Photos from the three events on Thursday that we took, the Men’s Press Conference, the Women Athlete Meetings and the Meet the Olympians event. The atmosphere at the Orleans Hotel is charged up and with what we’ve seen so far there are some in shape competitors. Check out the photos…

Press Conference Photos:
http://contest.bodybuilding.com/gallery/contest/7992/site/3/

Women Athlete Meeting Photos:
http://contest.bodybuilding.com/gallery/contest/7992/event/2/site/4/

Meet the Olympians Photos
http://contest.bodybuilding.com/gallery/contest/7992/site/11/

Here are two more parties that we are planning to go to.  The Official Flex Bikini Model After Party, and the Bodybuilding.com / Ultimate Nutrition After Party.  Here are the flyers for the two parties.

With over 100 bikini beauties signed on to compete, the 2009 FLEX Bikini Model Search Championships – presented by Amazon.com and brought to you by Ed Hardy- will undoubtedly be bigger and better than ever. So it seemed only fitting that the Official FLEX Bikini Model Search After Party would  be the biggest and best post-Olympia bash in Sin City!

Located on the 64th floor of the ultra-swanky The Hotel at Mandalay Bay, MIX Lounge will play host to the official FLEX Bikini Model Search after party, presented by promoter extraordinaire Jason Dihr. Hundreds of models, athletes and celebrities in the bodybuilding industry are expected to turn out for this can’t-miss event! Rub elbows with the elite, and – if you’re lucky – you just may have your picture taken with one of our beautiful FLEX Bikini Models and appear in an upcoming issue of FLEX magazine!

But that’s not all! Supplement giant ALR Industries pumps the volume up another decibel by hosting their post-Olympia blowout at MIX Lounge as well.  This is without a doubt one you won’t want to miss, as the FLEX Bikini Models turn the heat up to unbearable levels at MIX Lounge in Las Vegas on Saturday night! A limited number of tickets to this exclusive event will be available. Stop by the FLEX booth at the Olympia Expo for more information.

For the Bodybuilding.com / Ultimate Nutrition After party, this is also an special party at the XS Nightclub at the new hotel called Encoure. Another excellent party to check out.  Check out the Ultimate Nutrition or Bodybuilding.com booth for more information on this after party.

Bodybuilding.com has an excellent interview with Robin Chang as he discusses how the Olympia weekend is run, what fans and competitors can expect come September 24 and what he, as the man in charge, must do to ensure all goes as planned.

To check out the interview, click below

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/robin-chang-09-olympia-interview.htm

There are a number of Olympia After Parties again this year, and here are two of them. The first is Dexter Jackson’s After Party, and the second is Shawn Ray’s After Party. Many tend to go to these partys on Saturday night after the Official Olympia Victory Gala, which starts at 11pm at the Orleans Hotel. Here are the flyers for the two parties.

The cover of M&F’s July 2009, under the direction of the new Editor in Chief Chris Lockwood and with the magazine’s new look, has been nominated for a prestigious magazine industry award called ‘the Maggies’ in the United Kingdom.  Congratulations.

It is nice, for the staff at M&F to see that other’s have noticed the marked improvements in the magazine! Please take a minute to vote for Muscle & Fitness at  http://www.themaggies.co.uk

The Promax trademark fight was finally settled in the European Union. And it is not good for the authorize Promax Distributors there. Here is the final statement.

From: Timothy Welch – Chief Executive Officer, Promax Nutrition Corporation

As I have stated in my prior correspondence dated April 13, 2009, Promax Nutrition Corporation (“PNC”) and Maximuscle, Ltd. have reached a comprehensive, mutually agreeable settlement regarding future rights to the Promax trademark in the European Union.

Consistent with the terms of that settlement, as of December 31, 2009, PNC and its Authorized Distributors will no longer be permitted to sell PNC’s Promax®-branded products (the “Products”) in any European Union country. Furthermore, under no circumstances should any Authorized Distributor sell the Products at any time to customers in the United Kingdom, Ireland or Sweden. Again, all sales of Products by PNC’s Authorized Distributors in the European Union must cease on or before December 31, 2009. Therefore, in order to ensure that sales are discontinued by such date, PNC will not ship any Products to Authorized Distributors in the European Union after November 1, 2009.

This Advisory Notice was issued by the IFBB Professional League & Jim Manion, Chairman of the IFBB Professional League.

TO: IFBB PROFESSIONAL LEAGUE ATHLETES & PROMOTERS
NPC NATIONAL PROMOTERSFROM: JIM MANION

SUBJECT: TICKETS TO EVENTS

Please note that, effective immediately, the policy for receiving free tickets to the IFBB Professional League contests and NPC national events is changed as a results of complaints from promoters that, among other things, IFBB professional athletes are demanding free tickets not only for themselves but also for their family and friends; and are requesting these tickets on the day of the contest or event without any consideration for the limited space available at some venues.

