We all know that municipalities are facing relentless pressure to “do more for less” and increasingly, they are turning to various forms of corporate sponsorships and advertising as sources of non-tax revenue.
Our company’s research and consulting work with several municipalities in this area has shown us that implementing these programs has proven to be more complex than planned as municipal staff deal with a risk-averse culture, limited resources, skeptical community stakeholders and even an unresponsive business community. Some of the key challenges include:
- How do we take a strategic versus a fragmented approach toward corporate revenue development?
- How do we structure a program that leverages our assets effectively?
- How do we strike a balance between corporate “wants” and the public fear of over-commercialization?
- How do we gain buy-in from elected representatives, staff, community stakeholders?
- How do we implement our program cost-effectively?
- How do we achieve early success?
Based on feedback from last year’s event, I’m pleased to announce our 2012 Municipal Forum on Sponsorship which will be held October 15, 2012 at the Grand Hotel and Suites in Toronto. Participants from municipalities from across Canada will gain essential insights into:
- Strategic approaches to implementing a sustainable Municipal Sponsorship and Advertising Program
- How to identify the full range of assets that your municipality can leverage with potential corporate partners
- How to design and market a municipal program that reflects the characteristics and financial capabilities of businesses in your community
- How to customize sponsorship benefits packages that respond to specific corporate objectives
- Strategies for increasing public acceptability, political and internal buy-in for the program
- Techniques for valuating and packaging Naming Rights Assets
- Key considerations for implementing the program and managing risk
The Municipal Forum on Sponsorship precedes Sponsorship Toronto which will be held on Tuesday October 16 and Wednesday October 17, at the same venue. Sponsorship Toronto is Canada’s premier professional development conference for sponsorship marketers from all sectors and represents an unrivalled opportunity for participants from the Forum to extend their new-found practical insights into the overall sponsorship marketplace.
I’ll be keeping you up-to-date on Forum developments. For more information, check out some of my earlier posts on municipal sponsorship. In the meantime, if anyone has examples of great municipal practices in the area of sponsorship or other non-tax revenue, I’d be pleased to hear from you.
Later, BC
Hi Bernie, I’d be happy to share the story of our local hockey arena. The new rink manager has implemented an annual sponsorship program that raises over 24k annually with little maintenance. It’s impressive considering the population of the town is only 800.
That’s a great story I’d like to hear more about Brendan. I’ve always contended that sponsorship does not need to be limited to just the bigger municipalities. It’s a matter of knowing what your assets are worth and managing expectations. Let’s connect offline to discuss.