In follow up to last weeks’ Tuesday Morning Commentary I needed to look at where we as a company are going in our second decade of existence. This is critical for us as a company but a process each brand and property should look at annually and also long term. There are a number of plans just as there should be, but the core business needs to continue to be the primary focus.
We hope to soon introduce the next version of SAVI™. It will be more powerful, even more user friendly, faster and more applicable. We also plan to introduce new markets for the One Day Workshop Series for properties over the next few years and hopefully to be able to produce this critical training to industry professionals coast to coast in Canada. In addition we look forward to launching a series of much needed brand and sponsor workshops. We look forward to the growth and further development of the Western Sponsorship Congress™ to deliver more speakers, topics and opportunities for success.
As a company we will finally enter the new world of marketing and in this, our 10th year of operation we will have stepped into the world of social media. Join me personally on LinkedIn and join my network of over 500 industry professionals. Soon these Tuesday Morning Commentaries, our breaking news and quarterly newsletters will be available to you both through this email distribution format but also as a blog. Be sure to follow me and the Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists™ on Twitter as well and be sure you have all the up-to-date information in the sponsorship world. We are excited about being in our 10th year. We are even more excited about what the future has to offer us, the industry and our clients.
So what further lessons are to be learned? One was pretty obvious and it was clear not from our perspective but that of a couple of clients. Recently I discussed with two clients about the need for them to move on! Both are Executive Directors of very successful sponsorship properties / charities. Both have taken their respective organizations to new heights over the past decade.
In my opinion they both need to look to building or engaging new leadership within their organizations to take them to the next level. We did this as a company in a small way three years ago when we hired professionals to operate and manage the Western Sponsorship Congress™. What I was able to do was at a limit. My expertise and time allocation was best spent outside of the operations and management of the Congress and eventually our Workshop Series.
As a result it has blossomed, grown by over 100% and is a better product for those that are sponsors and attending delegates. These two EDs need to understand that sometimes you need to let “your baby leave the nest” and allow others with different skills take the organization to the next level. It is best for them as individuals and also for the organizations long term.
Likewise recently I had three comments / queries from three different clients. All wanted to know where I thought they stood from an internal capacity perspective. Were they strong enough in a sales ability? Were they delivering properly to sponsors? Were they being analytical enough in their investments in sponsorship and activation programs? (One of the three clients was a brand / sponsor and the other two were selling properties.) What they needed (and we were able to deliver) was an internal audit. They needed to find out what staffing issues existed. They needed to know what they needed to do in the future to take their organization to the next level from a human capacity perspective. We are great at doing this. It is part of our core business.
So why were we not doing this with our own company?
We are! I am excited that we have further engaged more leadership and support to ourselves and our clients through additional industry leading staff. Our social media expert is well underway. We are looking at further market specific consultants to add to our team that will strengthen our depth for our clients as well as provide even more local market expertise in markets from Ontario through BC. We look to engaging a specialist in the areas of marketing and communications.
Our business development team will also grow as we add additional support and leadership in this area to ensure we can deliver even more timely proposals and opportunities to clients while ensuring the human capacity to deliver results for these new clients.
And finally we are looking at overall leadership and the roles for me and/or others to assist in taking the Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists™ to the next level as a company to better serve our client base in this next decade of our existence. It is important for all companies, non profits, charities, member organizations and brands to do this internal analysis within their organizations or departments. We recognize this and hope you all do as well.
Wow, we are a tween now. It feels pretty neat to grow up a little. Thank you for helping us reach our 10th year!
These are just one person’s thoughts. Yours are welcomed as well, so please email me at brent@partnershipgroup.ca and thank you for reading.
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President
Partnership Group – Sponsorship Specialists™
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