IFBB professional athletes will receive one (1) ticket to IFBB professional contests and NPC national events only if the request for such ticket is submitted to the IFBB Professional League or NPC national office before the contest or event. You must provide proof of current membership, which will be verified by the IFBB Professional League or NPC national office.

Additional tickets may be available at the sole discretion of the individual promoters.

Please govern yourself accordingly.

Jim Manion
Chairman
IFBB Professional League

For the ninth consecutive year, the Weider Family, American Media Inc./Weider Publications and the IFBB Pro League, have authorized military personnel with a valid ID card to attend the Olympia Expo, Ms. Olympia Figure, Ms. Olympia, and Mr. Olympia competitions free of charge.

“Since 2001, it has been our privilege to have over 5000 military personnel attend the Olympia events as our special guest and we look forward to continuing this tradition and thanking them for all they do,” said Joe Weider.  “We appreciate the tremendous sacrifices they make on our behalf and to show our respect, admiration and support, we are honored to provide these complimentary tickets,” added AMI Chairman, President and CEO David Pecker and IFBB Professional League Chairman, Jim Manion.

Active duty/retired members of all five branches of the military and the National Guard will be provided complimentary tickets for themselves and one guest. Signs indicating where to pick up the tickets will be located near the ticket center at the Orleans Hotel.

Free tickets are limited and are offered on a first come first served basis until the supply of free tickets is exhausted.

To reserve tickets, please e-mail Vincent and Melissa Mae Jackson at Mr.O_Jackson@live.com to have your name added to the authorization list.

This offer expires 17 September 2009.

Rick Collins has been in the bodybuilding industry for a long time, defending and advising many bodybuilders, supplement companies and various people on many subjects, including one of his specialties, performance enhancing substances. But on August 23rd, Rick is going to jump out of a plane for the first time, in the hopes of raising $13,500 for the American Cancer Society. Here is some information on it, and you can donate for this jump directly to the American Cancer Society by going to Leap for Life (www.leapforlife.org).

Rick Collins — a Long Island-based attorney, popular author and the nation’s foremost legal authority on performance-enhancing substances —  has announced that he is “leaping” into new territory this summer.   In honor of two close friends and a relative stricken with cancer, Collins has created Leap for Life (www.leapforlife.org) – and will be jumping from a plane for the very first time in his life in order to help raise funds for the American Cancer Society … while also making a statement about exercising personal liberties as he flies through the air in his first-ever skydiving venture.

In preparation for this unprecedented Leap for Life, Collins is seeking sponsors to help raise money for this worthy cause – with people encouraged to donate for each foot he falls.  Collins, a partner at Collins, McDonald & Gann, P.C. (www.cmgesq.com) and a popular personality in the bodybuilding, health, fitness and nutrition communities, will be jumping from an altitude of 13,500 feet  – and hopes to raise a total of $1 for each foot he falls, or $13,500, through his jump.

Collins will perform his Leap for Life on August 23rd at noon.  The American Cancer Society has set up a page to secure sponsors for Rick’s exceptional fundraising effort  – encouraging people to visit www.leapforlife.org to donate by the foot.  Every tax-deductible dollar raised will go directly to the American Cancer Society’s mission to eliminate cancer as a major health problem by preventing cancer, saving lives, and diminishing suffering from cancer through research, education, advocacy and service.  

Leap for Life will take place at Skydive Long Island (www.skydivelongisland.com), which offers the highest altitude for jumping on Long Island and is the only dropzone on L.I. flying to 13,500 feet.  Collins will be taking off and landing at Calverton Enterprise Airpark – a 2900 acre airport and one of the largest landing areas in the U.S. 

“I knew that I wanted to find a way to raise funds in the fight against cancer, and, as I recently celebrated a big birthday, I was also looking for an opportunity to push my limits and challenge myself,” says Collins, whose upcoming book Alpha Male Challenge (www.alphamalechallenge.com) focuses on helping men “re-claim their edge” through an innovative, 10-week transformation program.   “In addition, as an attorney committed to preserving the rights of informed adults to safe dietary supplements, this jump is a great way for me to get people thinking generally about individual American freedoms and what the law says people can and can’t do.  If an adult can lawfully get in an airplane and jump out in mid-air, why does the government seem so quick to ban nutritional supplements that have comparatively higher safety levels?  From a consistency standpoint, it doesn’t make much sense.”