the rounds and hopefully be heard. That’s what every journalist aspires for, that their voice be heard. Your comments and conversations don’t go unnoticed, either. Remember that even though I’m looking for the next great candid or to film the coolest clips backstage, I can’t help but listen to everything (and everyone) around me. Sometimes, I’ll cut a video short – at the request of the athlete(s). I don’t want to get anyone jammed up, but when people feel like they can speak freely to their peers, boy do they ever! They have a lot to say. And even though I keep that off my videos, I can’t help but hear it and process it while I’m backstage. So in a very real way your comments and conversations make an indelible impression upon my perspective on a whole host of topics.
The bottom line is athletes want to compete in a packed house – both on stage and in the audience. They want those seats to have bodies in them (for prejudging and finals). They also want to compete against several people on stage. To win a class when they’re the only person there is not exactly something that makes an athlete want to go out and celebrate. And sometimes, there might be only one person in the whole division. That’s sad.
Moreover, every athlete wants to be compared to at least one other athlete who’s really on point, who really brought it! I love the transformation stories – they’re truly heartwarming – but put heartwarming to the side for a moment. If you have a guy or girl that TRULY SUFFERED on prep, gave their all, and look phenomenal on show day, it’s almost a crime for them to have at least one other guy or girl that has worked as hard as them, looks as insane, and all in good fun wants to battle hard on stage. That makes a title feel like a title. These folks have given their all and they want to win. You can’t win if no one else is there. They have worked so hard for this. They have put so much time nailing the mandatory poses and tweaking their individual routines. You want competitors to get giddy about hitting your stage, to hear that crowd, experience it all. That’s when competitors pose with heart and really work the crowd. You could have the most introverted, soft-spoken wallflower turn into The Ultimate Warrior for 30 seconds. And not only is that great for the sport, but it’s ENTERTAINING as well!
Always remember that happy competitors are repeat competitors. Happy vendors are repeat vendors. Happy audience members are repeat audience members. No one should have second thoughts about having a bought a ticket. They should look forward to this show all year long. It should be money well-spent!
So how does a promoter ensure that there’s a good number of competitors and that there’s a good number of tickets sold? How does a promoter make their contest attractive enough to inspire local vendors to buy booths and create what may eventually be a mini expo!!
PRESENTATION IS KEY.
Contest posters need to look amazing and be posted throughout the year. Vendors should get a shoutout. There should be promoter interviews (at least monthly, but ideally weekly). Promoters need to be on all formats. They should look into having a Posing Clinic in anticipation of their show. Branding also plays a role when it comes to clothing, stickers, and banners/signs/backdrops. Presentation is key and much of that presentation takes place on social media. It’s not about just posting a contest poster over and over again, it’s about creating content that’s engaging, heartwarming, insightful, but whatever emotion it inspires, everything, I mean absolutely everything is about the show (or shows). Think of a promoter as a Christian missionary. A missionary’s sole goal is to bring the Word of God to every corner of the Earth. And it’s the job of every great promoter to promote that contest like it’s the one place to be all year. If you can only go to one bodybuilding show, if you can only buy a booth to one contest, if you’re going to compete only one time, it has to be THAT promoter’s show. And every year is going to be better than the last. There’s a real reason for people to come. Merely waving the flag each year serves no purpose. Free parking won’t do it, either. You have got to be a missionary for that contest, you have to live it, breath it, and sleep it. It’s ALL about that show. Having a promoter that is truly about his/her contest is the first step into making a contest attractive for a competitor, a vendor, a sponsor and a ticket-buying fan.
POPULARITY is also key.
Popularity encapsulates many concepts within it (e.g. respect, good character, great intentions). A promoter in a setting like Louisville or Lexington has got to be popular. Now I know being popular can have certain negative connotations if you think about popularity through the perspective of the dreadful middle school years, but popularity in adulthood has more to do with being stewards of goodwill than being pompous or cliquish. In fact, if you’re either the former or the latter, as an adult, you’ll definitely not be popular.
Having a promoter who is known and respected by the fitness community is key to launching the next big show in the highly-competitive Louisville market. And it’s not just the NPC. There are natural federations that have set their sights on Louisville and have successful clinics and contests. So why not the NGA?
Here in Louisville there’s a few names I’d like to mention. These are folks who I think could have a massive contest in Louisville. If Lexington has two show, Louisville could have two, right? And maybe have two different promoters. One for each contest.
CHADD TYLER is someone who I think is highly-respected in the fitness community, he was a celebrated bodybuilding competitor, and owns a Next Level Sports Nutrition shop. He’s married to ROBBI TYLER, who is also highly-respected in the fitness community, is a co-owner of supplement store, and was a quite a terror on stage, as well. Did they compete in natural bodybuilding? I’m not sure, but who cares? The point is they could put together the kind of contest that would be massively successful and with them on board, I think the vast NLSN network would come into play.
