As I said two weeks ago, the money is there!
Sponsors are spending. Effective properties (small and large) are getting money. Many of our clients, whom we mentor, build asset inventories for, and help through custom proposal development are reaping the rewards. It is all about doing it right! Do the discovery session, custom build the proposal to meet the prospect’s needs, and show value and potential for ROI. And now, there is a chance for one lucky (well, professional) property to access such money and opportunity by doing it right.
At the Western Sponsorship Congress™ in October in Calgary, there will be five properties pitching their ideas for five minutes each to major Canadian brands such as ScotiaBank, Xerox Canada, EnMax, Alberta Motor Association and The Keg. It is called The 5 Minute Pitch™. These five properties will pitch in front of an audience of 250+ people. Their goal…to get all $500,000 of mock sponsorship budget these five brands have combined. But more importantly, those who have pitched correctly in the past have shown that they can garner real cash post-Congress. Building naming rights, small and large sponsorships have spawned from this panel discussion.
Four of the five seats for presenting properties have been filled. The Forks from Winnipeg, The Calgary Zoo, the TELUS World of Science Edmonton and the City of Toronto – Office of the Environment will all be vying for attention from the brands. There will be one more seat awarded…and it could be anyone! All they have to do is enter the contest being held by Western Sponsorship Congress™ partner Hilborn e-News. The winning property will receive return travel expenses to the Western Sponsorship Congress™, accommodations at the host hotel – Deerfoot Inn and Casino – as well as the chance to sit on the 5 Minute Pitch™ panel.
For everyone who says there is no money in the marketplace, come and try this on for size. For those of you who think you can walk away with the money, come and give it a shot. This is an ideal opportunity for properties to really stand out. It is a great chance for a property to showcase itself not only to the five brand panellists, but also to all the brands and properties in the audience. It will also give the presenters their five minutes of fame. For all the details, visit the 5 Minute Pitch™ section of the Western Sponsorship Congress™ web site. This will be an amazing conference. It is already over 50% sold!
Whether or not you enter the contest, the point is the same. Do the process right and you will reap the rewards. We have seen people on the 5 Minute Pitch wish they had never sat on that panel. Those are the ones who often fail to get the money in real life as well. They live in the past pitching stock Gold – Silver – Bronze packages. They are rigid and do not try to meet the needs of sponsors. They fail to do discovery sessions. They fail overall. But those who follow the steps to success will succeed both on the 5 Minute Pitch™ panel and in the real sponsorship arena.