SARATOGA SPRINGS, NY. (September 2, 2016) – Equestricon™, LLC., announced today that Saratoga will be the host city for the first ever international horse racing convention and industry trade show. The inaugural Equestricon™ will bring together fans, horseplayers and stakeholders from every corner of the sport in an atmosphere of non-stop entertainment and lively discussion.
Equestricon™ 2017 is scheduled to kick off on Sunday evening August 13, and will continue through Tuesday, August 15. The event will be held at the Saratoga Springs City Center, conveniently located in the heart of Downtown Saratoga Springs.
“Above all else, we are focused on one thing — the racing fan,” said Dan Tordjman, Co-Founder of Equestricon™, and correspondent for America’s Best Racing. “Equestricon is committed to creating an extremely fun and unprecedented outlet for any and all racing enthusiasts to engage with the sport like never before.”
The preliminary schedule for Equestricon™ 2017 outlines plans for several entertainment areas including a racing arcade, live music, around-the-clock autograph signings, meet-and-greets with current and past racing stars, a social media lounge, bars, a fashion showcase, product and technology demonstrations, rows of exhibitor booths and more.
Equestricon™ will feature two-way panel discussions, breakout sessions and town halls designed to enhance engagement between invited guest speakers and attendees. A small sampling of discussion topics includes racing photography, handicapping, aftercare, technological innovations, social media, marketing in racing, ownership and breeding.
In addition to Tordjman, Equestricon™ is being spearheaded by horse owners and breeders Kathryn Sharp and Justin Nicholson. Sharp and Nicholson founded the highly successful Ninety North Racing partnership in the spirit of attracting new owners to the sport of racing. They bring a wealth of experience and fresh perspective.
“On a grand scale,” Sharp said, “we’re building the foundation upon which the industry can unite, meet face-to-face with its fans and end-users, and present the sport of racing as a cohesive entertainment industry. Long-term, we envision Equestricon becoming the ultimate showcase for — and celebration of — advances in the areas of aftercare, technology, marketing, fan development and more.”
Equestricon™ also announced that the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance (TAA) will be its official charity partner. The TAA is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit that accredits, inspects and awards grants to approved aftercare organizations to retire, retrain and re-home Thoroughbreds using industry-wide funding.
“We are extremely honored to team up with Equestricon for this historic event,” said TAA Operations Consultant, Stacie Clark Rogers. “In forging such a significant immediate partnership, Equestricon is making a bold statement about its core values and the essential role of aftercare in racing, today.”
Saratoga Springs Mayor Joanne Yepsen stood alongside the event organizers and reflected on the impact the first-ever racing convention of its kind will have on the city.
“There is no better place for this one-of-a-kind celebration of the sport than Saratoga Springs,” Yepsen said. “We are excited to write the newest chapter in this city’s rich racing history and we are confident that Equestricon will bring together local businesses, our residents and the larger racing community.”
