On Bicycling: New Las Vegas Events Head Man Hops On Metal Horse To Get Around Arena For National Final Rodeo Start In Las Vegas
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By Alan Snel, LVSportsBiz.com Publisher/Writer
As Thomas & Mack Center workers arranged souvenir shirts, installed posters and moved carts of bottled sodas for the National Finals Rodeo, a guy on a single-speed bicycle came pedaling along the arena’s main course.
It was an odd sight inside the venue where the Super Bowl of rodeos starts Thursday.
But there was no denying that it was an effective for Tim Keener, the new president of Las Vegas Events, the local promoter of the NFR, to get around the arena both inside and outside where vendors were setting up displays Wednesday.
“I’m on the move,” Keener told LVSportsBiz.com during a break today. “It would have taken 60 or 70 minutes to walk around outside to check things out, but I needed only 10 minutes on a bicycle.”
Keener takes over the top job at Las Vegas from Pat Christenson, who has retired from the non-profit events arm of the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority (LVCVA). This will be Christenson’s last NFR as LVE president. Keener got the promotion from vice president of event and operations.
The NFR is Las Vegas Events’ biggest promotion, working with the pro rodeo cowboys to not only put on the rodeo championship but also many related events such as the big country and western retail show called Cowboy Christmas at the Las Vegas Convention Center.
Keener bought the used Electra two-wheeler for $50 at a thrift store in Idaho. Little did he know that it would become a tool for his job at Las Vegas Events.
