The IFBB Pro League and NPC is about the athletes, but they're not the only component of a bodybuilding show. Promoters are critical to the success of the sport of bodybuilding. IFBB Figure Pro Bojana Vasiljevic and Center Podium Productions owner Chris Minnes understand that a bad experience can result in a negative outlook for their industry. They explained how they came to this conclusion on Femme Flex Friday.
"I had a huge, just bad experience after a bad experience as an athlete," Minnes said. "I thought, 'We can do better than that.'"
Chris Minnes did just that. Although he was still competing in 2011, he went headlong into starting his own show. After receiving a sanction, he held his first show in Tahoe, California and it was well received by the athletes and visitors.
"It just kept growing and we basically used the same business model that I started in Tahoe in 2011," he told co-hosts Whitney Jones and Alina Popa. His portfolio of shows has since grown, with his most famous show being Legion Sports Fest, which was last held in 2021.
"It's about great production, it's about focusing on competitors and athletes through and through, similar to the Wings of Strength concept," he explained. He also works as a coach and Vasiljevic is a figure competitor herself and has been to the Olympia seven times. This connection allows Chris Minnes to stay on top of what athletes need when it comes to putting on the best show possible. While Vasiljevic is active as a competitor, she is also heavily involved in promotion. She describes how this dynamic worked and what keeps it high on both fronts. She uses the time she invests in the promotion as a break from the stage when necessary.
"I'll be busy and I won't work like that. So I should use this time to recover (from the competition)," she said. Learn more about how they make the relationship and business partnership work by watching this episode. All episodes of FFF are available on Wings of Strength each week.
