Sponsor liaisons?
- Thread starter Thales
- Start date
jimsar
Guest
This might be the right time and place to throw out some thoughts and suggestions about sponsorship in general. As far as I'm concerned, (personal opinion, not BOD) ...
1. Club sponsorship is a 2-way street. Sponsors help us out, but they want something in return. Business reality. So, we're somewhat obligated to return the favor. It's nice to be independent, but when you take on a sponsor, you are beholden. No other way around it.
2. So, what can we do for sponsors? Patronize their businesses, at least for some of our needs. No, I'm El Ceapo Numero Uno and won't pay $40 for an $18 Maxijet. But at least I can buy some fish food or even a frag or two locally.
3. Use them for group buys, if at all possible. Some of them will do it for little or no profit just to help as out and also to generate interest, awareness and if possible, foot traffic to their store. At least give them first right of refusal.
4. Should we pursue the "discount" programs with participating LFS? Maybe the "coordinators" being recruited here can help negotiate this after we, as a club, have made a decision on where to go with this.
5. Many LFS owners/employees are dedicated reefers themselves. Let's hear from them and find out what they want, where they're coming from. Please invite them to this thread so we'll have better guidance on how to proceed.
Which brings up the Membership ID issue. I think we have the template, etc., but might need a vounteer to take this on and institutionalize distribution as part of the membership application/renewal process. Dunno, this was before my tenure at the BOD.
Please add more ideas. Thanks.
Jim
1. Club sponsorship is a 2-way street. Sponsors help us out, but they want something in return. Business reality. So, we're somewhat obligated to return the favor. It's nice to be independent, but when you take on a sponsor, you are beholden. No other way around it.
2. So, what can we do for sponsors? Patronize their businesses, at least for some of our needs. No, I'm El Ceapo Numero Uno and won't pay $40 for an $18 Maxijet. But at least I can buy some fish food or even a frag or two locally.
3. Use them for group buys, if at all possible. Some of them will do it for little or no profit just to help as out and also to generate interest, awareness and if possible, foot traffic to their store. At least give them first right of refusal.
4. Should we pursue the "discount" programs with participating LFS? Maybe the "coordinators" being recruited here can help negotiate this after we, as a club, have made a decision on where to go with this.
5. Many LFS owners/employees are dedicated reefers themselves. Let's hear from them and find out what they want, where they're coming from. Please invite them to this thread so we'll have better guidance on how to proceed.
Which brings up the Membership ID issue. I think we have the template, etc., but might need a vounteer to take this on and institutionalize distribution as part of the membership application/renewal process. Dunno, this was before my tenure at the BOD.
Please add more ideas. Thanks.
Jim
Thales
Past President
Sweet Jonah! I was interested in both of them, and Hunter has expressed interest to me in the past. I just had no time to make it over there. Lets try to discuss what we want from sponsors and what we can give them back before you approach them.
At the very least we can give them a banner ad here (Hi Dave!) Dave hates banners!)) and access to this forum, as well as promoting them at meetings.
At the very least we can give them a banner ad here (Hi Dave!) Dave hates banners!)) and access to this forum, as well as promoting them at meetings.
G
GreshamH
Guest
I asked Erin @ TOG a spell back if he wanted to donate/sponsor and he said NO. I'm inclined to leave it at that with him myself.
Apon
Supporting Member
Hey Jedininja,
We just finished the frag swap meeting, and I was tasked to contact Dophlin Pet Village....I just sent Tyler a PM about sponsering some corals or equipment for the swap. We decided that you can go ahead and contact Aquatic Gallery.
Rich, should we post questions and items in this forum or the club business forum. Are we giving the sponsers reciepts for tax right offs? Do we have a standard proposal like Duy ask for. Let me know.
We just finished the frag swap meeting, and I was tasked to contact Dophlin Pet Village....I just sent Tyler a PM about sponsering some corals or equipment for the swap. We decided that you can go ahead and contact Aquatic Gallery.
Rich, should we post questions and items in this forum or the club business forum. Are we giving the sponsers reciepts for tax right offs? Do we have a standard proposal like Duy ask for. Let me know.
Thales
Past President
No tax write offs for donations. 
Some kind of standardized sponsorship guideline has always been needed, but there hasn't been time to put one together or someone dedicated to putting on together. A discussion of guidelines would be great, and if someone is interested, please start a thread in the business forum.
Other than that, the LFS have given what they have felt like giving in dry goods, gift cirts, and corals. For the swap, gift cirts and colonies and 'rare' frags are great for the raffle, and any frags, including some rares, are great fro the swap in general. Since big ticket items are already aquired or in the works, we don't need to get any for this meeting.
Some kind of standardized sponsorship guideline has always been needed, but there hasn't been time to put one together or someone dedicated to putting on together. A discussion of guidelines would be great, and if someone is interested, please start a thread in the business forum.
Other than that, the LFS have given what they have felt like giving in dry goods, gift cirts, and corals. For the swap, gift cirts and colonies and 'rare' frags are great for the raffle, and any frags, including some rares, are great fro the swap in general. Since big ticket items are already aquired or in the works, we don't need to get any for this meeting.