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Trials and Sponsorship

15K views 69 replies 35 participants last post by  helencalif 
#1 ·
So i'm thinking of asking my work to sponsor my field trial endeavors. I've heard of people getting their test fees paid this way. My question is since I work for the visitor's bureau for the city of little rock (im just a number cruncher) how's the best way to go about doing it? what aspects should i emphasize that would get the city of little rock's name out there? how do i convince them or sell my idea to them that it'd be worth while?

also if they agree to pay for entry fees would this then make me a pro? or would i still be an amateur?
 
#2 ·
So i'm thinking of asking my work to sponsor my field trial endeavors. I've heard of people getting their test fees paid this way. My question is since I work for the visitor's bureau for the city of little rock (im just a number cruncher) how's the best way to go about doing it? what aspects should i emphasize that would get the city of little rock's name out there? how do i convince them or sell my idea to them that it'd be worth while?

also if they agree to pay for entry fees would this then make me a pro? or would i still be an amateur?

Where may I ask have you heard of such a thing ? Their are sugar daddy type owners/benefactors, there are trust fund kids, there is a bank heiress,there are self made millionaires....and then a whole bunch of 50k millionaires :rolleyes:....

But asking some entity to sponsor your endeavor implies some kind of quid pro quo, so your amateur standing would probably come into question...at least it is in the world of golf..

as far as dealing with the city of Little Rock, they would ask what type of return would they receive on their investment..its not like the FT game is a televised event or carried in the sports page...and a small number of the absentee owners in the FT game have a net worth that could probably fund the some small cities
 
#3 · (Edited)
as we are a city municipality we dont see any return other than advertising the city. we make money by people coming to little rock and buying hotel rooms or buying food. we receive a 2% tax on said purchases. so the return would be getting Little Rock's name out into the public. we just launched a new re-branding phase. you may see some of our ads in southern living, food and wine, etc. or billboards on interstates. our whole goal is to promote little rock (and it's businesses) as a destination to visit

as far as where i have seen it well one gentleman in my training group has an arrangement with his employer. then i met another gentleman at our training ponds that was going to the grand and his employer just bought him 2 ruff tuff kennel fans and paying for the grand entry fees.

a more important question: if it does indeed make me a pro, am i right in that i could still run amateur (if indeed we make it there) since i would be both handler and owner
 
#4 ·
That would be more expensive advertisement than the Super Bowl since I have always gone out in the first.:p
I would think that a Strip Joint would be perfect for sponsorship, go hit up Platinum. Make sure the judges get some VIP passes prior to slipping the lead off though.
 
#7 · (Edited)
That stuff will go through the department that handles tourism, so that's where you would start. They are going to want to know how you plan to spread their name? Your jacket? truck? logos on the dog? Maybe a bandanna if it's a Golden? I don't know, but what exactly are people going to see? then they will want to know how many people per year/month/entry would see this "Advertising" you propose, and what the demographics of that audience are. They are advertising in relatively small publications with high end demographics based on the one you mentioned. The demographic of the field trial world definitely supports it but to pay $200-$400 bucks in entry fees and expenses to get you to an event with possibly 200 people may not make much sense. They are accustomed to paying rates that run $20-$40 per thousand exposures, or 2-4 CENTS per customer that sees the ad. You're asking them to pay more like $2 for each person. Keep in mind sponsoring kids sports or camps is seen as a good will gesture on their part vs. a pure advertising endeavor. Also, people wear t-shirts and other memorabilia for a long time so there is a lot more exposure for some of those sponsorship $ then you might have. Unless they like you a lot, it sounds challenging to me, but no good idea ever didn't seem challenging :)
 
#8 ·
That stuff will go through the department that handles tourism, so that's where you would start. They are going to want to know how you plan to spread their name? Your jacket? truck? logos on the dog? Maybe a bandanna if it's a Golden? I don't know but what exactly are people going to see? then they will want to know how many people per year/month/entry would see this "Advertising" you propose, and what the demographics of that audience are. They are advertising in relatively small publications with high end demographics based on the one you mentioned. The demographic of the field trial world definitely supports it but to pay $200-$400 bucks in entry fees and expenses to get you to an event with possibly 200 people may not make much sense. They are accustomed to paying rates that run $20-$40 per thousand exposures, or 2-4 CENTS per customer that sees the ad. You're asking them to pay more like $2 for each person. Keep in mind sponsoring kids sports or camps is seen as a good will gesture on their part vs. a pure advertising endeavor. Unless they like you a lot, it sounds challenging to me, but no good idea ever didn't seem challenging :)
we are the department of tourism for the city. and my plan was logo on the back of the jacket embrodiered with our website. car sticker, kennel sticker, flat buckle dog collar. and i wouldnt ask for expenses just entry fees. still i get your point in that you might be asking for $750 a year for 10 events where maybe 1500 people might see it. but the car sticker could be seen by hundreds per event in the 6-8 hour drive
 
#10 ·
You are really dreaming. But show me I'm wrong. I guess the economy hasn't hit Federal, City or municipal workers yet. It will. Universities, summer camps far cry from sponsoring an individual. I got to see this.
 
#11 ·
Never say never, and you won't know unless you ask, but you'll have some fairly difficult obstacles in your path. The first is that these events are not exactly spectator sports; the only ones in the gallery are usually there because they're also running dogs. The second is that you are talking about your city sponsoring you for an event that involves guns and the killing of animals; even if you're lucky enough not to have any gun control freaks or PETA disciples amongst the decision makers, blood sports are not exactly PC for the masses.

