First Gear: Powerama Still Motoring Along After 25 Years
Twenty five years is certainly a long time for anything to last.
That is especially true in the automotive world. For instance, the median lifespan of a passenger car in the United States and Canada is 9.2 years, which is almost a year longer than ten years ago. Big-time events also don’t seem to have longevity on their side. Take Molson Indy Vancouver that, even though it was wildly successful with racers and party-goers alike, lasted just 15 years before it was relocated to Edmonton. After 20 years, Toronto’s race appeared to be a permanent institution before the 2008 race was canceled (it has since been purchased by Andretti/Green Racing and is scheduled to roar through the streets of Toronto again in July 2009). Then, a year later, the biggest blow of them all came when Canada lost its largest automotive event, when the Canadian Grand Prix was dropped from the F1 schedule after a 42-year history in this country.
So, for Liz Oglu and her team of volunteers, the 25th edition of Powerama Motoring Expo in Edmonton will truly be something special. From its humble beginnings in the 45,000-square foot Kinsmen Sports Centre in 1985, the show expanded the following year to the 66,000-square foot Sportex and a year later the show grew again and relocated to the 77,000-square foot Agricom which has been its home ever since. Today, Powerama has grown to cover over 250,000 square feet inside four halls of the Northlands Agricom.
The show was created by a group of various car club members that paid $100 per club to join. They called themselves the Alberta United Racers and their sole mandate was to secure a site and conduct the due diligence to develop a new motorsports facility in Edmonton. Over the next six years, the association raised and spent nearly $700,000 towards planning, lobbying and finding a suitable site for the racetrack prior to giving way to private investors to build Edmonton’s newest motorsport facility called Capital City Raceway (known today as Castrol Raceway).
In 1991, the association disbanded and Liz and Wally decided to take on Powerama on their own. “The first years were definitely a struggle as we were no longer benefiting from being under a non-profit umbrella...everything cost more! We didn’t even have one vendor that first year! The second year, Royal Treats Ice Cream came on as a vendor and they’ve been here ever since.” The show now sports over 100 vendors each year. The one thing that has never been a problem for the couple is finding vehicles. The first year featured around 130 vehicles which the couple have seen grow to the 350-odd that have been on display the past five years.
Asked what is the biggest challenge they face putting on this extravaganza each year, Liz didn’t hesitate when she replies, “keeping it fresh is always a challenge. We want to wow each attendee. The first impression is the key to success. We are proud to have had at minimum 60 percent turnover of vehicles every year. One year 75 percent changed from the previous year.”
She is equally quick to reply when asked what the key has been to Powerama’s success. “It wouldn’t be possible without the dedicated volunteers that come out year after year. You just couldn’t hire people for these jobs. These people do it because they love it. There were 35 volunteers in total the first year and ten of the originals are still here after 25 years.”
Like everything, the show has changed a great deal over the years, but the biggest change and the one Liz is most proud of is the recognition and respect it has received from other events throughout North America. “Going from a club event with an eye to raise some money to build a track, to becoming one of the premiere shows in North America, is something that we’re very proud of.”
So looking into her crystal ball, where does she see the show going over the next 25 years? “I would like to see the tradition continue. I hope the hobby stays strong, no matter what form it is presented in, and the next generation of enthusiast carries it on. It would mean a lot to me.”
We hope so too!
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