Written by Ron Harris
16 July 2021

 Olympia Special Feature Slider

 

 

DAN SOLOMON: A TRUE GAME CHANGER

 

BY RON HARRIS

 

The fitness industry is loaded with hardworking men and women looking to make a difference. But every so often, someone comes along who makes the kind of impact that changes things in ways too big to measure. For the last 20 years, Dan Solomon’s contributions and influence have been a true game changer.

 

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As President of Joe Weider’s Olympia Weekend, Solomon had the odds stacked against him last December as he and his team fought to rescue the fitness industry’s most prestigious event from a global pandemic. With little time remaining, he somehow managed to move the event from Las Vegas to Orlando, only a few weeks before the scheduled event. With the threat of cancellation looming, Solomon found a way to pull off what many have described as a minor miracle, delivering an Olympia experience we will never forget. But if you know Solomon’s story, none of us should be surprised that he pulled it off.

 

Fans first got to know him in the summer of 2005 when he helped change the way we follow the sport of bodybuilding when he launched PRO BODYBUILDING WEEKLY, a first of its kind talk radio show devoted to the world of bodybuilding. The show took the bodybuilding world by storm. Long before the arrival of YouTube and Instagram, Solomon’s weekly program was the first on the scene, inspiring countless others to follow years later with their own talk shows. As the category grew over the years, PRO BODYBUILDING WEEKLY was always the one to which all others were compared. For Solomon, this was only the beginning.

 

As the years passed, WEBCASTING and LIVE STREAMING became a popular trend, giving fans around the world the chance to watch the events from home.  Once again, Solomon was at the center of it, and over time the man who earned a college degree in broadcasting became one of the fitness industry’s most trusted voices, frequently at the mic for the year’s biggest moments.

 

A few years ago, the spotlight was once again on the bodybuilding world with the release of the movie BIGGER, the story of bodybuilding pioneer Joe Weider. It was the highest budget bodybuilding themed movie of all time. And guess who was at the center of it all? You guessed it. As co-executive producer, Dan was the man who set the wheels in motion, bringing the parties together and breathing life into the project. The film had major star power with a cast that included Julianne Hough, Robert Forster, Tom Arnold and Victoria Justice, among others. BIGGER can be seen now on HBO and HBO On Demand.

 

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A lifelong supporter of the NPC, the IFBB Professional League and the Manion family, Solomon kept his foot on the gas. After the 2018 Olympia Weekend, he was invited to New York for a meeting with American Media CEO David Pecker. He didn’t know it at the time, but he was being recruited to take over one of the industry’s biggest jobs. A three-hour Manhattan lunch culminated with the Florida native being offered the opportunity to take the top job at Olympia Weekend. A few days later he accepted the position of Chief Olympia Officer. Under Solomon’s leadership the 2019 Olympia was a big success, with nearly every ticket sold and the best Olympia stage production we’ve ever seen. It was only his first year in the position, but we could already see movement in the right direction and a rebirth of bodybuilding’s greatest tradition.

 

Just when we thought his work may have reached its high mark, Solomon was busy putting together a deal that could change the industry for generations to come. Early last year, the Internet nearly broke following the unexpected news that the Olympia had been sold to Jake Wood as part of a blockbuster deal that also included Muscle & Fitness. Solomon brought the parties together in an effort to put the event in the hands of a passionate new owner. After 16 years of AMI ownership, the deal would have seemed like a long shot. Once again, Solomon was at the table to help complete the deal, ushering in a new era for the event that was created by Joe Weider in 1965. The passion of Jake Wood and the vision of Solomon and his all-star team have already proven to be a big victory for the global fan base.

 

When we reached out to Solomon for a quote for this story, he said, “My goals are simple. I wake up early each morning looking for ways to bring people together and opportunities to reach new audiences. Those two basic objectives are at the heart of everything I try to do.” 

 

Tickets for this October’s Olympia Weekend are now on sale at MrOlympia.com

 

Solomon with Sandow

 

 

 

 

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