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 Stephanie.Lochmiller@SponsorPark.com to submit your event, as we are currently looking to fill our 2012 Spotlight calendar. This month our spotlight shines on the “New York SPORTIMES, World TeamTennis PRO League.”

What is the New York SPORTIMES, World TeamTennis PRO League all about?

World TeamTennis (WTT) offers tennis like you’ve never seen it!  WTT is played in a co-ed team format, with post match autograph sessions for all kids, contests and promotions between sets, free racquets to kids under 12 and an on court DJ to boost interaction and fun.  Some of the stars who have made an appearance in the last season of WTT are John McEnroe, Bjorn Borg, Martina Hingis and Serena Williams.  SPORTIME Stadium, on Randall’s Island in New York features an intimate setting with each and every seat less than 200 feet away from the court.

What Makes this Opportunity Unique?

Every single partnership has the opportunity to be customized and the intimate and interactive setting that the stadium creates gives potential sponsors an amazing opportunity to fully engage their target audience.  With participants on the court and in the stands, stadium goers really feel like they are a part of the action. Potential partners can also integrate the 12 SPORTIME club locations, with more than 25,000 members, brining sponsors year-round exposure.  This event also features a sponsor pavilion that allows sponsors to engage with fans face to face. 
Surviving Sponsorship in a Heated Economy
According to event organizers they’ve really become creative with package customization and have found this to be a unique way to cater to their sponsors.  In addition, they’ve forged a relationship with SponsorPark in order to reach out to a new audience.  While they are a sports related opportunity, they’ve been able to expand their reach to potential entertainment sponsors easily and affordably.

Preferred Partners?

While there are numerous sponsor categories that could benefit from such a unique sponsorship opportunity, once unique partnership event organizers say they look to partner with are “timepieces.”  Time plays such an important role in this venue, from match times, to court times, to lesson times; therefore an on-court clock has become a staple all matches and event organizers see this as a great opportunity for the right sponsor!  To learn more about this opportunity or to contact event organizers visit their SponsorPark listing.

What is Gaby Gala all about?

Gaby Gala introduces emerging artists to a diverse crowd. Writers, musicians, business professionals, and academics alike come together under one roof to enjoy wine and world-class live music; classical, jazz and world, in a unique and intimate setting. Offering a modern twist on an old-world tradition, Gaby Gala attempts to close the gap between the performer and the listener. Whether you are in town on business or just a friendly stranger, Gaby Gala offers both the opportunity to network and meet new people who share a common passion.

Gaby Galas have been unofficially running since 2005, and officially for the past three years. They became so well attended that they needed bigger and more elaborate venues to allow for the hundreds of guestsattending. Each event is deisgned based ona theme and mold the musical and artistic performances based on the type of crowd is attending.

What Makes this Opportunity Unique?

Because the Gaby Galas are so unique and special, leaving eachguest with a sense of inspiration and excitement about art and creativity,while making new friends in the process, there are a large amount of people who continually come to each event and bring their friends. Marketing for the Gaby Galas mostly come from two things: word of mouth and the advertisement on many different social medias such as Facebook, ASmallWorld, Jewish Newsprint,Timeout, etc. Each invitation offers an intriguing image and a compelling run down of what to expect throughout the night. These large established social networks also offer Gaby Gala an additional outlet to reach their loyal followers and to market their sponsors product or services leading up to events.

Surviving Sponsorship in a Heated Economy

Gaby Gala has had to make changes to some of their events due to a lack of sponsors for arts related events. Event planners work to keep the events what they were designed to be, while tightening budgets where they can. Gaby Gala planners have also reached out to SponsorPark to extend their potential reach to sponsors through the site.

Preferred Partners?

Gaby Galas can appeal to a broad variety of potential sponsors,and according to event organizer Gabrielle Fink, "It really is just imperative that sponsors have an appreciation for the arts and for what we are working to do." To learn more about this opportunity visit their SponsorPark listing.

I’ve come to realize there’s a need for clarity on this topic. Not because of negative implications, or wildly spectacular claims, but likely because well, we’re a new solution to the sponsorship community.  I spoke with Gail Bower a few weeks ago (same Gail Bower who guest authored a post last week!), and during our chat she mentioned that she had recently spoken at a sponsorship conference, and during the Q&A portion of her lecture a member of the audience asked her about her thoughts on SponsorPark.  She mentioned that in theory it was a fantastic support offering to those in the sponsorship sales profession – something she would have loved many years back when she was selling sponsorships herself; but that she needed more information to offer an informed response.  It was during our conversation that she asked if I’d be willing to answer some questions about our services/vision in order to educate her about our value/offering, and that she’d also blog our response in order to answer the questions that any of her followers might have about us. 

I love it.  I love that we are at a point that even as a young company people know enough about us to ask questions.  What I realize is that there are so many sponsorship professionals out there that haven’t yet wrapped their mind around the purpose/intent of our services, and there might even be some incorrect assumptions about what you can expect from us. We’re way more than a database of sponsorship opportunity listings – way more.  We’re targeted with filtered searches, we offer information rich and relevant proposals/overviews, we’re marginally priced, we’re an education resource, a networking tool, we’re fans of interaction, best practice tips, and we love seeing the sponsorship community getting better connected, better educated and more proactive.  What we aren’t claiming to be is a sales agency or a magic pill.  If you post your listing on our site tomorrow, you probably won’t get a call from a sponsor ready to write a check in 2 weeks.  Possible?   I suppose.  Likely?  Not really. Sponsorship dollars are still ultra-competitive, but that’s why we think using SponsorPark to get in in front of decision makers who want to research the most appropriate partners is more important than ever!   Using SponsorPark isn’t going to magically make sponsorship sales easy – anyone that tells you their resource can do that is a liar; but it will help you extend your reach, network more effectively, and promote your opportunities to the right people at the right place at the right time.  We’re the most inexpensive associate you’ve ever invested in – with a much more effective effort.

I suppose I’m rambling at this point. If you’d like to see more about how things work and what you can expect from our services, I strongly encourage you to read Gail’s blog; then call us!  We’d love to hear about what you’re doing and discuss how we can help you!