Question

Assume your home community is looking to attract sporting events.

1. What benefits would your community gain by hosting sporting events?
2. What does your community have to offer that would be attractive to event looking for a host location?
3. What information would you include in a bid document to illustrate that your location is competitive with other locations?

Go to a sporting commission’s website and look at the events they are hosting.

1. What types of events does that community attract?
2. What resources does the sports commission or the community possess that makes its attractive to events?

Find and examine an event that is up for bid, and evaluate their bid procedures.

1. What are the key elements of a bid?
2. What do you think would be the key issues the organization would focus on in determining who would win the bid?

Answer 1

1. What benefits would your community gain by hosting sporting events?

Answer: Hosting a major sporting event can give many economic, social and cultural benefits.

1. Raise the profile of the city/country

Increasing the profile of a city can lead to lasting economic benefits. For example, cities which host the Olympics can be assured of a persistent increase in recognition and tourism. Barcelona, Sydney, Beijing have all seen this from hosting the Olympics. For a country like China with a controversial human rights record, hosting a major sporting event can be a way to gain greater international acceptance. When South Africa hosted the Rugby World Cup and later the Football World Cup, it was a defining moment in highlighting the new ‘post-apartheid’ South Africa. This raised profile can be important for giving economic benefits, such as attracting tourists and business investment. The importance of this point depends on the particular city or community.

2. Long term investment

A significant benefit is the long-term investment which comes from preparing for a major event. The city/country will have a legacy of improved sporting venues. Also, cities will usually have to invest in infrastructure and transport to cater for an influx of tourists. For example, there has been significant investment in public transport projects around London. This will leave a lasting legacy for residents of London, especially East London. From the 2012 London Olympics, the east of London has benefited from improved public transport.

3. Jobs and Investment

The several years of planning and investment will help create jobs and can revitalise depressed cities. This was an important claim of the London Olympics, choosing a site in East London, which at the time was relatively depressed. It is estimated the London Olympics 2012, will create 8,000 full-time jobs and lead to a boost in economic output of close to £2bn [1]

4. Enthusiasm

It is often easy to find reasons not to host a major sporting event, too much debt, more important priorities. But, a major sporting event can create enthusiasm and excitement for such an event. It can help promote uptake of sport which has lasting benefits for the nation’s health. Also, a major sporting event can lead to a rise in volunteerism which promotes civic virtues.

5. Short term economic benefits

The Olympics will see a surge in visitors, athletes and media. This will provide an increase in spending and injection of money into the local economy. However, this injection of money, will only be short-term (a few weeks) and make little overall impact on the wider economy. Also, the injection of foreign visitors may be offset by locals leaving to avoid the influx and over-crowding.

2.What does your community have to offer that would be attractive to event looking for a host location?

Answer:

You want your event jam packed with your target attendees. You want them to have a time of their lives and to keep showing up to future events.

This is only possible if you successfully market the event to an audience that connects with its theme and purpose.

In sports events, the stakes are even higher. Attendance is not just a gauge: It directly determines the success of the event. You need many spectators and participants.

Filling the venue to capacity with only a couple of teams participating is a fail.

Fans are equally important, not just to fill the seats but to create the atmosphere of competitiveness.

So how do you successfully promote a sports event in order get the right kind of attendance?

Let’s find out.

1. Create a catchy event name

Your event promotion begins with the event name: It’s the first interaction potential participants will have with your event.

Take time to choose a name that is both catchy and gives a hint of what your event is about.

Brainstorm with your team or sponsors to come up with a list of potential names. If you feel stuck, use a sports company name generator to start you off.

Keep it simple. Sports events such as the Super Bowl, World Cup, and the Olympics have simple names. Yet they have grown to be recognisable brands worldwide.

2. Use event posters

In the digital era, it’s easy to dismiss posters as a means of promoting events. After all, they can’t reach as wide an audience as adverts on social media and other digital platforms,

Posters are still among the most effective ways of advertising sports events: At least 18% of people who see poster ads end up attending the event advertised.

