Marketing Template

            In order to market your event and receive the maximum amount of sponsorship for your event, you must design a plan to capture the interest and enthusiasm of your entire community.

1.         Before launching your marketing strategy, the following components must be in place:

(i)                 Steering Committee – a small group of enthusiastic, positive persons with varying skills should have been previously identified and approved to form the basis of the Organizing Committee for your event.  As soon as confirmation that you have won the bid has been received, establish the committee’s infrastructure and timelines needed to complete all tasks, at least a month prior to the commencement of the event.

(ii)        Choose a theme for your event as well as a logo, which will depict the theme.  The theme and the logo should be used on all correspondence, presentations etc.  It will then speak for the event whenever it is seen.

(iii)             Communication – it is extremely important for your Steering/Organizing

Committee to make an appeal to your entire community and in order to do this, a community education plan must be prepared and presented.  There are several ways to achieve support from all sectors of your community, bearing in mind that each country has unique qualities and what works for one will not necessarily work for another.  Generally speaking, any community will give their support to an event that will benefit the community and/or the sport and/or young people in the community and is a clean and wholesome activity.

(iv)             Awareness – prepare a visual presentation (PowerPoint, Overhead Projector Transparent information sheets, printed hand-outs, etc.) which should include the following information: 

(a)        History of the event – prepare the history of the event and include any information from your archives of the involvement of persons from your community in previous events and/or the success of your athletes and/or the benefits derived from the event when it was previously hosted in your country.  List the other countries that will be invited to participate.  Persons living in your community from other countries could indirectly support you by supporting the team from their birthplace.

(b)        Then and now – indicate how the event has progressed over the years and where you intend to take the event, with their help and support.

(c)        Timelines – show the timelines that you have set to achieve each goal and objective, and measure your success along the way.

(d)        Finances – prepare a preliminary expense budget, which should cover everything you will need to make the event a success.  Develop a “wish list” of items that you may think are out of your reach, but could be supplied by other interested parties, without cost, for the event.  Also include your levels of sponsorship so that potential sponsors and supporters can see how you intend to cover the expenses outlined in your budget.  It will also give them an opportunity to think about their level of support via sponsorship or services in kind, prior to receiving your marketing plan.

(e)        Feedback – Finish your presentation by asking for feedback to make the event even better.  Please ensure that your contact information is included at the end of the presentation.  Everyone loves to feel that they are needed – if feedback is received, try to implement those ideas with merit, without comprising your goals or objectives. Whether or not feedback is received, you will have achieved your objective by making your community feel that they are valued and a part of the planning process, and this gesture will give you tremendous support in the future.

(v)               Audience – your presentation is now ready to be shown to a cross-section

of your community.  Anyone who will be impacted by this event should be invited to your “Project Launch”.  In order to keep cost to a bare minimum and create a professional atmosphere, encourage hotels, which are vying to be the host hotel, to allow you to use one of their meeting rooms (free of charge) for your inaugural meeting.  Donated refreshments should be served before and after the event.   Invitations should be prepared and delivered (a month in advance) to the leaders in Government, the Opposition, Corporate sector, Service Clubs, Medical entities, other sporting federations (so that they do not plan major sporting activities on or near your date) essential services i.e. Police, Fire Services, Medical Services, Customs and Immigration Services, Transportation representatives etc.  If the Minister of Education is not present, a second presentation should be made to Education officials, so that information of the event can be disseminated to all teachers and students.

Each invitee should confirm their attendance so that name badges of each of your guests, with their proper titles, organization/company names can be made and are available at the door when they arrive.  Although everyone at this inaugural meeting is important – name badges will give you and your committee an opportunity to zero in on key persons in your community, who will be able to influence others, who may not be in attendance, to support your event.

2.         Excerpts from the Organizing Committee’s presentation should be used to form a Marketing Plan for your event.  The Marketing Plan should put as much emphasis as possible on the benefits available to sponsors for each level of sponsorship offered and highlight the achievements of the athletes who will be representing your country.  Although feedback should not be solicited from potential sponsors, it is important to have your contact information in the package or on a business card made especially for the event.  A list of potential sponsors or groups that could perform services should be compiled and a timetable set up by the Marketing Committee to establish appointments.

3.         The Marketing Plan forms a small part of the whole marketing package.  Depending on the amount of funds that have been allocated to promote the event – newspaper, radio and television adverts are essential to keep your event in the minds of the community and should start out small and build to a crescendo at the event.  One way of piquing curiosity is to start a campaign that creates suspense over a period of time ending with a surprise outcome at the event. 

4.         After the visual presentation has been shown to potential sponsors, it is important to leave an attractive printed package with as much information as possible about the event and the levels of sponsorship, so that they will be able to study it at their leisure.  Before departing, establish a time to call back to follow-up and/or confirm their sponsorship of the event.  As each sponsor confirms their involvement, their name should be added to the list of sponsors for the event in your advertisements, promotions etc., in accordance with their level of sponsorship and the benefits identified for that level. 

5.         Ensure that the benefits to sponsors outlined in their package are made available to them prior to, during and after the event.  Overseas and local distinguished guests and sponsors have taken the time to support you and/or your Marketing Committee.  It will be incumbent on you and your committee to ensure that all supporters, whether they have made a significant financial contribution or not are made to feel special at your event.  In turn, they will be available to support you further in the future.

Prepared by: Judith E.A. Simmons