Question about Sponsors
Q:Your blog is a great first step to learning what it’s going to take, and has given me some great ideas. I just have a couple questions of you.
I plan to do small amateur shows at a club who is interested in hosting bi-monthly events.
I’d like to know more about how you can utilize sponsorships to help with costs of a show, what sort of sponsorships should i look for?
Also do you usually have to pay for on site EMTs?
Thanks alot for this wonderfully informative blog!
-Greg
Answer: Sponsorships are a tricky game. I’ve had some success but it could certainly be better. Focus on fight gear companies and try to stick with just one company per business type. In other words, only have one fight gear sponsor, one energy drink sponsor etc. Type MMA Sponsor into google and see what comes up.
Sponsors want exposure. Fight gear sponsors will end up selling merch at your events so they will get a direct return on their investment which helps everyone, which is why I say to start with them. For a really small show with no television, you may get $400 for a merch table/sponsor. Having logos on the fight mat is useless unless you plan to show the event on television which is a whole nother part of the bigger game.
Yes, you will need to have a doctor and EMT’s at your events, I can almost promise you that it will be a commission requirement.
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September 12th, 2008 at 2:38 am
could you be a little more specific in the contact stage, i’m having trouble initiating contact. is it sales?
April 29th, 2009 at 1:42 pm
Just a little background I’m a paramedic in the Southern Part of the United States. I have had multiple classes in my 8 years in ems on working for MCI and event planning.
Now back to your question as far as EMT’s. There are emergent (911 services) and non emergent transport ems services. Your best bet it’s to hire a none emergent transport service. A lot of times they will do it for free, for cost of the hourly rate of the EMT’s/Paramedics, or in exchange for tickets. You might ask why they would do it for free or at cost. Well for good reasons 1: Exposure for the service. 2: Something fun for the employees 3: The main money the EMS services get is from the transports to the hospital.
Now some further consideration you have to think about. If someone needs to be transported and you only have one crew at the event you will lose your coverage. A few ways around that is to make sure the contract states that one crew (truck) must always stay at the event. That will force the EMS provider to have two crews or work out another arrangement. The EMS provider’s other option which is popular is to get paid for their service to stay on scene the whole time and when someone gets injured they treat the injured person and package them while calling for the local 911 service to transport. This option will cost you as a promoter more but will help with liability.
Don’t forget your EMS provider has to provide care for anyone who is injured legally. So having extra EMT and/or a first aid station for the crowd is a good idea to make sure one crew is always dedicated to the fighters. We all know testosterone mixed with alcohol doesn’t always lead to people make smart decision’s.