The show... Or in Center Podium Production's case, the bodybuilding show must go on.
Despite a concern of possible new surges of COVID-19 infections, Center Podium, a company that produces competitive shows for athletes brought back the 10th Annual NPC (National Physique Committee) Tahoe Show Physique Championship over the weekend. The event attracted an estimated 200 athletes and more than 200 spectators over the course of two days.
On a typical year the event is held in Stateline, Nevada, at the MontBleu Resort Casino & Spa. However, due to Nevada's Coronavirus restrictions that limit gatherings to 50 people; Center Podium said producing an event under current guidelines would be impossible.
Tahoe Show producer Chris Minnes made adjustments to the event by moving it to an outdoor venue in Olympic Valley, California where there was more flexibility in the guidelines.
Numerous and familiar safety measures to limit the spread of Covid-19 were implemented and enforced by event staff to ensure a safe event.
Some safety protocols include mandatory temperature checks at entry, mandatory face coverings at all times, reduced capacity, and a socially distanced layout.
"Putting something. like this together during a pandemic is of course incredibly challenging, but we really wanted to rise to it and show that you can have an incredibly safe event, while still have events." said Minnes.
Even with an estimated several hundreds of people that attended and participate, Minnes said that the outdoor venue and the nature of the hours long event, would allow people to social distance.
Minnes said, "People come, watch the athlete they're there to see, and then they go and have drinks or they go to the restaurant to celebrate the success that took place on the stage."
When asked why the decision to switch venues instead of canceling the event, Chris Minnes responded, "I'm thinking of things from the athlete perspective. Athletes have been training hard and dieting. I know what it's like to compete, it takes incredible dedication and the idea of canceling on them pains me. We're doing everything in our power to keep our shows going. Athletes deserve a place to compete and an incredible experience in a year like this and that’s what we’ll give them," said Minnes.
Since the pandemic began, Center Podium has produced two NPC events and it says no coronavirus cases resulted from the shows. High-risk populations and those not feeling were encouraged to stay home and utilize Livestream options.
“There can be a balance safety and economics, we are proving it is possible,” said Minnes. The response from the fitness community, venues, hotels, and sponsors have been incredibly supportive. “The shows are much more than just a bodybuilding show as they create a “fitness economy”. Said Minnes, “An event like this brings about $1.6 million to the host city alone.”
Minnes said no politics were involved when he made the decision to continue bodybuilding events, and Center Podium's goal is to put on safe events, that will bring back a sense of normalcy and allow people to move forward.
To learn more about Center Podium or to see future events, click here.
(Center Podium Productions contributed to this report).
