Discussion: Orienteering USA Sponsorships & Marketing Partnerships + Third Party Operator Opportunities
in: Orienteering; General
Nov 11, 2010 3:26 PM
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All,
Usually, I would post this to my log, but I wanted to cast a little wider net. I wanted to focus (and provide news) on two pieces of business: sponsorships and third party operators:
SPONSORSHIP
As we all know one of the mission critical initiatives of Orienteering USA is to raise funds thorugh sponsorship nad marketing partnerships. While we have had some initial success, we still have a long way to go.
Earlier today I sent out the 2011 sponsorship packet to the Boardnet and Clubnet list. In addition, I will ask Janet to post it to the Tweet section of www.orienteeringusa.org. I encourage you to (1) call me with questions, (2) call me with leads if you have any (3) forward this document to interested parties. In addtion if you or your company is interested in speaking with me regarding establishment a relationship I welcome your call.
As we move forward with marketing partnerships, it is the position of Orienteering USA not to accept category exclusive arrangements when it comes to businesses closely related to orienteering...including retailers, mappers, third party operators, etc. Our postion is that these companies have been friends of the sport and USOF/ Orienteering USA for a long time and it would not be fair to arbitrarily exclude any of our partners, assuming that they want to continue to work with us.
Moving forward, I welcome your questions, leads and business.
THIRD PARTY OPERATORS
Last April, the Board of Directors approved a policy permitting third party operators to run sanctioned events under Orienteering USA guidelines. A copy of this policy can be found on the website www.orienteeringusa.org.
In recent months, I have begun to receive multiple inquiries from area convention and visitors bureaus and sports commissions (whose areas may have maps but no current active club) regarding holding sanctioned oreinteering events in their area. In many cases these organizations have developoment funds to help bring new sports to the area.
If you firm is interested in being placed on a Third Party Operator list, please send me an email with you key contact information as well as areas of the country you would be interested in focusing on.
Thanks
Glen
Usually, I would post this to my log, but I wanted to cast a little wider net. I wanted to focus (and provide news) on two pieces of business: sponsorships and third party operators:
SPONSORSHIP
As we all know one of the mission critical initiatives of Orienteering USA is to raise funds thorugh sponsorship nad marketing partnerships. While we have had some initial success, we still have a long way to go.
Earlier today I sent out the 2011 sponsorship packet to the Boardnet and Clubnet list. In addition, I will ask Janet to post it to the Tweet section of www.orienteeringusa.org. I encourage you to (1) call me with questions, (2) call me with leads if you have any (3) forward this document to interested parties. In addtion if you or your company is interested in speaking with me regarding establishment a relationship I welcome your call.
As we move forward with marketing partnerships, it is the position of Orienteering USA not to accept category exclusive arrangements when it comes to businesses closely related to orienteering...including retailers, mappers, third party operators, etc. Our postion is that these companies have been friends of the sport and USOF/ Orienteering USA for a long time and it would not be fair to arbitrarily exclude any of our partners, assuming that they want to continue to work with us.
Moving forward, I welcome your questions, leads and business.
THIRD PARTY OPERATORS
Last April, the Board of Directors approved a policy permitting third party operators to run sanctioned events under Orienteering USA guidelines. A copy of this policy can be found on the website www.orienteeringusa.org.
In recent months, I have begun to receive multiple inquiries from area convention and visitors bureaus and sports commissions (whose areas may have maps but no current active club) regarding holding sanctioned oreinteering events in their area. In many cases these organizations have developoment funds to help bring new sports to the area.
If you firm is interested in being placed on a Third Party Operator list, please send me an email with you key contact information as well as areas of the country you would be interested in focusing on.
Thanks
Glen
Nov 17, 2010 1:02 PM
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Did anybody notice the part about becoming a sponsor and sponsoring an A meet? I don't particularly like how the club hosting the meet is required to put logos on the maps, yet will see no revenue from the sponsorship. For many clubs, A meets represent a large part of their yearly income, and while I recognize that OUSA needs money too, the club already has to pay OUSA a hefty overhead for each competitor. Seems like double dipping. If the club is to put the logo on the map/website/etc, it would be fair to have some of the sponsorship money going to the club, no? Maybe I'm reading it wrong, but it seems (like so much in orienteering) a bit unfair.
Overall, I like the look of the sponsorship packet. Just unsure of the content in the A meet section. Thanks, Glen!
Overall, I like the look of the sponsorship packet. Just unsure of the content in the A meet section. Thanks, Glen!
Nov 17, 2010 4:15 PM
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How can the clubs object? Isn't this "found" money, that didn't exist before? Unlike Europe, I don't remember seeing logos on any US maps...did any club ever develop significant sponsorship income on its own?
Up until now, the clubs have had all the money-making opportunity, OUSA has had none. The clubs have earned revenue by holding meets, selling shirts, renting SI sticks, selling maps, etc. If a club needed more money, it held more meets, raised entry fees, mapped more areas. But USOF, and now OUSA had no similar direct income sources. In order to exist, they've had to assess the clubs.
As I understand it, with the hiring of an Executive Director, all this has changed. OUSA will begin to develop its own income by "selling" the sport (and us too) to a national audience. I agree with you acjospe; the coming commercialization of the sport has me concerned also. But we've tacitly endorsed this new program, and it has been underway for more than a year.
The 2011 OUSA Budget contemplates increasing sponsorship income 400%, from $2000 in 2010 to $10 000 in 2011, with another $1000 of new money coming in from "Third Party Sanctioning fees."
And far from expecting any kickback from OUSA, the clubs will be asked for even greater payments: club dues paid to OUSA will be raised 40% from $27k to $38k, respectively. Which probably means most clubs should either plan to raise their own meet fees, or do more to raise meet attendance, so they can pay OUSA their assessment increase.
Up until now, the clubs have had all the money-making opportunity, OUSA has had none. The clubs have earned revenue by holding meets, selling shirts, renting SI sticks, selling maps, etc. If a club needed more money, it held more meets, raised entry fees, mapped more areas. But USOF, and now OUSA had no similar direct income sources. In order to exist, they've had to assess the clubs.
As I understand it, with the hiring of an Executive Director, all this has changed. OUSA will begin to develop its own income by "selling" the sport (and us too) to a national audience. I agree with you acjospe; the coming commercialization of the sport has me concerned also. But we've tacitly endorsed this new program, and it has been underway for more than a year.
The 2011 OUSA Budget contemplates increasing sponsorship income 400%, from $2000 in 2010 to $10 000 in 2011, with another $1000 of new money coming in from "Third Party Sanctioning fees."
And far from expecting any kickback from OUSA, the clubs will be asked for even greater payments: club dues paid to OUSA will be raised 40% from $27k to $38k, respectively. Which probably means most clubs should either plan to raise their own meet fees, or do more to raise meet attendance, so they can pay OUSA their assessment increase.
Nov 17, 2010 4:53 PM
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If OUSA is doing all the legwork to secure sponsors, then it seems totally fair that OUSA would get the lion's share of the sponsors' funding, even if logos are placed on the local clubs' A-meet maps. I'm not at all offended or bothered by seeing sponsor logos on a map or website, nor am I concerned about this type of "commercialization"; logos on a map won't affect my experience in the woods and, in fact, this all seems like a big step forward.
Nov 17, 2010 5:10 PM
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If clubs want to cash in on this kind of thing, it's not that hard. I walked into a local outdoors shop and got them to offer $500 in exchange for printing their logo on our maps for a year. We didn't take them up their offer (don't ask, grrr), but I was amazed that people hadn't done this before.
This discussion thread is closed.