NEW BOOK: REALITY CHECK

Straight Talk about Sponsorship Marketing

by Brent Barootes with Janet Gadeski

The Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™ provide innovative solutions for properties and sponsors through a series of products and services. With a team of highly specialized professionals, and strong strategic partnerships, the company is recognized as a leader in this rapidly growing sector.

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Consumer Sponsorship Rankings 2014

Do you know who Canadians perceive as the most active sponsors and why? Do you know how sponsorship affects your brand? RESEARCH. It matters and it’s critical to know what your audience is thinking and responding to.

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White Papers & Tools

Events Calendar

Including Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists’ events,

Brent Barootes itinerary and sponsorship industry events

We are your sponsorship specialists.

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About the Partnership Group

The Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists™ develops innovative sponsorship programs for corporate sponsors and sponsor selling properties in the areas of brands, non-profits, sports organizations, municipalities, government agencies, charities, events, member associations, tournaments, and conferences.

We are a team of highly specialized professionals and seen as leaders in this rapidly growing sector. Our mission is to provide our clients with a unique sponsorship proposition that is tailored to meet their particular needs; this proposition will produce results that deliver a measurable return on investment.

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Our Latest Whitepapers

APF Edmonton Presentation Jan 15, 2015: SECURING THE DEAL

ARPA Conference: Inventory Development & Valuation

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Latest Audio Blogs

Sportcology – 2014 Sponsorship Trends

by partnershipgroup | Jan 11, 2014 | Audio Blog

Now available: The January 11, 2014 episode of “Sportcology with Olympian Jungle Jim Hunter” and Sponsorship Marketing on the FAN 960 hosted by Jungle Jim Hunter, featuring Brent Barootes of the Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists™. January 11, 2014 Show Notes...

Sportcology – Sponsorship & Naming Rights

by partnershipgroup | Jan 4, 2014 | Audio Blog

Now available: The January 4, 2014 episode of “Sportcology with Olympian Jungle Jim Hunter” and Sponsorship Marketing on the FAN 960 hosted by Jungle Jim Hunter, featuring Brent Barootes of the Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists™. January 4, 2014 Show Notes...

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Latest Blog Posts

Balancing the Budget

by Brent Barootes | Feb 18, 2015 | Municipalities

Today every municipality in Canada is looking for additional revenue channels to help balance the budget. Corporate sponsorship is one of those channels. In fact in the corporate sponsorship industry (which is a $1.8 billion industry in Canada) municipalities are the...

CWHL Teams Up with HIGH FIVE

by partnershipgroup | Feb 18, 2015 | Sponsorship Update (in the news!)

The Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL) has teamed up with HIGH FIVE, a division of Parks and Recreation Ontario (PRO), to launch the #HIGHFIVE4Girls Campaign, which offers organizations who are empowering girls through sport and recreation programs the chance...

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Tuesday Morning Commentary

Hard Work

by Brent Barootes | Mar 3, 2015 | Tuesday Morning Commentary

Like anything else, the sponsorship marketing industry requires hard work. That goes for our daily jobs, our schooling and professional development, our relationships (personal and professional), pastimes, and hobbies. For us to succeed as individuals and for our...

Providing Our Students with Opportunities

by Brent Barootes | Feb 24, 2015 | Tuesday Morning Commentary

The sponsorship marketing industry continues to grow. Every year for the past eight years (since tracking has been done by the Canadian Sponsorship Landscape Study), the total dollars spent has grown. As of 2014, that progress tallied over 60% growth in the same...

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Testimonials

As CEO for the 2005 Canada Summer Games Host Society, I wanted to thank you for your assistance with the sponsorship program for the Regina 2005 Canada Summer Games. Our entire executive, management team, and staff were very pleased with the outcomes. The Games were proclaimed the most successful games ...

John D Lee

CEO Regina 2005 Canada Summer Games

Host Society

Brent and his team have helped us thoroughly understand the world of sponsorship, how to be successful in the discovery calls, what to include in agreements and proposals, and the successful strategies/processes to building meaningful long lasting partnership agreements. His book Reality Check is on my desk because I refer ...

Charmaine Hammond

Team Toby's PAWS Across North America tour

12/08/2014

We really appreciate your advice and your willingness to “tell it like it is”. Your support and guidance have been an integral part of the success of our sponsorship program.

