model. Our goal was to get people in Michigan out and moving around, experiencing something they can’t normally do.” To plan the return, they began planning two years in advance and in June 2009 they went public. Planning large-scale sporting events often begin with commit-
tees, sponsors and board of directors. In the case of the Michigan State Games, they set up a statewide sports committee with con- tacts in each major market to attract statewide attention. Crucial to planning sporting events is the marketing that goes
along with it. Many participants need to be courted to make an event a success. Engelbarts credits grassroots marketing to get ath- letes, as well as connecting with spokespeople and well-known ath- letes within the sport arena, “You need to fi nd the right people and then the teams and individuals gravitate to them. It’s about fi nding and attending the right events where the athletes are at.”
Volunteers In many cases, entire events are large-
ly dependent upon volunteers and spon- sors, in the case of the Michigan State Games, even the website was completely donated. When working with volunteers, it is im-
portant to give them tasks and responsibili- ties that fi ts their unique talents, skills and interests. Find out what they excel at and let them fi ll the niche that is best suited to them. “State Games are America’s best kept
exciting event to be a part of, whether as an athlete, attendee or volunteer.” Since volunteers are such a vital part of
an events success, it is important to take care of them. Some things to keep volunteers happy include
free meals, appreciation party and treat them like fam- ily to bring them back year-after-year. Community Ties It’s important to gain community support from the be-
ginning of the planning, often times this can be what de- termines where and if an event can take place. As Hecquet notes, “Most (sporting organizations/events) are non-profi t, so they really rely on local community to assist them, some need everything; sponsorship sales, sporting venues, etc.” When initially meeting with com-
As a growing industry, many groups and organizations are
secret, the US Olympic Committee started the initiative to have the state games. It is the Olympics for amateur athletes in your state. You can have Olympic athletes or potential Olympic athletes participating, so it’s a very
creating new events as well as bringing back events that haven’t been held recently.
munities leaders and local entities like chamber of commerce’s and CVBs, it is vital to gain their buy-in and establish relationships as well as commitment. In dealing with established events it’s easy to share estimated revenue returns, how-
ever in inaugural events, it will be impor- tant to create anticipated budget needs and event revenues. Engelbart’s group had a positive expe-
rience in both working with the city, and fi nding a major sponsor. “Having a city like Grand Rapids that is so welcoming, people were coming to us to offer their help, we were also able to use existing re- lationships. It’s so important to get support behind the event before going public, we
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