Posted by: Tom Boyd
GoPro will remain the title sponsor of the four-day extravaganza of outdoor sports, music, art, and lifestyle in Vail, Colorado, each June
Each June in Vail, Colorado, the mountain sports and lifestyle world finds its nexus at the four-day GoPro Mountain Games.
Since 2013, GoPro has been the title sponsor, and an essential component, of the internationally-celebrated event. Today, GoPro and the nonprofit Vail Valley Foundation, which hosts the event each year, announced that GoPro will remain the title sponsor of the event through 2026.
“GoPro is an exceptional partner for this event and has been instrumental in the continued growth of the Mountain Games. Keeping any event on the up-and-up, fresh and healthy across long periods of time is very hard to do. To be able to do this with a consistent partner over 15+ straight years is truly rare in the event world…,” said Dave Dressman, GoPro Mountain Games Event Director for the Vail Valley Foundation.
“GoPro has enabled us to capture and share the event from an entirely unique, immersive perspective that aligns perfectly with the mission of the games to bring mountain action sports to the community, whether you’re a pro or not,” Dressman added.
“The GoPro Mountain Games exemplifies what our brand is all about. It is about getting outside, having fun, pushing yourself and enjoying everything the outdoors has to offer. And most importantly, the GoPro Mountain Games is for everyone, the Pros, the regular Joes and even Fido,” says Rick Loughery, GoPro’s Vice President of Global Marketing and Communications.
Art, athletes, music, and mountains have been the four defining elements of the GoPro Mountain Games each June in Vail, Colorado. The event includes 11 different mountain sports disciplines like climbing, biking, and whitewater, as well as concerts, interactive art displays, and a sponsor village of 100+ participating outdoor brands, in the beautiful setting of Vail in the Colorado Rockies. The event is a true festival celebration of mountain culture and outdoor lifestyle. In 2023 the event attracted more than 92,000 spectators.
Each year, GoPro sets up as a staple in the heart of the GoPro Mountain Games Gear Town to answer GoPro customer questions, swap out spare batteries, loan cameras, host giveaways, and partner with local suppliers to sell cameras. GoPro Mountain Games attendees are encouraged to swing by the booth to find out about exclusive promo pricing during the games.
“Our event provides an excellent opportunity for GoPro and other brands to interact with both core customers and potential customers in an idyllic mountain setting where positive vibes and stoke levels are always high” Dressman said. The Mountain Games delivers over a billion annual impressions for GoPro and provides a meaningful environment for consumer experiences, product trainings, athlete and ambassador integration, compelling content creation and of course, camera sales.
Vail has long been known for its renowned ski resort experience, but its reputation for summertime activities has grown exceptionally and that’s partly due to the success of the GoPro Mountain Games, which were first held in 2002.
GoPro first partnered with the Vail Valley Foundation on the event in 2010 when the company’s latest camera was the HD Hero camera. The first contract for GoPro to be the official camera partner of the Mountain Games was negotiated over tacos at an Encinitas Taco Shop in 2009. As the company grew, so did its relationships with the Mountain Games. In 2013, they took on the role of title sponsor and helped elevate the event to new heights.
The event now hosts more than 90,000 spectators and more than 4,000 athletes in over 30 competitions over four days.
Highlights from the GoPro era of the GoPro Mountain Games:
- The positive economic impact to the Vail area has been $71,000,000.
- The event has grown from ~37,000 spectators in 2010 to 92,000 in 2023.
- The event welcomed 2,593 athlete registrations in 2010, and 4,976 athletes in 2023.
“The future looks bright for the event, which continues to grow in quantity of attendees, and in quality of the event – and our partnership with GoPro has been essential in both those areas,” Dressman said.
“We look forward to attending and activating at the GoPro Mountain Games every year. The GoPro stoke from the event attendees for is unmatched and we’re excited to continue working with VVF in the years to come,” Loughery adds.
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