After winning the award for Best in Sports Event & Experiential Marketing, Engine Shop CEO Brian Gordon took the stage to accept the award and was frank about his lack of a prepared speech -- he had promised his 12-year-old son that if the company won, he would call him on the stage, and that would serve as his speech. The only problem was that Gordon received a text from his wife earlier in the day that his son’s phone privileges had been taken away. “That’s kids in general for you,” he joked. Gordon took to the moment to reflect on a recent conversation he shared with his son when he told him he would not be able to attend his school’s career day, much to the disappointment of the students who looked forward to his stories about sports, rather than those told by dentists or teachers. “To a room of 900 of often the most jaded people about what we do, it’s important to remember how magical these moments can be to millions and millions of people,” he said. While Engine Shop helped create several of those magical moments last year for fans, ranging from the Bud Light Down South Tailgate Tour and the Budweiser Country Club at the Battle at Bristol, Gordon said the company is aiming to set the bar even higher. “With social media and high expectations, it takes a lot to make someone really say ‘wow,’ and blow them away,” he said. “But it’s wonderful to be in a business that makes people smile.”
