Most of the world gains their knowledge of Golf from watching the professional golf tournaments on TV. A good number will venture out learn more by attending one of these events. Most all of these people are also aware of the fact the sponsors of these events are who pays for the production of these events. Eventually, the questions will be asked…
Do the Sponsors of these events really get anything of value in return from the millions of dollars they pump into these events?
On the most part these week long golf events are full of different promotional functions and gala’s focusing attention to the sponsors services and products. However, does the sponsor get their investment back from these event?
This question is getting asked every year by the corporate giants who sponsor professional golf tournaments and since 2008 it is getting tougher for many of them to find away to put flowers around the fact that the millions they are spending for these events is producing little return in revenue. Naturally, in public the CEO’s of these businesses are going to point out the value to the community their efforts makes and the impact they have on the charities they support. However, in private these business executives are more than likely spending hours with their general counsels trying to figure out how to get out of these long term contracts they have for sponsoring these every expensive events.
The PGA and LGPA tournaments being produced around the world are absolutely required as part of promoting the game of Golf. Without them recreational and business Golf, the backbone of the golf economy, would quickly dry up and blow away. These events give the public a place to get firsthand knowledge of how the top players of the game play. This exposure is very healthy to the industry and impacts the local, national and global economy greatly. Billions of dollars are generated in direct and indirect support of these events and hundreds of thousands of people’s jobs are related to revenue these events generate. Unfortunately, very little is generated directly back to the company’s who put their names on the event.
What is Missing
The tragedy here is most of these corporations fail to fully capture the business development opportunities these events and Golf offers. Sure they have client appreciate days and place a large number of important customers into the Pro-AM . However, the sponsors of the events miss the opportunity to help their customers, clients and employees learn to be more profitable…or better business people.
There are a number of things the organizers of professional golf tournaments could add to the major sponsorship entitlements that would coincide with the week golf. One of the most obvious would be to calendar a conference the week before the pro golf tournament focused on offering customers, clients, vendors and employees a day of training on how to be more successful in business. Offering a learning experience for the people and businesses who drive revenue to the corporate sponsor’s bottom-line would build the solid business relationships needed to support the sponsor’s business for years to come.
What Helps
More needs to be done to change the focus surrounding the pro golf events sponsorship packages from appearing to be a ‘Glad Handing’ out of money for the event’s operations, to it becoming a place where there is greater benefit to the sponsor’s and their customers. Support of charities is admiral and benefiting community affairs is smart business. However, the professional golf tournaments are expensive gala’s for the sponsors and there needs to be more focus by the professional golf association, both PGA and LPGA, and event organizers in helping the sponsors of the event get a return on that check they write them each year.
Just seems natural to me these pro golf tournaments would be centered around the sponsor’s needs and not the guys and gals who are there hitting the golf balls. I know it would sure help me. I know of several programs developed to merge the business and golf. Let me know how I can help.
