100 Reasons to Come to the Games

100. You get to walk on the bluegrass. It’s pretty famous in Kentucky.
99. You know that saying “When pigs fly?” Horses actually do fly here…over jumps.
98. Because trail riding is fun, but horses do much cooler things at the 2010 Games.
97. You get to meet someone from a different country, or actually, more than 60 different countries.
96. Single men, two words: International visitors.
95. Single ladies, we’ve got cowboys. With boots and hats. Some even have a southern drawl.
94. You can get horse training tips from world famous equine clinicians.
93. Because you can have a place to party…outside.
92. You can practice using a foreign language with native speakers.
91. Because tickets to the Games are better than anything Santa could ever bring.
90. You get to see horses of every color and size.
89. We’ll have beer. Kentucky Ale to be exact.
88. You can see horses in Kentucky doing something other than run in a circle.
87. Because you’re wondering exactly how one place can hold so many horses and people.
86. The Iron Chef will cook for you. It’s the only time you’ll think even rabbit liver tastes amazing.
85. To buy that cowboy hat you know you’ve always wanted.
84. Don’t care for horses? We’ll have penguins.
83. Don’t like penguins? We’ll have sharks too. Both in the Alltech Experience Pavilion.
82. For the right price, you can sit in the Champions Club without having to vault, drive, or jump your way there.
81. The best rooftop gardener in New York City will be there. And guess what? He’s a Kentuckian!
80. If you’ve never made it to the Kentucky Derby, you can watch approximately 90 Kentucky Derbies at about one-third the speed. It’s called Endurance.
79. It’s the perfect horsey fix in between Keeneland’s Fall Sales and Fall Meet.
78. The Kentucky Horse Park will be taken over by an army. Well, we have 7,000 volunteers. That’s basically an army.
77. You can take your girl for a ride on a big green tractor in the John Deere sponsor pavilion.
76. It’s the biggest party in Kentucky this year. Don’t be the only one with nothing to talk about the morning of October 11.
75. Ever wonder how horses do stunts for movies? Equine Village demonstrators will show you.
74. The day doesn’t stop after the competition is over, Lexington will continue the celebration downtown at Spotlight Lexington.
73. To visit the state that makes 95% of the world’s bourbon…and then drink some.
72. Because no matter how crazy your friends are, they are never going to jump on the back of a cantering horse and then do a back flip. But our vaulting athletes will.
71. Our Driving teams bring a whole new feeling to the phrase “horse and buggy.” It’s a carriage—not a cart—and they drive like NASCAR’s best.
70. Because you’re an Auburn fan and you drove all the way here for the UK Football game. Or because you’re a UK fan who sold your Auburn tickets.
69. UK’s basketball season hasn’t started yet—which means our Jumping athletes will have the biggest “air” in town.
68. When your daughter comes home wanting a dressage pony, you’ll at least know that “dressage” rhymes with “garage.”
67. To cross Kentucky off your list of states visited.
66. The Kentucky Horse Park has 1224 acres of rolling bluegrass countryside. The 2006 Games in Aachen, Germany had 40 acres. Come see what we’re doing with the extra 1184.
65. Because your kids get in free.
64. It might be the only time you can have a world-renowned chef cook for you using items you might find at a Kentucky Farmer’s Market. We call it Kentucky Proud, and we’re proud of it!
63. Because you’ve heard someone say they use “Natural Horsemanship” and you have no clue what it is.
62. Not a world champion equestrian athlete? More than a dozen clinicians will be on hand to show you the reins. Or in the case of Stacy Westfall, to entertain you without reins.
61. To pick up some new dance moves. Dressage horses are more graceful than lots of people. Most people, actually.
60. Because if you only know about our bourbon you are missing out on our incredible Kentucky wines. Taste them in the Kentucky Experience.
59. Spend a day with your family for the same cost as a night at the movies. Fun, laughter, and memories required with purchase of your Grounds Pass tickets.
58. Because you can have your own bottle of Maker’s Mark personally dipped for you in our Makers Mark Bourbon Village Hospitality Pavilion. Where else will you ever see that signature wax melted?
57. The number of activities for horse-obsessed children is endless.
56. You have never been to a horse show, and doesn’t the saying go: don’t knock it till you try it?
55. Because you’re sick of watching sports that revolve around some type of ball.
54. You can spend all day outside…or 16 days outside.
53. Because you’ve never seen a horse up close.
52. How many times have you heard Wynonna Judd sing “My Old Kentucky Home?”
51. Because you’re looking for an excuse to pull out those cowboy boots from the back of your closet.
50. And if you don’t have boots you have to come put your feet in a pair of Ariat’s.
49. Roads have been created and widened just so you don’t have to fight traffic.
48. It is the first time the Para-Dressage will be part of the World Equestrian Games. Don’t know what Para-Dressage is? Come find out.
47. You get to watch riders play musical horses in the Rolex Top Four jumping competition.
46. You get to learn from top veterinarians and animal health experts.
45. Because weeknights during the Games will be far from boring.
44. Because you don’t have to be a jockey or a zillionaire to get a great seat.
43. Because there are airports in Lexington, Louisville and Cincinnati that can assure you get to the event as safely as the horses.
42. Following our athlete bloggers? Now is your chance to see them in person.
41. The most talented riders in the world will all be in one location. It’s your chance to see the best of the best compete against each other.
40. Ever heard of the champion racehorse Cigar? He’ll be there. And you can meet him in the Kentucky Horse Park’s Hall of Champions.
39. Because if you can’t buy a real horse you can buy a Breyer.
38. We have over 30,000 friends on Facebook and they are definitely coming…don’t be left out.
37. Because our trade show is the only place where you can buy a treadmill for your horse and a watch for your spouse in the same shopping experience.
36. You get to shop…period.
35. There will be a sneak peak of the 2014 Games in France.
34. Because it’ll have more horsepower than that car you’re driving.
33. Our Para-Dressage athletes conquer every challenge—come be amazed.
32. Lexington has created one of the top horse venues in the world.
31. Because your experience at the Games will be timeless, just like a Rolex watch, the official time piece of the Games.
30. You can see the entire state in one place. All nine tourism regions will be in the Kentucky Experience exhibit.
29. Because horses run faster, jump higher and turn quicker than any human ever will.
28. During the Games, Lexington is going to be the talk of the horse world…don’t you want to be a part of it?
27. Because it will definitely give you something to tweet about.
26. You will make your child’s day, month and probably year.
25. Because you don’t know what the word piaffe means and you definitely didn’t know it is something a horse can do.
24. You have never seen a horse slide on its hind legs and look cool doing it.
23. Because you haven’t been to the Kentucky Horse Park.
22. And if you have been to the Kentucky Horse Park, you haven’t seen the Park’s newest addition. Find out about the Park’s Gift from the Desert.
21. Because Kentucky and the city of Lexington have prepared to make this event one to remember.
20. You can find out how Dippin’ Dots made ice cream into tiny, tasty pellets—the creators will be there!
19. Because some of the most beautiful farms in the bluegrass will be transformed into a 100 mile endurance course.
18. You can see a bond between a horse and a rider that you can’t see anywhere else.
17. Because Lexington has had a count-down clock running since December 29, 2007 and it will finally say 0 days to go.
16. You aren’t from Kentucky-or maybe you are- and you are wondering what this state has to offer…the Kentucky Experience will fill you in.
15. If you like taking photos you can fill a bookshelf full of albums with exciting snapshots from this event.
14. Because the Kentucky Horse Park is the only park in the world dedicated to horses.
13. We can bet you have never been to a horse show that has the world championships of eight disciplines held at the same venue.
12. September is the perfect time to take a little vacation.
11. Doesn’t everyone want to take a vacation?

