Bull's-Eye!

Big events create market awareness, adding credibility to the company and helping to promote a new product. Most new inventor companies don't have the resources to stage events and need a partner. That's the same boat Lee and McConnell were in. But they found a willing partner at Snow Valley Ski Resort in Big Bear, California, a resort that catered to MBS' target market. Snow Valley has a large terrain park for snowboarders and an expansive skate park. Lee explains his success with Snow Valley as follows: "We didn't need to make a full presentation to Snow Valley. They're on the cutting edge. They didn't need much convincing to give mountainboarding a try because it was geared toward their customers."

This article was originally published in the July 2000 print edition of Entrepreneur with the headline: Bull's-Eye!.