 
#14 ·
I`m wonderin if they would sponsor you for hunting season?Just think of all the ooser`s at the ramp at the boat race at BM........just thinkin ? Jim
 
#18 ·
I always think it's strange that well known cities or states spend money to advertise themselves. Meanwhile the schools are getting de-funded. The broken and broke state of California runs very expensive ads on television inviting people to come visit - They run the ads in California! Which is huge. Can only imagine the dollars spent on that while the rest of our budget goes down the toilet.

Sorry Blake, been hating that commercial and idea for a long time.

Good luck to you, though. Here are some parting words, however - have you run any trials yet? If not, may want to see how it goes. I and many others went out in the first 5 minutes. If someone had paid my way, I would have felt bad for them and embarrassed.
 
#21 · (Edited)
The little bit of money you are hoping to get from the sponsor wouldn't be enough, for me, to offset the disadvantage of losing amateur status in AKC field trials.

If you decide to go through with it, I suggest using chairs for your ads. Your chair is out there all day, even if you're not. The other ten people in the gallery notice this chair and the ad. Inevitably you will forget your chair at the event, somebody adopts the forgotten chair, you whip out a fresh chair...now you are up to 20 views!
 
#28 ·
blake,

don't just ask for a cheesy entry fee or two and the city's name on your handler's jacket or dog's lead, that does nothing from a marketing perspective.

ask for a colorful "truck wrap" like the tournament bass guys get. you could put little rock city pictures like "The Clinton Museum" etc. all over the truck. these things cost ~$2K and everyone looks at them. you will be making advertising impressions not only at a limited audience field trial event but everywhere you go, everyday.

then tell them that in order to capitalize on the questions you will get from the "killer paint job" on the truck you will need a "mobile outdoor trade show" trailer booth. attach a proposal from a company in iowa called ainley who will fashion this mobile promotion center with an awning, back drop and foldout table. the trade show trailer can also have drawers and cabinets for your tourist and promotional materials for the city as well as onboard refrigeration for complimentary drinks and snacks for all the people inquiring about the city. this outdoor event center will also be able to transport your dogs too! the cost of a custom 4 hole trailer like we are talking about might be ~$10k. i can assure you the marketing director has paid more for portable trade show booths that are only used a few days a year. you will be using yours all the time!

in your application note that you are asking for $12k in up front one time capital costs that can be depriciated over five years($12k/5yrs= $2.4k/yr) and another $3.5k in annual expenses for fuel and entry fees. that is $5.9k total per year. then show that you will be driving 20 thousand miles per year and that statisics show that your vehicle will be seen and noticed by an average of 40 people per mile for 800k advertising impressions per year. this yeilds and adv cost per impression of point seven cents per impression. correspondingly an outdoor billboard on a 25,000 car per day interstate gives over 750k impressions a month and costs $4k monthly. the billboard is slightly cheaper per impression but cannot hand out individualized information and entertain tourists with drinks and snacks.

i had a bitch make the derby list last year and i shaved a "for sale" sign with my phone number on both sides to be visible when she ran. i didn't get one call off of that! don't spend the money on this ineffective form of advertising!

go in BIG with a plan or don't go in at all!!!!!!!
 
#31 ·
Okay was not going to get in to this but I will say this Blake is a relative newbie to FT and I have met him and he seems like a real good guy. I can't speak for him but I don't think his intentions are as bad as they may seem or the way some of you are portraying them to be. I will also say this there are worse politics between judges and handlers and people that are supposed to be amateur but we all know there are loop holes in that process. If the city if Little Rock says its worth it to them to get there name out there then what difference does it make to you. He pays his taxes just like everybody else he's just trying to get some back. Don't you wish you could? And to say that he is trying to run a scheme or scam money out of any body is BS. That would imply that he would be lying to get money which he is not so maybe some people should think before they go trying to run somebody's character down that they don't know. People seam to want to do that while sitting behind a computer screen. Joking and kidding around are one thing but out right slander is another.

B I would say that if you intend on running FT and amateurs then pass on this idea. Because sponsorship and HT doesn't really come in to play because there is no meaning behind some being am or pro. Because technically you would be compensated for training and running that dog no matter wether you own it or not.

Also just know that on this site you have to have some thick skin. They are not overly receptive to new guys and some can be a$$'$ some times. Get with me and come train next weekend.
 
#35 ·
blake.
under my proposed scenario your would be travel would be as an employee of the city. you would be going places as an ambassador on promotional trips. let the city pay for your travel and lodging to the next "approved destination"(out of state trial). you pay your own entry fees for the weekend @ $80/dog. you are not a professional you are simply running a dog in a trial incedental to your work for the city.

i don't think anyone would would not let you run an am based on that. it would be like telling some am who was judging the open who might have their fuel and lodging paid for by the club, that they couldn't run their young dog in the derby on friday without sacrificing am status?(does this happen? idk?)
 
#36 ·
I hope I'm not the only one here who would be outraged if I found out a dime on my tax $ was subsidising a govt employee's hoby.

Sorry Blake , IMHO the fact that you would even consider asking is indicative of the problems we have in this country.

Bert
 
#45 ·
Ken I would say not at all the same thing because that would imply theft. I wouldn't in any way think you to be a blind beggar and in no way is he stealing from anybody. It would be no different than a billboard or commercial for the city.

Glen on the note of another stupid a$$ comment no one will have to worry about my opinion any longer. And trust me I don't post much and I will not be missed and like wise I will not miss this site so long.
 
#47 ·
This is just my opinion, but I travel a lot for slowpitch softball tournaments i know its not exactly the same thing but we ask local businesses for sponsorships. We have never asked a city but you could try local shops and stuff that would be interested in sponsoring you and your dog. What we do for everyone that donates money is put their name or logo on our jerseys for the year and if we win money at the tourneys we refund them. Just my .02
 
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