By Ray Smith
The National Trade Show Alliance (NTSA) is promoting the Match of Road Warriors as a social networking event to augment ExhibitorLive.
Match of Road Warriors is an amateur boxing bout open to anyone who works in the tradeshow industry, matched by experience and weight. Boxers will wear heavier cushioned gloves and face gear, going three rounds of two minutes each.
The event will be managed by Sonya “The Scholar” Lamonakis, formerly the world’s No. 1 female heavyweight champion. She takes off her gloves to teach elementary school children in Harlem.
“We’re launching a call for contestants to get in the ring and compete for bragging rights,” Palker says. “This is a fun event. It’s not meant to be a professional fight. These events are designed to bring us together in a fun, social setting.”
Anyone willing to train for 20 hours can apply to fight. Applications will be available on the NTSA website (www.nationaltradeshowalliance.org) in April. Mark Yuska, chairman of the board for NTSA, is among those who have begun training.
The boxing match will allow the tradeshow industry to “reconnect as people,” Palker says. “We were working so hard that we became our job title and lost connection to reality.”