Posters aren’t dead yet. Make yours stand out.

Other benefits of using posters include:

• They are cheaper than many other forms of printed adverts.
• Due to their striking visual nature, posters leave a lasting impression.
• Posters will continue promoting the event as long as they’re left intact.

The key is to place posters in the right spots to attract relevant audience. Try places like:

• Stadiums
• Gyms
• Sports halls
• Football fields
• Tennis courts
• Baseball parks
• Schools
• …and so on

Consult with your event sponsors and other stakeholders to decide what information and graphics should be included in the poster.

3. Work with influencers

Sports fans and potential participants will relate better with your sports event if they hear about it from a person revered in the field.

For a local sports event, your influencers can be local players, coaches, sport reporters, and even notable fans.

Find out if there are forums or social media groups where such personalities communicate regularly. Join the forums and see if you can get them engaged with your event. Maybe they can spread the message to their fans?

If you are targeting a much wider audience, contract fitness influencers or sports influencers to boost your reach. Consult guides that help you choose and work with sports influencers effectively.

Sorting through lists of influencers manually can be difficult and exhausting. Luckily, there are search portals aimed specifically at helping you find relevant influencers. Use them to find the most appropriate ones for your audience and event.

Whoever you choose to work with, make sure they have accurate information and can reach you quickly for clarification.

4. Market on social media

Promotional campaigns on the main social media sites will expose your sports event to a broad audience.

Don’t neglect social media when promoting sports events.

Use the following tips to promote your sports event effectively on social media.

Design an event website or page

The event website or page will be your main platform to promote the event and interact with your audience (see more in Step 6). It will also allow you to post customised advertisements on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

Create a simple yet catchy hashtag

Remember to have a memorable event hashtag. Hashtags create buzz and make it easier to track conversations about the event. See if you can piggyback on popular sports-related hashtags like:

• #sports
• #training
• #active
• #football (or a sport relevant to your specific event)

Use contests where you give away tickets or merchandise

Having contests for tickets is a great way to boost attendance and get people discussing your sports event. You can also work with sponsors to give away branded merchandise. Some fitting merchandise ideas include:

• Sportswear
• Sports gear
• Water bottles
• Fitness bands
• Deck chairs

Build anticipation by posting teaser content

You can release teasers for the upcoming sports event in the form of:

• Behind-the-scenes footage of equipment and venue preparations
• Interviews with key players and participants
• Comparisons of competing team and player stats
• …and so on

If you’re on Facebook (and you are), here’s a good guide to marketing to Facebook sports fans.

5. Sponsors may run their independent promotion

Sports marketing is not only about using your advertising sponsors during sports events.

Sponsors can also run promotional campaigns to popularise the event before the day. Typical sponsors are actually very good at creating a buzz around events and promoting their own brand.

Sponsors can be pretty effective when promoting sports events.

Most sponsors will create their own independent marketing strategy. You can, however, work together with the sponsors on your promotional activities.

Give them access to social media pages, influencers, ticketing agencies, and other parties involved in the marketing process.

Depending on the arrangement, the sponsors may promote the event as a whole or specific activities and athletes.

6. Take advantage of online ticketing platforms

Buying tickets at a specified physical location is a bit of an inconvenience. 69% of UK citizens reported that they would attend more events if they could buy tickets online. You therefore stand to get a higher event attendance if you provide an online platform for potential attendees to buy tickets.

Moreover, it can take a lot of your time and resources to sell tickets physically. (Take note that you will also have to audit the ticket sales records physically after the event.)

You can make the process easier by selling tickets through a reliable online ticketing site. Such sites will also expose your event to their existing audiences.

Make sure to provide the information about the ticketing site or app in all your promotional material.

Promote heavily, but be wise about it

Knowing these strategies is just the first step to a successful marketing campaign. You need to be creative while applying them. Make the most of any promotional opportunity that presents itself.