Interview with Robert Tuchman, author of “100 Sporting Events You Must See Live”
Posted by pumpupyourbook on November 11, 2009
Join Robert Tuchman, author of the sports travel guide, The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live (BenBella Books, 2009), as he virtually tours the blogosphere in November on his second virtual book tour with Pump Up Your Book Promotion!
Q: Thank you for this interview, Robert Tuchman. Can you tell us what your latest book, “100 Sporting Events You Must See Live”, is all about?
A:100 sporting events you must see live. It’s a sports fans bucket list of the top 100 events you must see live. The nice thing it is also a travel guide that tells you how to get your hotel, tickets, etc.
Q: Is this your first novel? If not, how has writing this novel different from writing your first?
A:yes
Q: How difficult was it writing your book? Did you ever experience writer’s block and, if so, what did you do?
A: A ton of research. This book was all about researching sporting events and cities.
Q: How have your fans embraced your latest novel? Do you have any funny or unusual experiences to share?
A: I have no fans
Q: What is your daily writing routine?
A: I write whenever I have time. Usually when my daughter is taking a nap.
Q: When you put the pen or mouse down, what do you do to relax?
A: play basketball, baseball, tennis, swim, run..you get the point
Q: What book changed your life?
A:Little Engine That Could
Q: If someone were to write a book on your life, what would the title be?
A: Dazed and Confused
Q: Finish this sentence: “The one thing that I wish people would understand about me is…”
A: I try and have a sense of humor. Life is too short not too.
Thank you for this interview Robert. I wish you much success on your latest release, “100 Sporting Events You Must See Live”!
When Robert Tuchman graduated from Boston University, Tuchman was quickly forced to abandon his dream of becoming a sports reporter. Applications to sports producers across the country were ignored and eventually he accepted a position as an investment advisor at Lehman Brothers in New York.
Still wanting to break into the sports industry, he joined Sports Profiles after reading about them in Entrepreneur magazine, working out of his apartment selling sports magazine advertisements. Quickly realizing that everyone to whom he sold ads wanted the perks (tickets to games or luxury trips to events) more then the ads, he decided to start a business that catered to this niche called Tuchman Sports Enterprises (TSE).
Within two years of working out of that tiny one-bedroom Upper East Side apartment, with one phone and a fax machine, his company was named to the annual Inc. 500 list of America’s fastest growing privately held companies and as one of the top 100 promotion agencies by Promo Magazine. He started TSE with no money and no investors and ended up selling it in a ten figure equity deal to Premiere Global Sports. Last year PGS earned over $70 million dollars in sales. Robert Tuchman now serves as President of that division, still guiding his company in its new form.
He writes a monthly column for Entrepreneur.com. He also writes for Incentive magazine, an industry magazine for incentive and meeting planners. He is the author of The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live, a sports travel book as well as Young Guns, The Fearless Entrepreneurs Guide To Chasing Your Dreams and Breaking Out on Your Own. His articles have appeared in ESPN.com and Sports Business Journal.
A favorite commentator on the sports industry, you may have seen him recently discussing sports business on “Anderson Cooper 360” or the “CBS Morning News.” A frequent guest on “Your World with Neil Cavuto,” he has also appeared on CNN, the “CBS Morning News,” BET, and has been featured in USA Today, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and Entrepreneur.
What do running with bulls in Pamplona, watching contestants scarf down record numbers of Nathan’s hot dogs and witnessing the crowning of the newest Vincent Lombardi trophy recipient at the Super Bowl all have in common? According to Robert Tuchman, they all deserve to be in his new book, The 100 Sporting Events You Must See Live: An Insider’s Guide to Creating the Sports Experience of a Lifetime, published by BenBella Books this month.
As president of Premiere Corporate Events, Tuchman has spent most of his years traveling to hundreds of events on the top of any sports fan’s ultimate wish list. While at these events, organizing and accomplishing corporate outings, he gained very valuable information about said events. He spent two years researching details for the 337-page book, a veritable Frommer’s guide for sports travel fanatics who want to delve the live sports events world but do not know where to start.
Using live appeal as the main criteria, Tuchman breaks down one hundred events in more than 30 states and 15 countries into an easily readable list format. His pick for the top place: the Masters Golf Tournament in Augusta. In the 100th spot? A no holds barred Ultimate Fighting Championship in Las Vegas. Also included: the Tour de France (#13), the Rose Bowl (#26) and a basketball game at Harlem’s legendary Rucker Park (#76).
“It doesn’t matter if you eat, sleep and breathe sports, or if only learned what the Iditarod was during last year’s presidential campaign,” says Tuchman. “There’s something in here for everyone.”