And the Top Ten Reasons:

10. Because Lexington has been under construction since 2006 and it’s time for everything to finally come together.
9. You won’t get to see a World Equestrian Games again until 2014.
8. Because other world championship sporting events don’t have tickets for as little as $25.
7. You will be a part of history in the making.
6. It’s Kentucky hospitality. It’s what we do best.
5. You can spend your day watching the biggest horse show to hit this country and your night attending the best party in Lexington.
4. Because the Games have never been here before—and who knows if they will ever be back?
3. Kentucky is within a day’s drive of 2/3 of the U.S. population. Don’t believe us? We’ll see you in 12 hours. Loser buys a ticket to the Games.
2. Because you’re running out of time, tickets won’t be on sale much longer.
1. 16 days. Eight World Championships. The Horse Capital of the World. Isn’t that enough?

Now only 88 days to go!!!

The 100 Days to Go Celebration for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games was a hit June 17, and the Fifth Third Pavilion in downtown Lexington drew in hundreds of fans, residents and passersby to help celebrate the occasion.
Walking through the pavilion, visitors were able to grab themselves some Kentucky Ale; see pottery being made; view a Corvette inside and out; taste food from France, the host of the 2014 Games; eat free Dippin Dots ice cream and even pet a penguin.
In addition to booths, the celebration featured a fashion show showcasing 2010 Games Ariat apparel, a book signing by Jon Carloftis, world-renowned gardener, for his book Beautiful Gardens of Kentucky, and Alltech’s announcement of the line-up for the Alltech Fortnight Festival, a 16-day concert series to take place in venues around the state during the Games.

WLEX-18 anchor Nancy Cox emceed the festivities and both she and First Lady Jane Beshear sported 2010 Games apparel on stage during the fashion show. Mrs. Beshear spoke to the crowd about how excited she is to have the Games come to Kentucky, and how Kentucky will benefit from the Games.

The celebration featured many of the Games partners and sponsors including Alltech’s Kentucky Ale, Alltech Angus, The Kentucky Experience, Newport Aquarium, the Kentucky Horse Park, Ariat, Dippin Dots, Corvette and more. In addition, posters listing 100 reasons to attend the Games, brochures and ticketing information were provided.
As the festivities came to a close, so did one more day in the countdown to the Games. And with the 100 Days to Go celebration serving as just a taste of what the actual Games will be like.

Downtown Chaos

Can't wait for this to be completed. It will be New Lexington!

Think Like Your Customers Think

There's a very important line at the beginning of the movie The Godfather II.

Just after Michael Corleone, The Godfather (played by Al Pacino) gets shot at, he sits down his brother Tom Hagan and talks about an important lesson from his father.

One thing I learned from my father is to try to think as the people around you think...and on that basis, anything is possible.

If marketers only lived by just this one lesson.

Do you truly understand the pain points of your customers?

Do you understand what kind of information they need to solve those pain points?

Are you hanging out where you customers are hanging out online, so that you are in a position to help?

These things are not easy, but when executed, all things are possible.