Two key former Skatepark of Tampa employees have launched a new event company that also offers other services including project management, marketing and branding, custom software apps and financial services.
The new company formed by Rob Meronek and Ryan Clements, both very well known in the skate industry, is called The Boardr.
Rob answered some questions for us about the new venture, and about what life is like after departing from Skatepark of Tampa.
SPoT is one of the most important and influential skate accounts in the world.
(Editor’s note: We have also reached out to SPoT owner Brian Schaefer to get an update on the changes at SPoT and about plans for the future.)
Why did you leave Skatepark of Tampa?
Rob Meronek: I tried my hardest to see it Brian Schaefer’s way when he decided to part ways with the two people I worked the closest with at SPoT over the last several years to build what we did. That was former General Manager Ryan Clements and Jorge Angel, AKA Porpe.
I wanted to understand it because I loved working at SPoT so much, but I eventually decided it was time to move on and do something new.
What are you doing now?
Rob: I plan on doing many of the same things I did at Skatepark of Tampa with the new company I have created with Ryan Clements called The Boardr.
One of our biggest projects is going to be planning, creating, and recruiting key partners and brands to build new, top-quality events, something that we have always enjoyed and had the time of our lives doing.
Sounds like you are offering a wide range of services. What is your thinking behind the different services you are offering?
Rob: Yes, we both have a fairly diverse skillset with Ryan’s management, leadership, and organizational skills combined with me being a CPA, software engineer, social media nut, and business process guy with retail expertise, etc.
Going into this “slow season” for events, we’re going to take on some short-term projects helping some of our friends in the industry be the best they can be in those areas of their businesses.
I noticed the one thing it looks like you’re not doing is opening a skate park or a retail store. Why not?
Rob: I see retail in our future again for sure, just not in the short term for now. I love retail and I miss everything about it. I miss the shoes. I would have never guessed this, but I also miss the customer service. I enjoyed coming up with ideas to make customers feel special and get the experience of SPoT as best they could through digital means.
I will be doing that again one day for sure. We will likely get an empty warehouse in the future that we can put stuff in for playing with our skateboards.
Do you have employees you will be working with?
Rob: We’re starting off with contract labor from all of our old friends and associates we’ve always done skateboarding events with, such as Paul Zitzer, Mike Sinclair, and Jason Rothmeyer.
Several other employees left Skatepark of Tampa recently, including buyer Justin Ryan, replacement General Manager Chris Kelly, and the head of online packing and shipping, Bobby Freeman.
Jorge Angel, AKA Porpe, works with us full-time, too. I wouldn’t mind if we grew quick enough to bring on the others sometime soon. (Jorge is a marketing and digital personality.)
See Page 2 for details about new clients, new events, more
Do you have any clients/and or events lined up already?
Rob: Our first major client is the fine people behind the Assemble Detroit festival They hit me up shortly after I resigned at SPoT.
They’re doing amazing things up there in Detroit. After being passed up as a location for the X Games, they have taken the momentum from the campaign effort and used it to create Assemble Detroit for summer 2014.
We’re helping them with all aspects of creating an authentic skateboarding event as well as handling all the digital things behind the scenes like the scoring system and integration with live television.
We’re also working with our friends at CA Productions on things like helping Kimberley Diamond Cup run their pro contest in South Africa, and a new televised Red Bull event in November.
We’re about to propose plans for new events in 2014 to key brands to get those conversations started and the planning in the works.
Is there anything you miss about SPoT?
Rob: I miss the staff, doing SPoT Life, Brian Schaefer’s antics, Innetech, AlBow, A Case of the Mondays, and HiDefJoe.
I also miss my data and the systems I created and left behind in someone else’s hands. So sad.
Any key lessons you guys have learned through this transition?
Rob: Yes, but it’s the same thing that is happening out there in most other businesses – things you can read about in general business magazines. People change; there are power struggles, key staff will move elsewhere if your business can’t fulfill their needs, etc.
I must admit I didn’t expect it to happen to us this quickly at Skatepark of Tampa, though. I wish them the best there.
I think we’ll both exist just fine in the industry together.
