THE LAST NFR RODEO

The decision to end our 9 year run with the National Finals Rodeo here in Las Vegas is a done deal. Patty and I are in full agreement that most of the fun has disappeared, and in its place, we've been given daily doses of disappointment with this new company - A3 Merchandise. It's not that we're not adaptable to new policies and procedures, it's more that's there is a lack thereof.

Perhaps some folks are perfectly OK, working within a system that clearly is not designed to maximize sales, and in some cases, does exactly the opposite. We just don't fall into that category, and given the fact that A3 has had at least one year to plan and prepare for this multi-million dollar event, it's clear to us that some of the basics have been overlooked. We fully understand that this is their first year, and a certain amount of patience would be necessary. However, the frustration, and in some cases anger, have boiled to the top. I don't have a lot of tolerance for incompetence, and unfortunately, there seems to be quite a bit of exactly that. A few days after the event started, I told one of the leaders that there were a couple of things that we simply would not put up with. We were not going to put ourselves in a position of embarrassment, and we were not going to deal with incompetent people or procedures. So, based on our perception of a company that is less proactive, and more "management by crisis", we have decided that this "ain't our first rodeo", but it sure as heck is our last!

We shared our feelings with our partners and friends, Jim & Megan, who have been great to work with during the past 4 years. They will be free to search for another person, or persons, to help them work the booth next year. All of the negatives notwithstanding, our booth has increased sales over last year by about 15%, which seems to not be the norm at many of the other locations, based on the feedback we're hearing. I guess the bottom line for us, is simply the fact that this has been more drudgery than fun. When we retired a little on the early side, from co-ownership of our Harley-Davidson Dealership, we vowed to work when we wanted to, and only when the opportunity provided a certain amount of fun. The fun and rewarding challenge of the NFR has disappeared, so, as the cowboys would say, "it's time to ride off into the sunset"