We interview Carlos Díaz, CEO of the ICAN TRIATHLON brand

"As a triathlete, I am very clear about what kind of services we need in a triathlon."

La ICAN brand was acquired in 2017 by the EVENTTRI Company, Eventos Deportivos SLU of which Carlos Díaz is Sole Administrator and currently works as CEO of the Brand.[no_toc]

Since the 2019 season, done a great job in the management and organization of ICAN Triathlon Gandia, in collaboration with the Federació de Triatló de la Comunitat Valenciana, positioning itself as one of the benchmark events in the Spanish medium and long distance calendar.

From Triathlon Noticias we interviewed Carlos Díaz, promoter of ICAN Triathlon.

About Carlos Díaz

Carlos Díaz Vega, a 58-year-old native of Madrid and the father of a large family. He began his working life working in the State Security Administration for 10 years, later moving on to civil life, with training in Business Management and Administration, working on tasks of the real estate sector, mainly in asset management.

He is a very familiar person and a lover of multidisciplinary sports, especially triathlon that he has been practicing for a decade.

1.- How did the idea of ​​acquiring the ICAN TRIATHLON brand come about?

As a participant in triathlon tests, I began to be interested in this sector as one more way to diversify areas of exploitation within my functions as an asset manager.

Over time I met the former CEO of the company that owns the ICAN Triathlon brand, who offered me to participate in a shareholding by creating a new company that would host the ICAN Triathlon brand.

Proposal to which I agreed but shortly after I decided acquire the total shareholding of the company that manages the brand due to the huge discrepancies in the way it is managed.

  1. Can you explain to us what were the key aspects of the change and what they contribute to the triathlete?

Honestly, the main key was the acquisition of 100% of the shareholding and as a consequence excluding the CEO, and former partner, from the ICAN Triathlon tests.

His management criteria had a great economic profile to the detriment of the sporting profile. The consequences were serious damage to both the image of the brand and the presence of participants. You couldn't go on like this.

As a triathlete and participating sufferer, I am very clear about what kind of services we triathletes need. Assuming that some of them are not compatible with the economic benefit.

So I completely changed the management criteria, fundamentally enhancing the attention to the triathlete, placing emphasis on the necessary infrastructure, both human and material, for the best development of the test.

  1. Last year ICAN Triathlon Gandia was the only LD test that was held in Spain in 2020. It is already a consolidated event in the calendar and many more sporting events are planned than last year. How is the 2021 edition presented?

Regarding the 2020 season, in the first dates of the year, the health regulations of the Valencian Community only allowed the event to be held with a maximum capacity of 300 participants, places that were already covered almost at the beginning of the registration opening.

The Federació de Triatló de la Comunitat Valenciana and I were clear that we had to fulfill our obligation and commitment, to try to produce the test for the benefit of the registered triathletes, at the cost of the economic losses that could occur.

And that's how it happened, the event was held to the great satisfaction of the athletes and the health and municipal authorities.

Regarding the 2021 season, the regulations today allow us to produce the event with a maximum capacity of 1000 participants.

Currently we have open registrations for the Full and Half distance. The figures are very good, because in the absence of 5 and a half months for the event to take place, more than 60% of the places have already been filled without counting the next registration opening for the Short distance. The allowed capacity will certainly be covered, almost 3 months from the date of the test.

With the new project started in 2019, we have grown in enrollment by 65% in LD, and 93% in MD, taking as a reference the figures of the distances that were made in the old stage of 64,11.

  1. Why Gandia as the emblematic headquarters of the brand?

We have chosen Gandia because it is a municipality well known by Spanish citizens, with an extraordinary tourist attraction, and which has magnificent infrastructure for urban mobility, hotels and restaurants. Added to a temperature that generally oscillates in October between 17 and 23º, they are very suitable conditions to carry out an event of these characteristics.

Based on these benefits and security that Gandia gives us, we developed the ICAN Triathlon Gandia with great satisfaction. At the same time, we are creating a general headquarters, a reference for the organization and work model for the future producers of the ICAN Triathlon events and the triathletes.

  1. What does it contribute to the triathlete? Why choose it?

From a logistical point of view, the triathlete is nourished by the magnificent communication network to move by car, train or plane, in addition to the services that Gandia provides.

In addition, the event has a very adequate logistical infrastructure to serve the 1000 participants with clear guarantees, and continue to expand if necessary. It enjoys calm and safe waters, large spaces in the transition areas and access corridors, as well as wide and safe routes both by bike and in the race.

From a sporting point of view, it is a very flat circuit, one of the fastest in Europe, which has a route that allows family and friends to follow the triathlete and show their support.

Due to the profile of the circuits, it is a good, safe and attractive opportunity for those triathletes who want to make their own brand or for those who want to make the leap from short to RH and from medium to LD.

From a competitive point of view, ICAN Triathlon GANDIA has become part of the National Ranking of Medium and Long Distance Triathlon of the Spanish Cup, with an endowment of € 10.000 in prizes and 1000 points distributed among all the competitions that make up the Ranking.

And finally, from a personal point of view, it is a good opportunity to take advantage of the trip to enjoy a good weekend at the beach with family and / or friends and to recover from the effort.

  1. The ICAN Triathlon brand in Spain is already consolidated today, but are there future plans in the medium and long term to expand your experience to other venues? Will we have the opportunity to have other locations in the Peninsula? And outside of it?

The priority is to continue improving the services and at the same time, to host a school in Gandia so that future organizers who want to work on the ICAN Triathlon brand have a center where they can train.

The objective in both the medium and long term is to open two or three national or international headquarters, no more.

We also have a headquarters in Nordhausen located in the state of Thuringia (Germany), where we produce a short and medium test in a wonderful area of ​​inner Germany, which is governed by the same premises as Spain, but obviously adapted to German culture.

I have to emphasize that we are not going to open any headquarters, if it does not have the guarantees of a clear service to the triathlete. Opportunities have already been discarded due to the lack of guarantees of quality services for the participant.

And finally, I would not like to say goodbye without first thanking the great support I have found from the work team of the Department of Sports of Gandia, represented by its councilor Lydia Morant; of the municipal and state authorities and entities involved in the event; from the ICAN Triathlon Nordhausen work team; and especially the work team of the Federació de Triatló de la Comunitat Valenciana, represented by its president Vanessa Huesa.

And I am not forgetting those anonymous heroes called VOLUNTEERS. Without their predisposition, help and enthusiasm it would be impossible to do ICAN Triathlon Gandia.

More information https://www.icantriathlon.com/

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