Lexington, KY – August 30, 2007 – Bobby Murphy of Lexington, KY, was recently invited to join the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games’ Business Opportunities Panel. Murphy is an integral part of Kentucky Horse Shows LLC, the management company that produces a series of competitions throughout the year at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. In 2010, the horse park will host the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG), one of the most prestigious equestrian events in the world.
Murphy graduated from the University of Kentucky with a bachelor’s degree in business management and marketing. With a life-long history in the equestrian industry, he now implements his knowledge of the sport from a managerial standpoint, focusing on production and strategic planning.
This morning Murphy sat on the Business Opportunities Panel for a WEG forum that focused on educating small businesses about the equestrian industry, marketing strategies, and the World Equestrian Games.
Murphy delivered a speech pertaining to small businesses becoming market-oriented and understanding who their customers might be, where these customers are, how to target them and what to target them with. He primarily addressed affinity marketing, the significance of word-of-mouth advertising in the equestrian industry, and target markets. Information was also discussed concerning how to attain attention, exposure, and perception with equestrians, with the main idea encompassing how group influence “has a lot to do with creating a reach to these unique consumers.”
“At each horse show, we have a set of people who interact with one another more than they interact with anyone else,” said Murphy. “These people are bound together by patterns and networks. The horse industry has a unique value that most sports do not have: We are still building the foundation blocks of this sport by creating a spectator-base, creating better productions, and forming relationships with local businesses. We have the ability to establish innovative marketing.”
He stated during his speech, “We are seeing the beginning of a transformation, and WEG will be a stepping stone to creating an international venue…You all are here today asking, ‘How do I capitalize on the World Equestrian Games?’ I challenge you to not only focus your attention on the WEG, but focus on the horse industry today, tomorrow…2010…and beyond.”
Addition speakers at the forum included: Jack Kelly, CEO of the World Equestrian Games; John Nicholson, Executive Director of the Kentucky Horse Park, and Tom Blankenship, stable manager for the Kentucky Horse Shows.
Along with his involvement with the World Equestrian Games, Murphy acts as assistant manager for Kentucky Horse Shows LLC and officiates as a United States Equestrian Federation Jumper Judge and Course Designer at nationally rated competitions. Additionally, he works as show jumping coordinator/footing technician for the Rolex Three-Day Event and is employed by Rob Murphy Equi-Ring.
Over the last two years, Murphy also created a non-profit organization with Betsy Fishback, Kentucky Horse Shows’ director of community relations. Their hands-on program, SPEAKS (Supporting and Promoting Equine Awareness in Kentucky Schools), educates children and local community members about horses. These affiliations reflect his life-time goal of changing equestrian sport into a spectator sport in mainstream America.