Richard Klies

Saskatoon Lead & Provincial Development Manager

Canadian Red Cross – Saskatoon

Cindy Fuchs

Saskatoon Provincial Director

Canadian Red Cross - Saskatoon

On behalf of the MacEwan Front and Centre Campaign and the rest of the Fund Development staff, we would like to thank Brent Barootes and the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™ for your expertise. The Naming Valuation Report you completed for our new Centre for the Arts and Communication is an important ...

Dale Bayley
Vice President Fund Development

Grant MacEwan College

The City of Yorkton engaged Partnership Group - Sponsorship Specialists™ for sponsorship evaluation of our central-piece multi-purpose venue and found it a very enlightening exercise. They were very thorough in their approach to the audit and of great assistance in the sponsorship mentoring aspect. I would be very willing to ...

Darcy McLeod, Director of Community Development

Parks & Recreation

City of Yorkton

The folks at the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™ are the leaders in Sponsorship Training in Canada. I know that many of you are experts in the field as well or have dabbled in sponsorship. I guarantee you, there will be at least a few great nuggets picked up in this session. ...

Guy Yerama

Manager, Donor Relations, Philanthropy

Canadian Red Cross, Ontario Zone

On behalf of the entire Saskatchewan Roughriders front office staff, we would like to congratulate you and the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™ for a job well done. Through your innovative ideas and dedication to the success of this project, you and your staff were able to deliver the results that we ...

Steve Mazurak

Marketing Director

Saskatchewan Roughriders Football Club

After working with the Partnership Group, Matt and I feel more focused in our marketing and sponsorship efforts. We have a clear idea of where we want to place our brand and what type of events we want to align ourselves with. We feel better equipped to evaluate and decide ...

Michelle and Matt Carre

Sotheby's Real Estate

01/24/2014

Chris (Reed) helped our team thoroughly understand the world of sponsorship, how to be successful in the discovery calls, and successful strategies and processes to building meaningful long lasting partnership agreements. I highly recommend Chris and the Partnership Group Services. What they teach works!

Charmaine Hammond

Team Toby's PAWS Across North America tour

12/07/2014

Your team at the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™ delivered exactly what we were looking for!

Jock Wilson

Sales and Marketing Director

Olympic Oval

Working with the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™ has taken our association to the next level of growth and development. We are now organized and efficient in sponsorship and can have all our events sponsored. This has enabled HRAC to partner with several different organizations in Calgary giving us the exposure and ...

Jeanelle Crosser

Manager, Member Services

HRAC

Regina Palliative Care Inc. embarked on a new endeavour in 2006 to raise dollars and awareness toward the development of a Bereavement Centre of Excellence. Venturing forward with a $3.5 million campaign goal was uncharted water this volunteer board. The Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™ are respected, well connected, and have a ...

Velda Clark

Executive Director

Regina Palliative Care Inc. (RPCI)

Mosaic has proudly partnered with the Saskatchewan Roughriders since 2006 as the title sponsor of the team’s home turf, Mosaic Stadium. Entering into the renewal of our naming rights agreement, the focus was on plans for a new stadium set to open in 2017. Partnership Group provided us with a ...

Sarah Fedorchuk

Director, Public Affairs

The Mosaic Company

http://www.mosaicco.com

05/22/2014

In the competitive world of business, advantages over your competitors can be hard to come by. For The Fire Within that advantage is Brent Barootes and the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™. Brent's contribution to The Fire Within has helped us reduce risk increase ROI and, above all, maximize value to our ...

Chad Sartison

Chair, President

The Fire Within

Following a rigorous RFP process, the Resort Municipality of Whistler hired The Partnership Group to undertake an inventory and valuation of all municipal assets; from buildings, parks, roadways and trails, to communication channels, to community-oriented recreation facilities and programs, to major initiatives designed to attract and/or enhance visitor experience including ...

John Rae

Manager

Resort Municipality of Whistler

Our organization was drifting with no approach to sponsorships and exactly what we had to offer. The Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™ became a great fit for our void and they have assisted us to develop a strategy for dealing with this complicated area. We have much more confidence in understanding what ...

Kevin Kvame

President

Alberta Amateur Baseball Council

As a small non-profit with a big vision for the future, Brent has helped us develop effective strategies to involve corporate support in ways that we had not considered before. Brent's professionalism and knowledge of his craft is impressive and we have found it to be very helpful in the ...

