As an active member in two chambers of commerce it was only a matter of time before I was “persuaded” to help organize the golf outing for one of the chambers. After a little wrist twisting and fun I elected to join the committee. Being on the committee was a great experience. I never knew how much work went into putting one of these outings together! It was well worth the effort.
In any economy it can be difficult to get sponsors; today’s economy only makes it more difficult. I wanted to try and make this job easier in the future. I gave this task some thought and really tried to turn the tables around. What would I want as a sponsor? I get my name on a hole; I get mentioned in the program materials, I get to pass out my literature, etc. All common place for a golf outing. I looked at other outings to get ideas. There really weren’t too many unique value propositions for being a sponsor. So I decided to create one.
Unless you have chosen to be an interactive participant (sponsoring a contest or drinks at a hole) the biggest benefit of being a sponsor is getting your name in front of everyone’s eyes. You do this at the hole you sponsor, on the banners thanking the sponsors, in the program, etc. I wanted to find a way to give unique value here.
We elected to spend more. Yes, I said more. We spent more money on signs for the golf outing. I wasn’t 100% sure it would work but the committee and I thought it may be a great idea. Here is what we did:
1. Created hole sponsorship signs that were full color and had a very professional look
2. Created sponsorship banners that were in full color and were larger than normal.
3. Created a series of signs to support our Wild West Theme.
The sponsorship banners provided WOW factor. Each sponsor could be clearly seen and their logo was captured in its entirety and in full color. The signs we created to support the theme really paid off (wanted posters for our Wild West theme). People engaged with the signs, they enjoyed seeing them and talking about them. They really helped keep people in the theme of the outing. The engagement level of the participants was high.
The sponsorship signs were a huge hit! Instead of hoarding them and trying to save money for next year we offered them as a gift to our sponsor. They were excited to have them! They wanted to take them back to their offices and proudly display them for all of their employees and customers to see. At this time we asked each sponsor if they would be interested in signing up for next year. The response was amazing, about 80% of the sponsors re upped on the spot! We can’t wait to see if we end up at 90 or 95% retention rate for sponsorship for next year’s event.
We tried to make our sponsors feel valued and special. We cared for their brand as much as they cared for their brand. We helped make them look good at the outing. They felt it! And they showed their appreciation by signing up as sponsor in 2011!
If you need help with your outing please give us a call, we can ship anywhere! (630) 289-7082
This tee sign becomes a great give away to your sponsor, they can proudly display this in their office.
