Another thread has brought up some suggestions for raising sponsorship money for tournaments. This sport will not reach the level of other professional sports until businesses believe the base is large engough to sustain the cost of marketing to disc golfers. This cost is generally as sponsorship. What I would like to do is get some input and suggestions of other ways to develop sponsorship. To start the conversation here is some of the things that I have done:

- CFR program, with several local vendors selling a few of the discs at their stores for a low level sponorship.
- Cash for name on T-Shirt, listing in program and hole sponsor
- I have tried to sell the tournament name, but have not had any sponsors come in at a what I believe the value of that is.
- Merchandise from stores, which is paid out to the am divisions and the generated cash is put back into the open divisions

Any other suggestions?

Minnesota has generated over $2000 each year toward the MN Majestic from a tax on several leagues starting in the prior November ($1 per person). This has been going on for almost 10 years now.

Give a commission to the people that are willing to get out and beat the streets looking for it. This is a win-win situation. The player gets some cash or free entry or both and the tourney gets money it otherwise would not have had. This should also bring out those that are true salesman since most salesman love the challenge if they are getting rewarded for it.

Also, alot of tournies try to sell for too much money and dont settle for less. Don't turn anyone down, make a deal. This sport isnt big and the people buying ad space etc are not getting alot for the money so don't charge them so much money. You arent going to get $5000 for a title sponsor to a 100 player event with nearly zero spectators. A $300 title sponsor is much better then not having the $300 at all.

In Tulsa, the club collects $1 from every entry into all of our weekely mini tournamnets and we generally have 7 each week. We also collect 20% of the CTP pot from each event. In addition to this Dave Nicholson holds a monthly night golf event called MMFMM (http://www.tulsadiscsports.org/mmfmm.html) that generates around $5 from each player and 3 nights a month they have poker matches that also generate money. All of this combined allows the Tulsa club to continue upgrading courses, sponsor tournamnets and donate to local charities. With the biggest donation going to the Oklahoma Open. Just the monthly night golf event donates on average $1500 per year to the double O.

We have an apartment complex in town here with a 12-hole course there. They pay $500/yr to have a web bannner on our site and also 2 banners hung at 4 tournaments per year. $500 is mice nuts for advertising to an apartment complex.

What got me thinking about approaching them was that they had something unique that appealed to the niche demographic of DGers. I am in the process of brainstorming for other companies where that synergy exists. I have some other ideas locally, but people in each town would have to brainstorm about their local companies.

I am wondering about something like Merrill shoes. DG'ers love them. If the PDGA got a $10K sponsorship from them and some banners and other advertizing, they could give around $500 to each NT and M-Tier event.

Dick's sporting goods is a national chain that carries discs. What about approaching them? Maybe somebody is already doing these national level things.

Give a commission to the people that are willing to get out and beat the streets looking for it. This is a win-win situation. The player gets some cash or free entry or both and the tourney gets money it otherwise would not have had. This should also bring out those that are true salesman since most salesman love the challenge if they are getting rewarded for it.



This is a really good idea!

One key I think to add to this is that once you have a sponsor, appeciate them. Give them pictures of their advertsing at the event, stop by to say hi several times a year, make sure DG'ers mention that they are DG'ers when they use the sponsors services, etc.

It is much easier to get a current sponsor to renew than to find a brand new on.

My brother Jon is taking the Zen approach:

"When the sport is ready, the sponsor will appear."

While we are working on getting the sport ready, we would also like to thank the sponsor of IOS #2, Hot Rags (http://www.hotrags.com)!

I like the commission idea also. However, very often members of local clubs object to anyone getting money for their work, while they are volunteering for free. My thought is that getting sponsorship dollars is the toughest job in disc golf and that if you have to pay to get someone to do it, then pay them.

It can get complicated, though. For example, does the sponsor-getter get a percent of dollar value of in-kind donations? What about new sponsorship money from previous sponsors? I'm in a hurry, so I am not writing more about that but it *does get tricky.*

The MFA has had a standing 10% commission since the early 90s for those bringing in sponsor $$$. Not everyone takes their commission but the policy at least acknowledges their effort.

The commission is a good idea, but I run a charity event and have had several sponsors that wanted to minimize the money going any place accept the charity. The policy I have used, and explained to the sponsors, is 40% to the charity, 40% to the tournament and 20% to tournament costs. The commisson could come out of the 20%, that would work well. By the way, the 20% covers brochure and placard costs first, course modifications for the tournment second, player's package last. If there is any money left, the remainder goes back into the Open payout.

I think designing a good package to present to sponsors, and thinking through a variety of ways to accomodate folks, is the key here. Its also nice to be able to do the sponsorship pitch when the economy is kicking along. The flow of local dollars to DG around here waxes and wanes with the economy. Mostly wanes, as a recent trend at least.

Develop a nice multi-tiered rewards plan from the smallest to the biggest fish you hope to land. Each level adds to the last, so folks know which "perks" to expect and can see clearly the alternatives offered. Be sure to roll in-kind donations into the mix.

