Marathon Calling...

Planning to open a start up ? Love running ? Surely you can start a company who organizes various running events. You can hire people, plan your events and kick start. But..... Something more important is missing yet. The SPONSORS. Who will sponsor you ? And why would they do so ? 

The problem with inexperienced companies are that they try and go for big amounts of sponsorship from one or two sponsors. "That's certainly not the right way to do it" - most people would say this line. Certainly they are not wrong. But in case of marathon events, the crux of the problem is something else. Its not as superficial as it seems. If we break the sponsorship into various categories - Associate sponsor, Powered by Sponsor, Presented by sponsor, hospital partner, beverage partner, etc etc, theoretically it might seem good enough a deal. But as one start approaching the sponsors, things start deviating from the 'ideal' situation. Just as calculations in physics always differ from the theoretical value by certain margin, the same thing happens here. The first thing the sponsors would look for is how much visibility they will get and to what group of participants. The problem with flat structure of sponsorship is that you cannot promise one sponsor better visibility. So, for a first timer it wont be bad to go for a main sponsor, an associate sponsor, an hospital partner. At least you can pull up some costs if not all. Depending on the registration is the key. 

Now the most important question arises. Who are the potential sponsors and why would they sponsor your event ? Well, for a running event there are certain generic areas that we need to target. For example, hospital partner is a must. Now, we need to sit and fix our target group of participants. Mostly, the corporate sector contribute a major part to the participation. If a specific corporate event can be added to the race, things would be in better shape for attracting the sponsors. Most participants are from a good economical and social background and has the 'power to buy'. Real Estates, Automobile sector, Apparel brands can be tapped. Anything new that's coming up are good contenders for sponsorship. The Business development team needs to be on their toes, social media mobilized,  and there you go. Hit the target in a manner that would create the desired impact. 

In marathons, the running track plays a vital role. It determines to a major extent, the participation. So before promising the sponsors any footfall, past studies are important regarding the track. In case of a first time event, experts should be hired for ensuring the track is up to the mark. Keeping in mind the number of small companies organizing these running events, there is very small margin of error. Dedicated runners do not even mind flying to a different city to participate in a race. So make sure, each corner of the race is well equipped to counter any untoward situation. These runners are absolutely running freaks. Slight dispute in arrangement can piss them off to a great extent and you will get to know it when you call them up for your next event. 

One of the most important factor in a running event are the volunteers. The Volunteer Coordinators should have the clear understanding of the locations where the volunteers will be posted and in how many numbers. To be very honest, volunteers won't be that much dedicated towards the event the way you are. So its important to keep an weather eye on them. 

For a new company, organizing their first ever event, it would be a good idea to do some self branding stating the future events that they are planning. Well, you cant absolutely rely on digital marketing for your events. As we say, 'face-to-face' is better than facebook, traditional ways still fetch you some unexpected footfall.