Guest Post by David Cotton

Straight off the bat, if you have got the money then Our (your) Team 2012 deserves your support. If your company wants to get involved, but cannot afford the £10,000 +starting price, then other cheaper alternatives, and for the purposes of this article, not all of them involve me.

DIRECT SPONSORSHIP

Traditional, solid and easy to understand, with two such examples laid down by companies in Suffolk and Devon, supporting local athletes. Hundreds of athletes struggle to juggle demands of training and income generation, and with less than two years to go, it maybe worth contacting your local County Sports Partnerships to make contact with up and coming elite athletes.

ENGAGE YOUR STAFF AND CUSTOMERS

Each year businesses spend £billions on bonuses and staff rewards, the Athletes Affinity Club asks firms to direct £25 per employee of this to support the nation’s elite athletes.

Each member of staff will receive an Elite Reward Package, based on the Invitation Book Discount Directory that already sells in excess of 90,000 copies a year, which enables each employee to access more than 1,000 opportunities to save hundreds of pounds from a wide range of retail, leisure and tourism businesses in the county.

The combined print-online-card-mobile platform contains £20,000 worth of such discounts, but more importantly in terms of staff engagement provides a very tangible link between employee and sponsored athletes. Over the last six years, the average spend generated by these directories is £119 a head, and represents a unique opportunity for athlete sponsorship to help stimulate economic activity.

For sole traders and SME’s the packages also drive down costs on subsistence, client entertainment and delivers a sponsorship, csr and rewards programme from existing expenditure.

HAVE SOME FUN

Another project that asks firms to divert existing expenditure from hitherto unconsidered outgoings, this time on events, exhibitions and event corporate parties. Party for the Podium’s unique selling point is a patented medal ceremony where all those attending receive their Party for the Podium Medallions.  Athletes get direct funding from their appearances and hosts get to decide where the profits go.

 Okay I am involved / created two of the three, but would be delighted to receive comments on a whole range of other schemes out there, but the advice remains, if you can afford to be in ‘Our Team 2012’ then great, if you cannot, then please support the athletes through whatever means.