Here are a few things which are pretty easy to offer:

Logo on shirts (you've got that)
+ premium spaces (sleeve, pocket logos)
Logo on various other merch items
(premium "give away" discs, tourney coffee mugs, cup holders, etc)
Event Poster ads/logos
Program ads (various sizes)
Logo/recognition in post event DVD (that you'll submit to DGL)
Hole sponsorship tee signs (maybe for one event, or whole series, year round, etc)
+ bonus: final 9 route tee signs
Club Newsletter ads
National DG ads (logo in a magazine ad, for example)
Website ads/links/promotions
Banner(s)
+ for a single event (the big NT one, maybe)
+ or for every event, every weekly league, etc
Special CTP feature/games feature
Event title sponsor
Event presenting sponsor
Round sponsor
scorecard ad sponsor (can be year round at local courses)

Also, consider a sponsorship campaign to be a year-long offering. Pimp/promote/involve sponsors at every local event, not just the big ones. This gives sponsors the understanding that their bucks have some longitude, not just for one w/e a year.

Remember to consider the variable motives of sponsors. i.e. a non-local online DG retailer would favor one sort of a package, vs. what a local restaurant might consider favorable.

Work all the angles but try to think of sponsors who have a vested interest in your event. Party stores and restaurants near the park(s) are a great resource. Consider approaching anyone who has a good or service you could use - don't necessarily even ask for cash if you can think of a good pitch for some in-kind assistance. ( i.e. a bottled water supplier, a party store with a huge freezer for all the ice he's giving you). Also remember some retailers have excellend corporate support they can call in on occasion (maybe getting a couple dozen banners done - featuring their logo, of course - but costing you nothing).

Been a while since I did much of this, sorry for rambling.

Oh yeah, getting Disc Golf Live on the air helps, too.

Joe

I got Karl Strauss Brewery to cover almost the whole cost of the player pack discs by putting their logo into the hotstamp artwork.

My brother Jon is taking the Zen approach:

"When the sport is ready, the sponsor will appear."

While we are working on getting the sport ready, we would also like to thank the sponsor of IOS #2, Hot Rags (http://www.hotrags.com)!



I think the sport is ready for some sponsorship but it is more of the knocking on doors and getting $50 here, a couple hundred there, etc. It's not the big sponsorship that is going to create a professional tour with a bunch of professional touring players.

I don't have the salesperson type mentality to drive a sponsorship drive. The person who thinks that anyone can go out and sell sponsorship for a tournament has the same type of dilusion as the person who thinks that anyone can be a professional rated disc golfer if they just practice enough.

I wish that TDs had ratings...then people could go "click, click, OK, back, back" rather than "click, click, OH!, back back!"

I like the commission idea also. However, very often members of local clubs object to anyone getting money for their work, while they are volunteering for free. My thought is that getting sponsorship dollars is the toughest job in disc golf and that if you have to pay to get someone to do it, then pay them.

It can get complicated, though. For example, does the sponsor-getter get a percent of dollar value of in-kind donations? What about new sponsorship money from previous sponsors? I'm in a hurry, so I am not writing more about that but it *does get tricky.*



First I would say, the local members that have an issue need to step back into reality.

No doubt that there are other issues that arise like in-kind merch etc. I would think this would be a case by case thing and the commission would be based on what the TD valued the donation at and/ or offered free entry fee for X amount of merch. or somehting like that.

As far as returning sponsors, I think that would be dependant upon wheteher the same person got them back on for the next year and/or maybe split the commissions with whoever initially got the sponsor on board.

One thing to remmebr, the club or TD has to be salesmen too. Even if they are not beating the streets or whatever they need to be out selling the commission deal to the players. A standing offer isnt good enough, you will have to go get the people to do it and sale them on the idea. That should be much easier on the TD or club then trying to sell packages to businesses owned by people they are not familiar with.

The commission is a good idea, but I run a charity event and have had several sponsors that wanted to minimize the money going any place accept the charity. The policy I have used, and explained to the sponsors, is 40% to the charity, 40% to the tournament and 20% to tournament costs. The commisson could come out of the 20%, that would work well. By the way, the 20% covers brochure and placard costs first, course modifications for the tournment second, player's package last. If there is any money left, the remainder goes back into the Open payout.



The thing to remember is that this is money and sponsors that would not be on board otherwise so paying a commission can't hurt anything. It isnt taking away from the event or charity donation since it would not have been there without the deal.

I have always been told to ask for the world and settle for less when it comes to sponsorship. DG is not worth much right now so keep the packages low cost. Much better to have $100 then no dollars no matter what. If you just cant seem to get any sponsors then give a company title sponsorship for next to nothing and ask for more the next year. You gotta start somewhere, might as well get a foot in the door if you can't get anything more then that.

