Basics of Sponsorship
By Robin Wayne
Jan 24th
| Ernie Saxton gave a seminar at the Motorsports Expo held in Ft Washington Pa. on the basics of sponsorship. Saxton presented the information in such a lively manner that it kept the sizable crowd in attendance captivated and many could be seen rapidly taking notes. |  |
During the course
of the hour he covered a variety of key points, described why each was
important and how each should be followed. Starting with developing a business
mindset and described how the team owner should present the team so sponsors
will view them as a business. Then, he described how to research, choose and
approach a potential sponsors
Mr. Saxton then introduced his guest speaker, Mike Calinoff, who works for
Roush Racing, who started by saying "Getting the sponsor is easy, keeping them
is harder" " It's all about creativity" He then offered tips and ideas on how
to keep current sponsors happy and interested in continuing or expanding its
relationship with the team.
Then, Saxton discussed the virtues of developing a relationship with the track
announcers and promoters and how that could help the team gain further
exposure for itself and its sponsors. He also covered various ways to promote
a team via newsletters, charity functions, expos and promotional handouts.
Saxton concluded his highly informative seminar answering questions from the
audience.