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  IASC announces keynote speaker

Press release:

Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., (March 2014) – The International Association of Skateboard Companies (IASC) is excited to announce the keynote speaker for the 2014 IASC Skateboarding Summit, May 14-16, as well as inductees for the 5th Annual Skateboarding Hall of Fame on May 15. The Summit and SHOF will be held at the beautiful Westin South Coast Plaza hotel in Costa Mesa, Calif. Registration is open now and Early Bird Discounts expire on April 11.

The IASC Skateboarding Summit is a 3-day experience that brings skateboard industry leaders together in a non-competitive environment in order to educate, connect, inspire, and broaden perspectives. Enthusiasts are encouraged to spread knowledge and relay a positive sense of community within the active sports world.

This year IASC is proud to host keynote speaker, Gary Vaynerchuk. Already considered a quintessential maven of modern-day marketing, Gary is a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author, as well as a self-trained wine and social media expert. In high school, while working at his family-owned liquor store, Gary started reading The Wine Spectator, among other wine books, and realized collecting wine offered an allure similar to his previous hobby of collecting baseball cards. With a newfound wealth of knowledge, an entrepreneurial spirit, and a clear recognition of the emergence of e-commerce, in 1997 Gary launched Winelibrary.com, which helped grow his family business from $3 million to $45 million by 2005. Although Gary does not consider himself to be a “techie,” he began video blogging in 2005 and established himself as a true social media trailblazer. Gaining nearly 1 million Twitter followers, Gary was included in BusinessWeek’s list of Top 20 People Every Entrepreneur Should Follow.

In the spring of 2009, Gary and his brother A.J. launched VaynerMedia, a cutting-edge branding agency that helps Fortune 500 companies, like General Electric and PepsiCo, to distinguish a voice and online presence in order to stand out among the noise of the digital age.

“Gary’s passion for his business and entrepreneurial spirit directly translates to everyone that works in our industry. The fact he has built up a following of smart marketers from within skateboarding is a testament to the universal strength of the information he shares and the strategies he lives and breathes. Having a chance to learn from someone with his grasp on modern digital marketing is an opportunity that no one who is trying to figure out better ways to engage their consumers or grow their brands in our connected world should miss!” –Josh Friedberg, Executive Director, International Association of Skateboard Companies.

Gary Vaynerchuck will join Summit attendees from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Friday, May 16 for his keynote speech, Q&A, and signing of his latest book, Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook.  Gary’s appearance is made possible thanks to generous support from Vans. For those not attending the full Summit, a limited number of tickets will be available for Gary’s session online at: https://garyvee.eventbrite.com

The Skateboarding Hall of Fame and Icon Awards ceremony will be held at 7:00 p.m. May 15. The awards ceremony honors the skateboarders, industry pioneers, and cultural icons who have left a permanent imprint on the history of skateboarding and our culture. The 2014 inductees include: Gregg Carroll, Jim Muir, Steve Olson, Lance Mountain, Natas Kaupas, Laurie Turner DeMott and Ellen Oneal Deason.

The night will include a Happy Hour, starting at 5:00, a VIP meet-and-greet cocktail party at 6:30, which will lead into the Awards Ceremony. All proceeds benefit the not-for-profit efforts of the Skateboarding Hall of Fame and the Go Skateboarding Foundation’s Just One Board initiative. All Summit attendees are guaranteed entrance to the Hall of Fame Awards ceremony, which sold out last year, with more than 400 attendees. The Skateboarding Hall of Fame is open to the public.

Following the Summit, make sure to catch the Vans Pool Party Contest at the Vans Skatepark located seven miles from Summit on Saturday, May 17th. 20 City Blvd W #2, Orange, CA 92868.

For information on registration for the 2014 IASC Summit, visit: https://bit.ly/2014iascsummit

For tickets to the Skateboarding Hall of Fame, please visit: https://2014shof.eventbrite.com

For registration questions, please contact Jardine Hammond: jardine@theiasc.org

About IASC

The International Association of Skateboard Companies is the member-owned not-for-profit trade association of skateboarding. The mission of the IASC is to represent the global skateboarding community with a united voice by listening, understanding and acting on the needs of skateboarders and the skateboard industry. IASC’s goals are to promote skateboarding, increase participation, educate and save our members money. IASC serves its members and the skateboarding community by focusing on areas that affect not only the business but the overall sustainability and health of skateboarding as a whole.  For more information, please visit: https://theiasc.org/