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View Full Version : Local Company Piggybacking on our event without permission ~ how to stop them?



SoccerNut
06-07-2013, 01:54 AM
We host a sporting event. We ask for sponsors to pay anywhere from $50-$500 to be recognized. One local business will not donate money towards a sponsorship, but offers "FREE T-SHIRTS" with their logo on the front~ FREE to participants ~ So they are getting their advertising, but not following the guidelines of sponsorship. We don't feel like it is fair to ask local businesses to pay to sponsor the event giving them exclusive advertising capabilities when John Smith up the road is finding a way around paying the money. Is there any "code of conduct" we can throw at him to stop him from capitalizing on our event?

Harold Mansfield
06-07-2013, 09:39 AM
We host a sporting event. We ask for sponsors to pay anywhere from $50-$500 to be recognized. One local business will not donate money towards a sponsorship, but offers "FREE T-SHIRTS" with their logo on the front~ FREE to participants ~ So they are getting their advertising, but not following the guidelines of sponsorship. We don't feel like it is fair to ask local businesses to pay to sponsor the event giving them exclusive advertising capabilities when John Smith up the road is finding a way around paying the money. Is there any "code of conduct" we can throw at him to stop him from capitalizing on our event?

Unless he is using any of your marketing materials...logo, trademarks, selling event related tickets, or merch, or misrepresenting himself as part of the event..not really.

We obviously have a ton of events here and I see this all of the time. Actually, every time.

When the Poker Championships are here, almost every business offers specials to "Welcome Poker Players"
When the NASCAR race is here, just about everyone on the strip throws out the "Welcome Race Fans" signs.
Super Bowl Sunday, everyone has "Big Game" (cause they can't say 'Superbowl') parties.

Of course everyone isn't an "Official Sponsor" but the entire community benefits and celebrates a big event. I don't care who sponsors an event in Vegas, they can't hold all of the people that come to it in one hotel. Most large strip hotels are 3k rooms. Most large events like CES bring 100k people.
It's the other hotels throwing out the welcome mat that make them possible. And it makes the entire city look good when everyone is having concerts, entertainment, and special happenings surrounding the big event.

You should actually think if it as a source of pride. But you should also come up with a way to make sponsorship a little more exclusive. As events gets bigger, so does the offering/benefits to sponsors.

I would actually approach this business and offer to let them sell merchandize for the event. So maybe they won't pony up to be a sponsor, doesn't mean you still can't include them AND make money off of them selling your stuff.

Bringing in more busineses to celebrate the event, is only going to benefit you more and more every year.
Don't think if it as them piggybacking you. Think of it as free promotion. Just make sure you keep control and rights of all of your stuff and messaging.

nealrm
06-07-2013, 10:18 AM
Little you can do if the event is this summer, but there are some thing you can do to limit this next year. As part of the enrollment, include a T-shirt for the event. If possible, require participants wear that shirt for the event. Also trademark the events name and develope a logo. Registrastering the copyright on the logo would not hurt and can be done online. There is a copyright on all graphic artwork that is present at the moment of creation, but the penalties for infringing on that type of copyright are less.

KristineS
06-07-2013, 03:49 PM
So, they're just offering shirts free to participants with their logo on them - they're not using any of your logos or slogans or anything? If that's the case, I don't think there would be anything you could do. I would just spend your time making sure that those who do pay to sponsor the event get the best return on their investment you can provide.

huggytree
06-08-2013, 08:21 AM
he's being smart....figure out a way to outsmart him next year....giving tee shirts away yourself and requiring them is a good idea....he will most likely figure out something else too....