A long awaited market entry!
On September 21, Chicks And Machines was invited by Segway Canada to the official inauguration of the Canadian market entry of Segway all-terrain vehicles. A world premiere presented in Ontario, more precisely in Baltimore and it is on the Marc River Ranch that the event took place.
The event lasts four days. Four days of quad and side-by-side testing and exclusive 2022 model unveilings! Several RV’s (recreational vehicles) were available for us to sleep in! We were in the middle of nature to live a stay of pure happiness!
Our arrival on the site
We left from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu towards Baltimore Ontario for this long awaited “happening”. We were very excited and couldn’t wait to get there. About a 4:30 drive later, we finally arrived at the ranch! Upon arrival, the excitement was palpable! Banners announcing the event were set up all over the site to guide us and of course to welcome us with open arms!
At the entrance of the site, there were about thirty ATVs all arranged on a small hill and in a meticulous way offering us a superb view on the vehicles. It was as if they were placed on a natural podium. The effect was incredible!
On the other side of the road was a huge marquee and exhibitor tents for the guest dealers and media. The site was in full assembly because we arrived a day early to optimize our time to try those famous Segway machines we were looking forward to!
We then headed to a clearing where there were several campervans and trailers that would become our accommodations for the duration of the event. Luxury camping as I like to call it!
The organization had planned trailers and campers for everyone! It’s a daring concept but still very interesting.
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The inauguration
The event was spread over 4 days. 4 days of conferences, unveilings, inauguration and of course machine testing!
Arriving a day earlier, Chicks And Machines had a blast testing Segway vehicles! We had access to all the vehicles available, at our leisure and for as long as we needed for testing and creating content.
So as soon as we settled into our trailer, we dressed appropriately for the rain and grabbed our ATVs and side-by-sides and started to inspect and play in the mud with the Segway vehicles.
On the menu for the four days…
The official opening night was September 22. Throughout the day, guests arrived on site, settled into their trailers and the evening was THE night to remember.
Buffet style dinner served by a chef, unlimited drinks and presentation of new products. We had a lot of fun listening to the conference and seeing the unveiling of the Segway vehicles that are currently available on the market and the new ones to come!
The unveiling was done on the evening of September 22nd so it was more difficult to appreciate every detail because it was very dark when the time came. The rain was beating down and we were soaked.
Luckily the organization had provided a large tent to take our meals and to shelter. The owner had also foreseen a very particular and appreciated attention to offer an umbrella to all the guests.
And I can tell you that this nice gesture was greatly appreciated because there was some rain! I could describe the event as a festival of rain boots and mud!
For the duration of the event, all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) were provided by Segway Canada and we all met under the tent to exchange our impressions of the machines, discuss motor and create networks!
Difficult weather conditions
Unfortunately, Mother Nature gave us a hard time as it rained throughout the event. We had to take place under the tent to avoid getting soaked and the conditions for testing the machines were not optimal.
Not to mention the humidity which did not allow our equipment and clothes to dry properly. Very quickly the roads turned into huge pools of mud! But this is an uncontrollable detail.
The final word
All in all, we had a lot of fun during the official opening of the Segway vehicles. We met some great people and had some interesting discussions. The event’s organization team had little time to set up such a large event.
Nevertheless, the result was very good. I would like to say a special thank you to Catherine for taking good care of us and setting up the event in record time and to Segway Canada for inviting us to the official launch of Segway all terrain vehicles in the Canadian market.