Kim Veness

CEO

Light Up The World Group

Tourism Regina hosts an annual conference targeted at the meeting and event planner. Each year, we bring in speakers who can assist organizers in the planning of their conferences. In 2004, we brought in Brent Barootes of the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™ to discuss sponsorship for events. We thought this would ...

Gayle Zimmerman

Director of Communications and Conference Services

Tourism Regina

Globe Theatre offers sponsorships for its IPSCO Main Stage season, Shumiatcher Sandbox season, Globe Theatre School's five programs, and numerous special events. These sponsorships were introduced at different times under different circumstances. Developing a comprehensive inventory, rationalizing specific value, and managing the fulfillment process became a whole lot easier with ...

Peggy MacDonald, MBA, CFRE

Development, Marketing and Brand Manager

Globe Theatre

Leaders in the sponsorship industry, The Partnership Group - Sponsorship Specialists™, have been essential contributors to initiating the City of Pointe-Claire’s sponsorship program through an inventory asset valuation process. Mr. Chris Reed has been instrumental in facilitating the City of Pointe-Claire’s understanding of this evolving industry. We look forward to ...

Gilles Girouard, Culture, Sports, Leisure and Social Development, City of Pointe-Claire

12/19/2014

Attending the Western Sponsorship Congress changed my life, both professionally and personally. I would absolutely say that from a National Charity perspective, it is one of the best investments your organization can make. Even sending one person will result in a benefit; but the more that are able to attend ...

Shelly Smith-Hines

Manager, Marketing & Promotions

Bell Media Radio - Winnipeg

It goes without saying that the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™ workshops and conferences certainly served me well in preparation for the pitch (and of course my real job).

Geraldine De Braune

Manager, Sponsorship Development

The Forks North Portage Partnership

The Partnership Group offered a breath of fresh air in the world of sponsorship. In an industry often mired in traditional methods and saturated asks, our sponsorship proposal workshop brought ‘outside-the-box’ relevancy and experience to the group. Through Brent’s excellent facilitation and the Partnership Group’s established consultation, the session delivered ...

Kevin Chapman

Development Associate (Corporate Relations and Sponsorship)

Power To Be Adventure Society

https://www.powertobe.ca

11/19/2014

I attended the Sponsorship workshop and was very impressed with Brent Barootes’ knowledge on the subject as well as the innovative approaches and techniques he imparts to his students. His workshops offer value and new insights for those working in fundraising/sponsorships at every career level from seasoned to beginner! I ...

Susanne Hamilton

Director of Development

Regina Symphony Orchestra

Thank you for mentoring me for this year. You taught me to be creative and to think outside-the-box, something I was aware of but having you reinforce it brought me back on track again. Using the skills you taught me, and the sponsorship inventory your company help set up, I ...

Phyllis Snider

Fund Development Officer

Federation of Calgary Communities

The Partnership Group - Sponsorship Specialists™ worked with our team in a very effective manner to not only develop a very thorough sponsorship asset inventory and valuation for the Canadian Cancer Society - Alberta/NWT Division but also, and just as importantly, they greatly assisted our group with 'blurring' the line ...

Tiffany Kraus

External Engagement Lead

Canadian Cancer Society - Alberta/NWT Division

09/12/2013

After attending the Western Sponsorship Congress in October 2005 in Calgary, I realized the Canadian Cancer Society was missing a huge opportunity, and didn't have the expertise to capitalize on it. As a result, we hired the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™, and Brent started working with us, tackling our inventory and ...

Nora Bakken

Director, Revenue Development

Canadian Cancer Society - Saskatchewan

Working with Brent Barootes and Chris Reed from the Partnership Group has been an highly educative exercise for all of us at the Rotary Club of Burlington Lakeshore involved at Canada's Largest Ribfest as we move to professionalizing our event's sponsorship program. Beyond the Inventory and Valuation, their sponsorship workshops ...

Jeremy Racicot and Niduk Wijayasingha

The Rotary Club of Burlington Lakeshore &

Canada's Largest Ribfest

We became excited about the potential for growth in funding after attending the Western Canada Sponsorship Congress in 2005. Shortly after, we began to work with the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™. We never imagined how large and meaningful our inventory was! Today, we are seeing not only increased revenue but stronger partnerships. ...

Deb Cautley

Executive Director

Youth Emergency Shelter Society (YESS)

Although we are still in the early days of working with the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™, Brent's enthusiasm and cogent analysis are proving invaluable for us as an organization. Like many 'young' non-profits, we are in transition. Our original mandate, set in November 2003, was mainly to provide travel grants and ...

