Photo: Kari Rowe
 

TransWorld Business caught up with Amen Teter to hear more about the growing action sports segment of Octagon’s business, why the company decided to branch into surf, and what the company’s goals are in the action sports space. Here’s what Teter had to say:

What’s Octagon all about? Where’s the company headquartered, how long has it been in business, and what are its pillars of business?

Octagon is the largest sports and entertainment management and marketing agency in the world. Our roots trace back to the early 1980’s where the company established itself in athlete representation and sponsorship marketing. Octagon, which is part of The Interpublic Group (IPG), has been in business for more than 25 years and is now involved in every aspect of the sports and entertainment industry like athlete & personalities, event management, consulting, property representation, talent procurement and marketing solutions. We have a staff that exceeds 1,000 people and maintain 60 offices around the world.

Octagon’s athletes & personalities division is headquartered outside of Washington, DC while our Olympics & Action Sports business is based out of Portland, ME and maintains offices in Colorado, Nevada, Oregon as well as Australia and Brazil.

How long has Octagon been involved in action sports? How did this start?

Octagon has been at the forefront of the action sports industry dating back to the late 90’s. Led by Peter Carlisle, Managing Director of Olympics & Action Sports, Octagon established itself on the snowboarding side of the business working with young phenoms like Ross Powers and Kelly Clark. We have effectively helped the sport assimilate into the Olympic space which in turn has fueled its larger mainstream appeal and introduced many brands to the space over the past 12 years.

Recently you branched into surf. What are your plans for expansion into the sport and why has the company decided to target the sport and its athletes?

Octagon is committed to action sports, which is why we have a division dedicated solely to the space, and surf is a natural fit for us. We have been very strategic in our approach to grow our business and have always had an eye on the surf side. We just felt the timing was right to make a more aggressive move now and we are really excited by the opportunities that the sport presents both domestically and internationally.

What strategic moves have you made to move into this space?

We felt the time was right for a different approach to the athlete rep business in surfing. Surfing is a very specialized sport and industry, but it is also uniquely global in nature. We wanted to assemble a group dedicated entirely to surfing, with established roots in the sport. But we also believed we could develop new opportunities in the sport if we built a business structure that could work seamlessly between Australia and the U.S. (and points between).

Octagon has had an established business in Australia for more than 25 years with offices in Sydney and Melbourne, which has worked with some of the biggest Australian athletes, events, marketers, and media. While our U.S.-based division has great contacts with U.S. marketers, and also global brands (through our Olympics business), given the importance of surfing in the Australian market - and really, the importance of Australia in the surfing market - we wanted to be sure our clients had access to the Australian market, and could be well-positioned with the Australian media.

We felt that if we could find the right Australian-based surfing-specific rep business, we’d have the complete package for our surfers. We looked at and met with various people in Australia over the last few years, and identified Matt Syms, and his agency Revolver, as the ideal candidate to help lead our global surfing business. Matt has been in the surf industry for more than a decade and built a highly successful surfing practice in Australia.

What’s on the immediate horizon and what are your short term goals?

As I mentioned earlier, the immediate focus is developing our client base and devising a strategy that will help our athletes achieve their goals in and out of the sport. We are encouraged by their results so far and the responses we are receiving from the brands. It’s an extremely competitive marketplace, but we believe our approach in the sport is unique, and Octagon’s global resources provide us with a huge advantage in terms of access.

Over the long term, where do you want Octagon to fit into the surf market?

Honestly, we want surfing to be as successful as it can be and believe we bring added value not just to the athletes we represent, but to the overall sport. Let’s face it, globalization is driving the growth of all business, and sports (including surfing) is no exception. Ten years ago, a commercial relationship with a global company, or a company based outside of an athlete’s home market, was unique. Today, the opportunities we’re cultivating for our athletes in markets like Brazil, Mexico, India, China, UAE, South Africa, and Japan are some of the most lucrative opportunities our athletes have. Not only do we have unique global resources, but we also have a proven track record of being able to help influence the growth of individual sports—from snowboarding’s global emergence to swimming’s presence on national TV—and we hope to help move surfing forward on the global scene through the work we do with our athletes.

What athletes are you currently working with and how did you build these relationships?

We’ve been working with Monyca Byrne Wickey for a few years now and when we added Matt (Syms) as our Director of Surfing, he brought with him many of his clients including Mitch, Ry, Bede, Jay Davies, Brent Dorrington, and Garrett Parkes among others. Since then, we have combined our efforts (as Octagon) and signed a great group of rising stars in Owen Wright, Jack Robinson, Alana Blanchard, and Granger Larsen.

What types of athletes are you currently looking to represent?

Ultimately, we are looking to work with athletes who share our global vision and compliment the program we’ve developed.

As an athlete’s manager, what are your primary goals?

Our primary goal is to build an athlete’s brand while also building their business. We work with our clients to understand their goals, and then devise a plan we believe will get them there. Key areas of that plan involve PR and marketing, but comprehensive management is of key importance, so the athletes are free to concentrate as much of their time and energy on their sport, while still growing their businesses.

What are some key goals you’ve identified for the surfers you’re already working with for 2011?

As we move forward, we’ll utilize Octagon’s global resources, particularly in the strong surf markets of Australia and Brazil, to manage and market our clients while also exploring a few properties that will enhance their profile as well as the sport. We are already actively involved in discussions on a few TV and film opportunities, and with several non-endemic brands about entry into the sport, as well as pursuing an event for 2011.