uh... did we all read thet brooks sponsored the londond tournament... uh... can we ask them!?!?!
Bicycle/cykel/自行車/das Fahrrad/polkupyörä/bicicletta/bicicleta/reiðhjól/fiets/يَرْكَبُ درّاجة هوائ
Tournament Sponsors
It looks like some of the bigger tourneys are getting some sort of
sponsorship. How is this coming about, are companies approaching the
organizers or the other way around. What kind of sponsorships are you
getting? Cash? Prizes? Shwag?
What kind of sponsors are you trying to attract to the game?
pabst has sponsored several seattle and porland tournaments for years. you definitely have to go to them.
I'm not sure how it works outside of florida, but PBR will sponsor almost anything cool if you ask a rep nicely. I got them to sponsor a BBQ at my work and they gave away something like 350 beers and a ton of free schwag.
...I could never get dough out of them though.
http://www.myspace.com/orlandobikepolo
We've been working on a beer sponsor for the NACCC/NABPC, but the flaming hoops wrapped in red tape we'd have to jump through to have beer at the park are many and at varying heights over a very-deep-possibly-bottomless-pit, at the bottom there are pointy spikes. and piranhas. lots of piranhas. damn parks dept.
The parties however, are fair game for beers...
in short, it's in the works. we'll make it happen.
i would much rather have a good supply of water and maybe some gatorade or something at the courts then beer.
Pabst gave us cash for the fall MWBPC tourney as well as general sponsorship cash.
just be friends with the rep! Christian is the shit!
no dice nyc...MKE!
In St Louis, we're starting to concern ourselves with hosting the 5th Mid Wests. Currently we're concentrating on food and drink courtside and the afterparty/awards. Prizes, t-shirts, and giveaways are secondary.
The pitch to small local business is pretty informal. They are bike shops, deli's, and bars we go to anyway and have relationships with the owners or staff. If you want to attract big money sponsors, for your team's travel funds or a discrete event, you'll benefit from having a media packet.
Get the creative people in your scene to make a video or a slideshow or a great looking flyer/web document with links to the attention bike polo has gotten in your local press and/or nationally. Personalize a cover letter to each would-be sponsor's PR dep't and mail that stuff to them. Follow it up with a phone call or a visit. Remember to stress the advertising advantage to them: stickers on wheel guards, logos on event materials (flyers, courtside banners, etc.), a captive market of event participants (if it's a bike related product or company). Be professional.
Understand that big companies that sponsor local stuff habitually do so on a quarterly financial schedule. If you start talking to them a month before you want their product, money, or help they may or may not be able to. But keep up with them and they may be able to help you out in 3, 6 or 12 months.
Chicago Bike Polo 2003-2008
St Louis Bike Polo 2008-now
We're still working on sponsorships for NACCC's/NABPC.
any contacts with sponsors from past events would be greatly appreciated.
-OHio (Chicago)
coffee, whiskey, beer. repeat.