Interview  with the CEO of the Motorsports Marketing Firm, Just Marketing

        

Back in April we drove in the lead vehicle (Ford Mustang) for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Indianapolis. Afterwards, we stopped by the Ford display to check out their sponsorship activation at the event.

Ford has sponsored the Race for Cure since 1995 and has raised $105 million to the cause www.fordcares.com. But it is more than just raising funds for the people at Ford Motor Company . They work hard to promote breast caner awareness and early detection. Ford created Warriors in Pink to help fight against breast cancer and in a single year alone it can garner one billion media impressions.  Over 50,000 Ford employees have participated along with thousands of dealers around the country throughout the life of this project.

We started by going through the line to pick up information which Ford used the assistance of the 500 Festival Princesses (each year a Princess is crowned Queen in Indianapolis for the Indy 500 race in May). Ford gave out free bandanas that displayed different symbols of the warrior. We also received information on the 12 different types of warrior symbols. Each symbol had a different meaning. (example: Heart shape represented those who stand strong with loved ones who battle the disease; Feather shape represented kinship.) You could identify with the symbol that best represents your situation. We also received a Warrior’s in Pink color merchandise brochure and information on how to win a 2011 Mustang V6. You register for the 2011 Mustang by texting the name of the symbol that best represents you to 4FORD (43673) and your entered for a chance to win (no purchase necessary). That promotion ends on 11/09/10.

Ford sold Warriors in Pink merchandise on site with 100% of the net proceeds going to Susan G. Komen for the Cure. There was a Ford Fusion Hybrid on display.

The website is www.fordcares.com which they did a good job of displaying on-site. You can find out all about Warriors in Pink, register for the race in your area, purchase merchandise, get health tips and they also have a viral element to the site. You can personally design a symbolic patch to be sewn in to the Warriors in Pink virtual quilt and add your message of support. To help with awareness, you can also send pink ecards, download screensavers. Facebook (39,399 fans) and Twitter  (369 followers) links are on the website. People that stopped by the exhibit were able to create a :15 video describing what symbol they were to be posted on Facebook or YouTube.

The participant numbers for the race in Indianapolis are over 30K and probably more. People are finishing the 5K race as some are just crossing the starting line.

www.twitter.com/warriorsinpink1

www.facebook.com/fordwarriorsinpink

        

Earlier this month the ABA (American Basketball Association) held a press conference in Las Vegas and announced a partnership with The Parmon Group, a Signapore based investment holding company to form ABA Global LLC. The Parmon Group is chaired by sports philanthropist Paul Monocza and they are investing a reported $200 million in a worldwide expansion of the league.

The ABA was known for its colorful red, white and blue ball, the three point shot and for producing stars like Dr. J, Artis Gilmore, George "The Iceman" Gervin and Moses Malone. The league was acquired in 1976 by the NBA and it produced the Indiana Pacers, San Antonio Spurs, New Jersey Nets and Denver Nuggets. (visit www.remembertheaba.com other facts about the past)

In 2000, the original ABA co-founder Richard P. Tinkham and Joe Newman out of Indianapolis, Indiana, acquired the rights from the NBA and brought back the ABA with eight teams. Today the league boasts having 50 teams including teams in China. Visit www.abalive.com to see the latest news. Will the NBA ever have a franchise outside of the US? Is the ABA on to something here?

        

It is well documented that ticket sales are down in professional sports. This can be said for MLS, MLB and so far with the NBA to name a few. The economy has made the competition for the consumer's entertainment dollar even tougher. The event promoter or manager should look to more participant based sporting events like running. Daniel Kaplan, staff writer with the Sports Business Journal, wrote an article about the strength of the sport of distance running. He sited some well know running brands and pointed out that sponsorship, participant numbers and the registration fees are increasing in a tough economy. We could not agree more from what we have seen this year especially in the increase of participant numbers and the fees people are willing to pay. Sponsorship success might have more to do with the event organizers ability to sell, activate and execute. The article points out that running does attract a high-end demographic and the healthy lifestyles of the participants are also attractive for sponsors. Participant numbers seem to be stronger for half and full marathons even though we have seen the smaller distance races see growth as well. The November Monumental Marathon in Indianapolis doubled in number for the half and full marathons over last year. There other half and full marathons in the Indy area have all remained strong as well.