I could never sell all the tee-signs for SoCal events when the price was $50 a pop. I kept lowering prices until they would all sell, and the right price around here seems to be $30 for a teesign with a combo deal of "tee-sign and a CFR/InnColor for $50" leading the way to selling them all.

At that price the players buy them all up. But some money is better than no money.

One thing to remmebr, the club or TD has to be salesmen too. Even if they are not beating the streets or whatever they need to be out selling the commission deal to the players.



For those with experience in this: Would most club members really get into busting their butts raising sponsorship money to boost payout for some expert out-of-towners? We seem to have a lot more club members who are into things for the cameraderie and local competition than being close followers of the PDGA.

One idea to make it an easier sell to those types might be to do fundraisers to get permanent hole sponsorship for regular holes on the courses in town. That would free up funds that the club would use for other things and allow the club to be a more significant sponsor of the tournament.

One thing to remmebr, the club or TD has to be salesmen too. Even if they are not beating the streets or whatever they need to be out selling the commission deal to the players.



For those with experience in this: Would most club members really get into busting their butts raising sponsorship money to boost payout for some expert out-of-towners? We seem to have a lot more club members who are into things for the cameraderie and local competition than being close followers of the PDGA.

One idea to make it an easier sell to those types might be to do fundraisers to get permanent hole sponsorship for regular holes on the courses in town. That would free up funds that the club would use for other things and allow the club to be a more significant sponsor of the tournament.



Yearly sponsorship for tees is the way to go IMO.

Will most members want to bust their butt to get those sponsors? Simple answer is no, most won't, some can't** and most don't have to bust their butt. I would think that if they are getting a pinch then they would atleast get off the fence on whether they should ask their buddy who owns a company, ask their boss, aunt, uncle, or sponsor themslelves at what would be a reduced rate basically(package price minus commission).

**(when I say some can't I mean people like me....i just cant seem to do it no matter how much I try. My best sales pitch sound something like..." Ummm, would you uhhh ummm, would you like to sponsor....uhhh, this uhhh, disc golf event? Uhhhh ummm we ummm uhhhh [wipe sweat off brow] uhhh have 4 packages....ummmm uhhh...uh....ummm...uhhhhh [run out the door with tail between legs never to be seen by them again] ) :D

We have offered a 10% deal with our club. When we raise funds for our annual tournament, the players can get 10% of the credit for funds raised. If they get $500.00, then they get $50.00 towards their tournament entry fee. Doesn't dilute the funds, offers incentive to the players.

One year, approached the local Budwiser distributor. We got $500.00 cash towards the pro purse, and kegs of beer for after the Saturday round, and they came out and put up their 40foot inflatable bottle.

We sell T-sign sponsorship for $50.00 and most any contribution gets a logo on the back of the tourny t-shirt. The bigger the donation, the bigger the logo.

As a "poster" said, once we're appealing to the non-disc community at the grassroots level, obtaining major sponsors will be a lot easier.

For our 2006 Skylands Classic NT event, sponsored by the Brooklyn Brewery, we are partnering with a local prominent radio station. Our club will be partnering with FOX 96.7 / 103.1 FM, which serves the Lower Hudson Valley of NY, the northeastern corner of PA, and the northwestern corner of NJ, all within a 30-mile radius of the Warwick (NY) course. They will run Public Service Announcements (PSA's) for a lengthy time period prior to our tourney in July. Any major sponsor, for example Brooklyn Brewery, will have their name mentioned frequently on the air. The Brooklyn Brewery will get great value on the air by virtue of their sponsorship. We have also created various other sponsorship tiers, with the higher-valued packages entitling the sponsor to various types and quantities of radio spots. Part of the sponsor dollars goes to the radio station, who is offering discounted ad rates from what an advertiser would normally pay. Part of the sponsor dollars goes towards our event.

This is the first year we're trying this so I don't have figures yet on how successful we will be. Now it'll be up to our volunteers to hit the pavement with professionally-prepared sponsor packages loaded with information on our sport.

Another route that I believe has potential is partnering with a local charity. many times they have connections with the media and corporations that will be beneficial for all parties involved.

The key is to create mutliple-party partnerships that result in win-win situations for all. By aligning complementary entities every partner in the chain has something to offer that the other partners don't have but want to acquire, while all partners have something to gain. The sponsor gets exposure, creates goodwill, and gives dollars. The charity may offer key contacts, perhaps has media contacts, can offer some adminsitrative and advertising assistance, and receives some of the sponsor dollars. A media partner like a radio station offers exposure, perhaps discounted advertising, and can spread the word about the sport to the grassroots level, and perhaps gets some listeners and some future prospects for advertising.

Some great ideas here so far. The tiered level sponsorship approach can be great to offer a wider range of opportunities to a wider range of potential sponsors.
One of the HUGE lessons learned at Iowa Worlds was that the tier seperation needs to be significant if the sponsorship level increases by more than $100 per tier. We had several potential $500 sponsors opt for the $250 level because there was not enough enticement in return to make that next tier more appealing.