BRENT JONES is the former promoter of the Kentucky Muscle and the Kentucky Derby Festival Classic. Brent was able to get bodybuilding on the prestigious Kentucky Derby roster of events. It has been said that Brent was the most successful promoter in the region, putting Louisville on the map with bigger cities like St. Louis, Chicago, and Columbus. Many in the region hoped that either of Brent’s shows would one day be pro qualifiers. His contests were for amateurs and pros. Jones left the NPC and briefly worked with the IFBB USA. Many would like to see him back in action, but he needs to work with an organization that’s responsive and that has resources available. This is not a promoter who needs his hand held, but there needs to be a federation that cares involved. If Brent was able to put together the kind of show he knows how to promote, it could be a blockbuster. Plus, I know that Brent would have a similar relationship to that he had with Gene Goode, with Josh Miller. I think both Josh and Brent would benefit from this strategic alliance.
STEVE WEINGARTEN is a great coach can make or break a contest. Steve is by far the greatest contest prep coach in Greater Louisville. He has helped countless competitors win at the local, regional, and national levels. He has led an army of competitors to pro cards, pro victories, and beyond. His level of expertise is unparalleled and his people are loyal to him. Steve also has strong ties to the NPC and like Chadd, I think, would be able to promote an NGA show without creating any tension with the NPC or other federations.
RICHARD SPARKS is a former competitor, the owner of BodySolutionz gym, and a much sought-after coach. I think Sparks could do a FANTASTIC job as an NGA promoter. As with Steve, I don’t think that Richard would earn any negative blowback from the NPC. This is key because that will ensure that a show Sparks promoted wouldn’t be avoided by NPC athletes. I also think that having NGA Pro LINDSEY PELFREY heavily involved with the gym, would make Richard a far stronger promoter. They’ve already had posing clinics for the NPC, so I’m sure they’d have one for an NGA show. And if Lindsey co-promoted, with as active as she is on social media, this would create a tremendous amount of interest in the contest. Plus, maybe she’d guest pose. Tell me that wouldn’t bring the house down!
JOSE ZUBIZARRETA has a tremendous personality, he’s Cuban (and Louisville has become the 3rd biggest concentration of Cubans in the United States after Miami and North Jersey), and he’s an NGA Pro. His star is also rising a coach, he’s got ties to Steve and he has very strong ties to Louisville’s most hardcore bodybuilding gym, The Factory (Hardcore Since ’84). Jose could tap into the vast Cuban and Latino community in Louisville, bringing everything from a new take on stage music, to themes, to contest promotion. Imagine an NGA Louisville contest with posters hanging all over Cuban/Latino businesses all over Louisville, being featured on community Facebook groups, and drawing a Latin American talent from Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Lexington, St. Louis, etc? How many Latino-focused contests are there in the NGA? NPC? Anywhere? I’d love to see Jose as an NGA Promoter. Also, I think having Jose as an NGA co-promoter and the face of a Latino-driven NGA contest would make ONE HECK OF AN INTERESTING INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY for the right, silent co-promoter. Remember, that putting on a show, is a business. And like any business, MAKING PROFIT is the name of the game. Losing money and/or breaking even amounts to failure. Cutting your teeth the first year may be realistic, but it’s also defeatist. The right promoter(s) will make money starting the very first year.
TYLER BEDSON is extremely sought after as a contest prep coach and has developed a very strong position in the fitness industry. His athletes, as well as his wife Laura’s, do very well on stage and seem to stay with the team for long stretches of time. Tyler is a also a successful podcaster, who has his finger on the social media pulse of the bodybuilding world. Between his work with Built By Bedson, his podcast, and his undeniable presence on social media, I think think Tyler could put on a fantastic NGA show in Louisville. As with Steve, Richard, or Chadd, I don’t think Tyler would get any negative blowback from the NPC for putting on such a contest.
TY ROBINSON is a phenomenal MC-type that I would love to see in this capacity. In addition to being what I would consider an MC superstar, I think Robinson would make an excellent promoter. His popularity in Louisville has always been noteworthy. And although he may not be super active in the bodybuilding world (maybe he is, bc I’m not), his personality is one that wins people over. He can keep people engaged and he can make bodybuilding fun again. There needs to be entertainment in that audience. I’d love to see Brent get a show and work with Ty as MC. And not just MC, but with Ty doing a lot of PR for the contest. That said, Brent is a WORKHORSE as well. I think a combination of Brent and Ty could spell huge success.
GLENN UBELHOR is a contest prep coach in very high demand. His team, The Glenn Reapers, travel in numbers and bring impressive physiques to the stage. Glenn is a WNBF Pro and anyone who knows their natural bodybuilding history, knows what that means. Much like the NGA, the WNBF is no joke and their contests are extremely deep competitively-speaking. As I said earlier, a great coach can make or break a contest. I don’t know if Glenn lives in Louisville, but he could live in South Korea for all I care. If he wanted to promote a show in Louisville, could you imagine what he could do on social media? And every single Glenn Reaper would be putting in work on the Gram, the Clock, Facebook and YouTube, too. I could see Glenn putting something very impressive together in the Frankfort market.
For whatever it’s worth, I think a solid promoter can breathe new life into natural bodybuilding in Kentucky. These new promoters would be filling in empty shoes. Louisville and Frankfort, effectively, have no contests right now. No toes would be stepped on. But there are athletes that need stages to compete on! So, LET’S DO THIS!!
In any event, I’d like to thank you for reading my article. I look forward to reading your feedback in the comments wherever this article is posted. I hope to see a strong NGA presence in Frankfort and Louisville, with very close ties to Josh Miller in Lexington.
