October Congress Sells Out!

 

So, if you are you looking for incremental revenue, if you presently sell sponsorships for your organization or plan to, this workshop will assist you and your organization in better understanding sponsorship, what it is, how it can really benefit your organization and how to make it work right. This is a clear overview of today's world of sponsorship and how it affects your organization.

Vancouver Island Mountain Sport Society Inks Deal

Calgary Catholic Immigration Society Moves Forward

Congratulations to the Calgary Catholic Immigration Society as they move forward with their sponsorship program. The Partnership Group has recently completed an exhaustive development of benefits that the Society will now bundle into packages for customized proposal development for sponsors. All the benefits have been industry valued to ensure true market value of all components of sponsorship programs. Opportunities lie with everything from building and program naming opportunities, to access to day care families and immigrants looking for work.

Red Cross Expands Sponsorship Program

 The Canadian Red Cross - Western Region along with the Alberta Division has partnered with the Partnership Group to build inventory, deliver valuation and package development for these two properties.

Mountain Guides Engage Partnership Group

MS Society of Canada - Alberta Division Provide Leadership

 

INDUSTRY NOTES AND UPDATES

• The initial numbers are in. Norm O'Reilly from the Institute for Sport Marketing and his research study on Sponsorship in Canada have determined that the spending on rights fees alone in Canada (across the sectors - sports, arts, cause etc.) is in excess of $1.1 billion. This does not include activation dollars (which in Canada seem to be minimal - only about 40% activate) and compares to $30 billion spent in United States. We look forward to seeing the finally numbers and break downs later this year.

• Panasonic has renewed its International Olympic deal for an additional eight years. They have the status of worldwide partner in audio and video products. The Vancouver Olympics will benefit from this deal to the tune of over $200 million towards its operating budget! The total sponsorship goal for VANOC is $760 million of which $608 million has been secured to date!  

• Seamus O'Keefe, in addition to his roles within the Partnership Group is now heading up sponsor fulfillment and servicing for key clients with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Group in Toronto (Maple Leafs, Raptors, Marlies etc!!)  

• There is another new name for O'Keefe Centre / Hummingbird Centre in Toronto. Announced on September 7, this iconic building has its third name since being constructed in 1960. It will now be Sony Centre, a $10 million rights fee over a 20 year period.

• Home Depot Canada has announced their further commitment with Habitat for Humanity Canada through their Paper House Campaign. The retailer will be selling $2 paper houses and donating all the revenues from these sales to Habitat for Humanity. Home Depot donates cash and in kind of about $3 million per year to Habitat Canada and has done so since it came on board as a sponsor in 1994.

• Calgary based advertising and interactive marketing agency RareMethod is making changes. Roger Jewett who was President, has moved on to pursue other opportunities. For the interim Evan Spiropoulos will hold the reigns of both CFO and President as well as Chair of the Board.

• Environmental sponsorship is growing. Recently the Canada Green Building Council announced that it is entertaining sponsorship opportunities for individual programs and sector specific pilot projects through Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Building Rating System (LEED Building Rating System). The initial sponsorships and partners will be announced at their Toronto 2008 Conference in June.

• Tasha Martin, formerly of SCOPE has joined Ross W. Marsh and Associates as a full time staff member. This in turn had allowed Stephanie Kawchak to move into Tasha's old role at Calgary SCOPE Society

• Congratulations to Ami Chokshi at Red Cross. She has recently been promoted to oversee the corporate partnerships and sponsorship programs for the Canadian Red Cross - Western Zone. Her previous role was as a Development Manager with Red Cross Alberta.

• Wendy's Kick for a Million is back for season three on TSN! This amazing program has caught the eye of international awards as well as Canadian accolades. What is most important is that it delivers return on investment to Wendy's at both a retail traffic level as well as brand profile. In 2005 there were approximately 250,000 entries. In 2006 there was 1.5 million entries (growth of 600%). 2007 promises to be even bigger and better!
  

• Peggy MacDonald, formerly with University of Regina and then Globe Theatre in Regina has moved to Red Deer to be Campaign Director - Building Communities Through Learning campaign at Red Deer College. 

• The Canadian Hockey League recently announced its renewal with Go RVing Canada. The agreement will continue the designation of Go RVing Canada as the "Official source of family leisure travel of the Canadian Hockey League."

• TELUS has renewed withthe Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) for the next five years and looks to launch an exciting activation program. Quebec hockey fans will have access to all 2007-2008 regular season and playoff games. All the games and content will be web-cast live or available off-line on the Internet for free.

• Congratulations to Chad Sartisan from The Fire Within on his being selected on of Calgary's Top 40 Under 40 in 2007!

 
• Blundstone Footwear of Australia has entered the Canadian sponsorship arena with a recent cause marketing program with Evergreen. Blundstone is donating a portion of all Canadian sales to support Evergreen and its tree planting and naturalization programs.
   
   
   
• The Edmonton Fringe Festival has secured a $150,000 sponsorship agreement (over three years) with TELUS.
   
   
   
• The Tour of Missouri pro cycling race has killed the myth that cycling is a tough product to sell in sponsorship. The first time event raised over $1 million is sponsorship revenue by bundling assets and generating sponsorship dollars through excellent return on investment for their sponsors. Inventory benefits included both cycling direct association, but also key non sport benefits that the event owned and were able to bundle into packages.

• Congratulations to Marilyne Aalhus who has moved to the Manager of Development for the Missing Children Society of Canada in Calgary.

• Scotiabank has renewed a three year deal with the CFL. Though it no longer will present the East and West Finals it has aligned itself closer with the individual franchises including Calgary, BC, Edmonton, Hamilton, Saskatchewan and Winnipeg.

• Arthur Griffiths, the former owner and operator of the Vancouver Canucks and Vancouver Grizzlies, has joined the global sports marketing agency Octagon as Executive Vice President. He will work closely with Kim Smither, Managing Director of Octagon's Canadian operations in Toronto.

• Planet Organic Markets have entered the sponsorship realm with their 8 organic grocery operations (and growing). The Cosmic Cookie Athlete Sponsorship program awarded two sponsorships to national athletes from minor sports. The recipients (both located in cities where Planet Organic has stores) were Basketball Athlete of the Year Danielle Peters of Edmonton and tri-athlete Kirsten Sweetland of Victoria.

• Calgary's Plaza Theatre, an icon in the Kensignton community of Calgary, will be restored to its former glory thanks to a sponsorship agreement with American Express Bank of Canada.

• As reported in the October 1, 2007 edition of SportDecision, The Canadian Soccer Association (CSA)and Winners have announced a new partnership that will benefit both minor soccer in Canada and the women's national team programs. The multi-year partnership will allow Winners to help grow the game of soccer at the grassroots level while also act as a title sponsorfor Canada's women's senior team and women's youth (U-20) team. "This sponsorship will allow us the opportunity to build even stronger relationships in the communities we serve across the country, while inspiring more young Canadians to experience the joys and benefits soccer has to offer,"says Michael MacMillan, President, Winners Merchants International. One of the highlights to the partnership is the Little Winners Sharp Shooters program that will roll out at Winners stores across Canada, and will recognize young athletes who participate in the sport at the local level. Another highlight is the Soccer Moms and Dadsprogram, recognizing local parents and their efforts to keep kids active through soccer. By 2010, Winners will be sponsoring 225 grassroots soccer teams across Canada (providing them with uniforms). The CSA, meanwhile, will welcome Little Winners youth escorts to accompany team captains at home international matches