Aaron Soroka, Chief Operating Officer GWN Dragon Boat

What is it like working with Great White North Dragon Boat?

I have been involved with GWN for nine years. It all started with a response to a job ad. Initially, it was advertised as a director of business development for a watersports division. It wasn’t until the second interview that I learned that it was for a dragon boat company. The majority of the GWN team has been together for over seven years. We have become a close-knit group and share a common goal. This is the foundation of GWN, which is over 20 years old.

As North America’s premier dragon boat brand, we’re proud to be recognized by the industry as its most experienced event producer. Thanks to an outstanding team and a world-class fleet of equipment, GWN Dragon Boat commands a global reputation for executional excellence.

Put simply, we work tirelessly to make every event a success. While this requires a relentless focus on every detail from start to finish, our team never loses sight of our goal: delivering an exceptional experience for our community. This extends to our municipal partners, corporate and brand sponsors, education and charity groups and participants.

We believe that everyone taking part in the dragon boat experience should have fun and be brought closer together from all corners of our community. We promote teamwork, healthy living and opportunities for giving back. We welcome people from all ages and abilities to get outside and try a new way to stay active.

Tell us about GWN’s growth and goals.

Many claim that dragon boat racing is the fastest growing watersport in the world. In North America, there are well over 100 events and in some markets there is an event within an hour’s drive every weekend of the summer. We produce roughly 40 events a year. For about 30 of them, we are hired by a local organizer to help with the on-water portion of the event. We can simply provide boats or, for those requiring more assistance, we can turn running a dragon boat festival into a turn-key event opportunity. And then there is Walgreens Major League Dragon Boat, which is our own event series. In 2015, we ran nine and in 2016 we will operate 11 events. Year after year, we are seeing growth of 20 percent at these events. Both our events and our client’s events are selling out. States that had a single event a few years ago now host a dozen. The interest is tremendous and the longevity of the event promotes stable growth. Some events are nearly 30 years old.

We are focused on growing Walgreens Major League Dragon Boat. This will be achieved through the growth of existing events and through the development of new markets. In the end, our single goal is to introduce more people to dragon boating and making healthy lifestyle choices. With new events in 2016, we will continue to identify new markets for 2017 and beyond. For the foreseeable future we aim to add one or two new markets a year, with a focus on the West and expanding our season through events in the South in the cooler months.

What are three key factors that sell you on a host?

For us it is simple: flat, still water. We need an area that is 600 meters by 100 meters and 4 meters deep. If people can row on the water, it is generally perfect for dragon boating. We tend to be drawn towards venues that are closer to the downtown or with high visibility and are in major markets or tourism destinations. Regional centers are also of interest. For example, Princeton, New Jersey has been very successful because of its proximity to Philadelphia and New York. As for space to stage the event, ideally we have upwards of 10 to 12 acres of waterfront space with good viewing. Plenty of parking nearby is also a must.

Our biggest challenge is building local awareness. Our sport is not top of mind, so especially in new markets we spend a lot of time educating people about the sport and how they can get involved. We are fortunate to have a steady following of traveling teams to drive the room nights, but local support is necessary to make the model work. So with that said, we look for assistance in helping us connect with the local business community.

We generally start with a single host hotel. As the event grows, so do our needs. In 2015 we sold out five hotels in Arlington Heights, Illinois. But even with the growth in room nights, our needs to do not change. Not much need for meeting space, etc.

What kind of economic impacts are you making on host destinations?

We generate between 300 and 700 room nights annually at our more developed events. Generally our participants have a tolerance of about $150 per night. Our flagship event, the GWN Dragon Boat Challenge presented by CIBC has a local economic impact of $1.2 million annually.

Have you had a mentor in this industry? What do you admire most about this person?

Rather than an individual mentor, I am drawn to event properties and their success. The 5K race phenomenon is very interesting. It is their structure and how they operate. Their rate of growth is staggering. However, I find myself drawn to the more traditional event series such as Ironman. They have longevity and have built sustainable models.