Sponsorship assistance

Fast Track announce workshop in Le Havre for potential 5-Oceans entrants

All prospective entrants to the 5-Oceans 2006/07, the new Around Alone Race, can benefit from a specialist workshop to assist them finding sponsors. The first Sponsorship Workshop will be held on Monday 27 October, in Le Harve, during the run up to the Transat Jacques Vabres.

Frequently, one of the most challenging parts of any sailor’s campaign is finding sponsorship, to get themselves to the start line. In recognition of this, Clipper Ventures & Fast Track Events have commissioned an independent sponsorship consultant to provide a comprehensive workshop to short circuit the process of finding sponsorship for all prospective race entrants to the next 5-Oceans.

The workshops, which will be interactive in nature, will include:

• an overview of the plans for the next race
• an introduction to sponsorship – a wider perspective
• an overview of the commercial benefits to prospective sponsors
• an insight into what goes wrong / what skippers need to do to keep sponsors
• the principles of selling sponsorship – selling the race & the skipper within it
• developing effective proposals
  
  The workshops will be attended by David Stubley, Chairman of the 5-Oceans Advisory Board, Mary Ambler, International Media Manager of the last Around Alone race and participants from the last race who will share their experiences. It will be facilitated by Liz Rushall, a marketing and sponsorship consultant, who has formerly campaigned 470s to Olympic level.
  
  Following a career in brand marketing, and also as a sponsor to sailing syndicates in Olympics, the Whitbread and Volvo, Liz spent 2002 completing a Masters degree in Business Administration. Her research dissertation focused on how sponsors of major sailing events and campaigns deliver returns on their investment. The research, included studies of 10 major sponsors of sailing.
  
  Sailors wishing to attend the seminars should contact Sara Morland on the address below. You will be required to complete registration details to demonstrate your intention to race in the 5-Oceans.
  
  Contact :
  Sara Morland, Fast Track, 19 Catherine Place, London SW1E 6DX.
  00 44 (0)207 932 1769 / 00 44 (0)207 932 1700
  sara.morland@fast-track-events.com