        

Inside IBJ's Chris Katterjohn interviews the President and CEO of the 2012 Super Bowl host committee, Allison Melangton. The 2012 Super Bowl will be in Indianapolis, Indiana and you can follow all the latest news at www.our2012sb.com. 

Download | Duration: 00:20:38

        

The 54th Annual IFEA Convention & Expo took place in downtown Indianapolis at the Marriott from September 21-25. Individuals and organizations from across the country gathered to network and exchange ideas and tackle topics like understanding the power of social media, dealing with a changing event sponsorship environment, ensuring environmental responsibility for events and redefining the economic and social impact of financially troubled governments. Other topics included discussions on technology, event operations, marketing/branding and event leadership.

Some of the sports organizations that were represented at the convention included the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, IEG, Kentucky Derby Festival, Pasadena Tournament of Roses, The Alamo Bowl, Singpore Sports Council, The Indiana Pacers and the Finish Line to name a few. The Expo had just under 80 exhibitors at our count with event suppliers and vendors that included Insurance companies, float builders, security, photography, entertainment, software, sound and staging, decor, fireworks and much more. The Social events included an opening night reception sponsored by the 500 Festival and an IFEA Foundation Night at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame. Just about everyone seemed to leave the Speedway with an auction item or two. Sequence was involved in a panel discussion on challenges and opportunities facing Parade producers since we are involved with three different Parades. It was amazing to hear that the Pasadena Tournament of Roses pays out $1 million to their city agenices. The event was a great forum to exchange ideas, hear about trends in the event marketplace and network. It was good to have this event so close to home and we would encourage your organization to attend sometime. More information on IFEA can be found on their website http://www.ifea.com/joomla1_5/.

        

The Tom Wood Scion Skate Jam takes place on Saturday, July 25, 2009 at Major Taylor Skate Park in Indianapolis from 12pm to 5pm. The event is a local skateboarding competition for beginner, intermediate and advanced skill levels.

Participants can pre-registered by downloading a registration form and mailing it in by July 23rd or registering the day of the event at 10:30am. Spectator admission is FREE. Complete event information is at www.skateparkjam.com.

        

I was part of a Twitter chat (#eventprofs) this week and Rachel Golbus, Editor in Chief of Events Solutions Magazine, was the featured guest. Rachel shared some tips for those looking to gain press for their events, products, small business or whatever the situation.  Below are some tips covered in some of Rachel's tweets.  

1. Build relationships, especially at networking events. It is the best way to break through the clutter. Just don't ask editors "How can I get in your magazine." See how your story fits into the types of columns/content listed in the publication.

2. Check out the magazines editorial calendar. Most have them and be sure to check in a couple months out. Keep checking back with the magazine and remember they are always looking for content.

3. Have good high res pictures. Better to show than tell. Even though high res pics can be large files, don't send files that are too big. Pics 10MB or more are probably too big.

4. Trends are hot topics. Show the magazine how you are part of a larger picture that is worth reporting. 

You can follow Rachel @rachelES and probably catch her participating in future #eventprofs chats. 

        

Still cleaning up today from the IPL 500 Festival Parade that took place in downtown Indy on Saturday, May 23rd. The IPL 500 Festival Parade is considered one of the top five largest parades in the country. Estimated attendance is over 100,000. There are many floats, balloons, bands, equine units, celebrities, and the entire field of Indy 500 drivers.

The Tournament of Roses organizers came from CA to watch the Parade. It is really a fantastic event. Our task was the overall parade logistics and setting up of the TV zone. The parade was broadcast locally on WISH TV (CBS) and nationally on Versus. The TV zone is a downtown block long and it's where the filming takes place. We carpet the street in the morning and place signage on both sides of the street for decor.  The night before the Department of Public Works paints the street black to improve the look for TV. Nussli plays a major role in setting up the bleachers in the TV and all along the two mile route.

The day after the Parade is the race. Here are a few picks taken from the Pagoda.

        

List of "19 Ways Event Planners can Use Twitter" from event-solutions.com.


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