Spartan: The Business of Selling Mud, Barbed Wire, and Fire: Creating a multimillion-dollar sports brand in Japan—in less than two years

Date: Tuesday, November 6, 2018
Time: 12:00 - 14:00
Venue: The Place of Tokyo, 3F Terrace Room
Speaker: Emily Downey, Managing Director of Global Partnerships, Spartan Race, Inc. 
Hosting Committee: Olympics and Sports Business Committee, Real Estate Committee, Tourism Committee, Women in Business Committee, Young Professionals Forum
Member Fee: ¥4,500
Guest Fee: ¥7,900
Meal: Plated Lunch
Registration/Cancellation Deadline: Tuesday, October 30, 12:00

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Event Overview:

She’s a purveyor of fear … and more and more people are eager to buy.

Japanese pay the highest ticket prices in the world to run, jump, and crawl—and climb up, over, and through obstacles—to conquer their fears and elevate their confidence and self-esteem.

It’s a race called Spartan—the fastest growing sport on the planet—and Emily Downey is Managing Director of Global Partnerships–Japan at the company that makes it all possible: Spartan Race, Inc. 

According to Downey, who has lived in Japan for 20 years, Spartan is not just a sport but also a mindset, a community, and a way of life. It helps people mentally and physically push to achieve their best, going beyond what they thought possible. That’s why she brought Spartan Race to Japan.

In just over two years, she has built the fastest-growing market in the Spartan universe with 40 million local viewers each year through Nippon TV as well as digital and social media platforms. And, on September 7, Spartan announced a global partnership deal with Rakuten, Inc., who already partners with such sporting powerhouses as FC Barcelona and the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.

Join us as Downey shares how she uses her experience in sports marketing to identify, incubate, and oversee global partnerships that make a difference for both business and consumer.
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David Hackett, Naoki Matsumura, Roy Tomizawa, Co-Chairs
Aiko Okada, Sam Pearson, David Wouters, Vice-Chairs
ACCJ Olympics and Sports Business Committee

Karl H.Hahne, Gordon Hatton, Seth R. Sulkin, Co-Chairs
ACCJ Real Estate Committee

Cynthia Usui, Steve Dewire, Co-Chairs
Sanae Sekiya, Vice-Chair 
ACCJ Tourism Industry Committee

Ryann Thomas, Chair
Elizabeth Handover, Deborah Hayden, Jiana Leung, Tomoka Miho, Makiko Tachimori (Fukui), Sayaka Takahashi, Yoshiko Zoet-Suzuki, Vice Chairs
ACCJ Women in Business Committee

John Carlson, Anna Maruyama, Co-Chairs
ACCJ Young Professionals Forum

NOTE 1: This event is OFF THE RECORD.

NOTE 2: If you cancel after the stated deadline, the full meeting fee will be charged to your account. All guests must be accompanied by an ACCJ member. Sorry, no substitutions or walk-ins.