Anya Macleod

Administrator

Vancouver Island Mountain Sports Society

The Partnership Group - Sponsorship Specialists™ were a great asset to the company in navigating the sponsorship waters. We have a substantially better understanding of how sponsorship fees are tied to value and value is derived from visibility, exclusivity levels, prestige of property, etc.

Jim Hilborn

Owner

The Hilborn Group

The Partnership Group has been a terrific company to work with as we develop our sponsorship program. They are industry leaders in Canada and are extremely professional in their approach. I like that they are understanding of various levels of development of our staff and use a focused and vigilant approach ...

Guy Yerama

Manager, Corporate Partnerships

Canadian Red Cross, Ontario Zone

http://www.redcross.ca

11/07/2013

At a time when the competition for sponsorship dollars has never been more apparent, the annual Enerflex Super Cities WALK for MS made the decision to invest in restructuring old ways of doing new business. By teaming up with the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™, we were able to understand the true ...

Sherry Kerunsky

Senior Coordinator

Enerflex Super Cities WALK for MS

MS Society of Canada, Calgary Chapter

I had the distinct pleasure of working with Jim Peterson and the team from Partnership Group - Sponsorship Specialists™ on a project in late 2012. We hired the Partnership Group as consultants to assist us with an inventory asset valuation project and to provide us with a road map to ...

Shelley Zucht-Shorter

Vice President Corporate Development & Membership

Tourism Calgary

http://www.visitcalgary.com

05/14/2013

It was tremendously helpful to have The Partnership Group - Sponsorship Specialists™ take a close look at what Hilborn Group had to offer from a sponsorship perspective and what it's worth to prospects based on a valuation complete with industry accepted formulas and visibility. We will certainly be looking at ...

Janet Gadeski

President

The Hilborn Group

The Canadian Red Cross, Saskatchewan has had the pleasure to work closely with the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™. Our goal is to increase fundraising initiatives throughout the province of Saskatchewan and, at the same time, review the sponsorship opportunities that we have to offer. Through the sponsorship audit of our programs, we ...

Daryl Silzer

Manager, Financial Development

Canadian Red Cross

The Partnership Group - Sponsorship Specialists™ have proven to be a leader in the sponsorship industry. The Calgary Zoo has both utilized and benefited from their services in the past; key industry learnings at Western Sponsorship Congress have helped to advance and secure multi-level sponsors for both annual events, right ...

Rick Harland

Director of Development

Calgary Zoological Society

http://www.calgaryzoo.com

03/13/2014

One of the most difficult tasks in assessing the feasibility of bidding to host a major event is validating assumed revenue streams, specifically those revenues attributed to corporate sponsorship. The experience, network, and professionalism that the Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™ brings to the table in assessing value of sponsor potential, as ...

Marco De Iaco

Senior Manager, Sport & Major Events

Calgary Sport Tourism Authority

The training and support from the Partnership Group that The Canadian Red Cross has received in Saskatchewan has paid off many, many times over. Sponsorship is the new way of doing business for charities and is it ever fun to do! Thanks Brent and team!

Cindy Fuchs CHRP

Provincial Director Saskatchewan
Canadian Red Cross Western Zone

http://www.redcross.ca

04/04/2014

As someone who deals in and understands the importance of figures I found the exercise of the having The Partnership Group - Sponsorship Specialists™ develop a full inventory audit for our property very enlightening. It was inspiring to see the process unfold and gain a better understanding of how sponsorship ...

Derek Kwasney

Chief Financial Officer

The Lake Louise Ski Area Ltd.

https://www.skilouise.com

05/27/2013

The Partnership Group - Sponsorship Specialists™ continue to be a fabulous resource for us as we grow our regional sponsorship program. Whether it be mentoring on prospecting and negotiations or strategically analyzing the marketplace they are a tremendous wealth of information from which to draw.

Tannis Nelson

Community Development Coordinator

Parks, Recreation and Culture

Regional District of North Okanagan

04/23/2013

The Partnership Group-Sponsorship Specialists™ were able to provide us with some exciting ways to potentially increase our sponsorship growth and maintain that growth. They were also able to work with our organization’s specifics needs and develop a contractual template. Not only has it been an effective tool but it is ...

Greg Lockert

Manager

Genesis Place & Arenas, Airdrie