Tailgating Magazine Launches
First Publication Dedicated to Tailgaters
October 5, 2007

For dedicated tailgating fanatics, Fall 07 is a season unlike any other. Tailgater Magazine, the first magazine of its kind, is hot off the presses. The official magazine of the American Tailgaters Association (ATA), Tailgater Magazine has been in the works for about a year. Magazine industry veteran Kevin Miller is the Publisher and Jeff Dockeray—something of a legend in tailgating circles—is the Editor in Chief.

Dockeray describes Tailgater Magazine as “a magazine for tailgaters by tailgaters, and the ATA -the authority on tailgating.” Its distribution encompasses ATA members, national tailgate clubs, retailers and manufacturers.

“By the end of the year our goal is to hit a half-million readers,” he says.

The publication’s content ranges from cutting-edge tailgating products to tips on road trips to menu planning. The magazine’s charter advertisers run the gamut, from grilling equipment to food to power tools. A Marketplace section offers affordable advertising for small businesses and innovative entrepreneurs.

“We are the conduit to the tailgating economy,” Dockeray says.

The second issue of Tailgater Magazine is slated to coincide with the Tailgate • Picnic Show in Las Vegas (January 16–18, 2008), which is part of the Sports Licensing & Entertainment Marketplace. Show Director Ann Keusch believes that the magazine will intensify the focus on tailgating, and heighten awareness among retailers of the explosive growth this category
offers.

“If you haven’t connected to the tailgating culture as a retailer, then Tailgater is a great way to start,” she says. “We saw for ourselves what a powerful marketplace this is when we held the Ultimate Tailgate Party in Las Vegas a year ago. This January, the party will stretch across two days!”