PBR has "positioned its Last Cowboy Standing competition, held Memorial Day weekend in Las Vegas, as one of its four 'major' events on the Built Ford Tough Series schedule and has planned a massive 'spring break' festival around it," according to Josh Carpenter in this week's SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL. Other "major" host sites include Arlington, Nashville and N.Y. PBR Chair & CEO Jim Haworth said, "We think this really will create some extra excitement for our fans around the U.S." PBR officials said that while the "concept of having the majors on the schedule isn’t new, they began discussing in weekly meetings at the start of this year how they could better take advantage of that platform." Meanwhile, PBR Chief Global Events Officer Dave Cordovano said of the spring break concept, "We’ve never had anything for our fans and the Western lifestyle fans to do in the spring and really take advantage of the sun. This is so much larger from a layout standpoint to what we do week to week.” Carpenter notes PBR sponsors are "playing their part" in the new concept, as an "interactive fan zone will be set up where companies will look to connect with the expected increased number of fans" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 5/18 issue). In Las Vegas, Alan Snel writes what makes the Last Cowboy Standing event "different from previous PBR competitions in Las Vegas is that it’s being held outdoors for the first time" at the MGM Resorts Village. Among the "spring break-themed events" are volleyball and wakeboarding, as well as a "competition for 'dock dogs' where canines go flying into pools." Haworth acknowledged that it is a "calculated risk to add nontraditional activities to a bull riding competition." Haworth: "I'd say it's a test." Haworth added that PBR is "projecting attendance of 10,000 for the Friday-Sunday spring break-themed bull riding competition, which will also offer country music concerts and shopping in a festival atmosphere." Haworth "declined to say how much PBR is spending above a normal bull riding event to add the spring break activities" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 5/21).
