As a way to draw increased awareness and attention to some of the standup sponsorship opportunities on our site, we’ve set apart one blog per month to put the “Spotlight on Sponsorship”! If you have a premium level listing on SponsorPark, and would like to have your event featured, please contact [email protected] to submit your event, as we are currently looking to fill our 2013 Spotlight calendar. This month our spotlight shines on the “A Conversation with America.”

What is “A Conversation with America” all about?
 A Conversation with America is a one-time walk event designed by walker, Marlene Comes, to bring awareness to obesity and raise funds for LiveFit Revolution, a 501(3c) charity that provides all the tools needed for weight loss, completely free of charge. On July 20, 2013, Marlene will set off on a 9000 mile walk to cover the circumference of the United States. 

Last year 300,000 people died from obesity - almost 10 times as many people as died from breast cancer. Unfortunately, conversations about obesity have been focused on blaming those who deal with it. Using her own struggles with weight as her platform, Marlene hopes to bring attention to ways we can better help ourselves and others better themselves.  On her walk, she plans to reach out to the American population by speaking at Rotary clubs, Soroptimist clubs, churches, schools and location television and radio stations. 

What makes this opportunity unique?
This grassroots opportunity offers sponsors long term exposure via a truly personal cause.  This walk will allow sponsors to gain one-on-one exposure to millions of people across the country while being positively associated with a cause.  This partnered with an active social media campaign will allow sponsors to customize a partnership that works for them. 

Preferred partners?
Potential sponsors for this event include any brand that wishes to be at the forefront of healthy living, including, but certainly not limited to, fitness products, supplement brands, athletic apparel and more.  To learn more about this opportunity, and to contact event organizers, visit their SponsorPark listing.
 

Over the past couple of weeks, SponsorPark has created some great new partnerships for our members allowing greater access and affordability to these tools. Many of you have asked why we're doing this - as it seems counterproductive to be offering competitive products to our very own members. In reality, products like SponsorPitch, B6Analytics and HelpGetSponsors.com are complementary products to what our services provide.

To be competitive in the sponsorship industry, it’s important to utilize as many resources as possible. Networking, making phone calls, sharing great ideas and information, and using resources like these all add to the overall effort. So, it's important that as a company, we make these resources available so that our members have a competitive edge. And, by encouraging the use of these services that strengthen industry's standard of professionalism, we improve the industry as a whole. SponsorPark is not the be-all-end-all to your sponsorship service needs. Instead, our focus is to offer the resources and paths for building greater opportunities to develop meaningful relationships.

For larger rights holders, especially those with broadcast rights, B6Analytics offers a unique tool that tracks your sponsorship fulfillment for promotions, activations and benefits. The fulfillment can be continuously tracked by the sponsor so that THEY can make adjustments to their promotional and market planning and add elements to the sponsorship for more responsive behavior during the relationship. This adds a greater dimension of flexibility and accountability for both the sponsor and rights holder and is an important tool in further shaping and improving accountability in our industry.

HelpGetSponsors.com is one of the most innovative tools to come along for rights holders. As a member you can create an online proposal and in doing so, HelpGetSponsors.com will provide a value range for your sponsorship using industry-based pricing standards to get a more accurate value for your property. The site can be used to shape sponsor-specific proposals, each with an accurate fee analysis (so the sponsor can see why you are charging that specific fee), and generate a contract based on those elements proposed.

A calendar on the site also allows rights holders to keep deadlines and deliverable tracking for your sponsors. Once you build your proposal to get a better pricing structure for your sponsorship in HelpGetSponsors.com, you'll be able to use that information on SponsorPark.com! I urge you to take it for a test drive by emailing them at [email protected] or call 800-568-6580 to schedule a demonstration. As an added benefit for our members, HelpGetSponsors is offering 2 months free to all SponsorPark.com members.

Finally, SponsorPitch.com still is by far one of the best resources in connecting directly with potential sponsors. It offers a plethora of tips and information on brands, what they've sponsored and what they may be looking for in the future, as well as key decision makers. It also provides a gateway to connect with other sponsorship professionals to exchange activation ideas, trends and successes. A professional membership with SponsorPark.com includes membership to SponsorPitch - a savings of 50% each month.

Combined, these services provide great compliments toward your sponsor acquisition efforts. Stay tuned for more services and features!