Incentive Primer: Planning a Sporting Incentive- Incentive Magazine

Source: Incentivemag.com

You know you want to incorporate sports into your company's incentive program. You could just theme the contest using whatever major event is current-a Super Bowl theme for a program in January or February, for example.

But if you want to go beyond that, to do something that will really attract attention and get your team's sports fans in the zone, try making it a bit more real: Bring a star athlete to them, or if your budget allows, bring them to a major playoff game or other sporting event.

Of course, as with any other incentive program, there are things to keep in mind when turning to sports.

Bringing in an Athlete

Determine your main objective.You should know exactly what you want the athlete speaking at your event to do for you. Do you need a keynote speaker to motivate your sales team, or are you trying to spice up a cocktail party?

Some athletes, like former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback and broadcaster Terry Bradshaw, and 1980 U.S. Olympic hockey team captain Mike Eruzione, are great at delivering a fiery motivational speech. Others, such as Chad Pennington of the New York Jets and Bill Walton, the NBA All-Star, can work a room exceptionally well. As with an actual game, when it comes to using athletes, you learn their performance varies in different types of situations.

Know your audience.It's important to know the demographics of your attendees. People tend to love speakers they can relate to. Childhood idols are always a great pick. While Archie Manning is a good selection for men and women in their 50s, his son, N.Y. Giants quarterback Eli Manning, is a much better fit for those in their 30s. If you are catering to an all-female crowd, there are some terrific speakers, like tennis star Billie Jean King and Olympic skater Peggy Fleming.

Big name or big performer? If your objective is to attract people to your event, you want someone with brand recognition, such as seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. If you have a set audience, you could bring in a lesser-known talent who performs well. You can have both, but it's important to know your priority, since budget will ultimately determine your choice. I have generally found that people walk away with a better overall experience with a lesser-known speaker who interacts better with the crowd.

The budget picks the speaker. We would all like Tiger Woods and Michael Jordan to show up at our event, but their prices are prohibitive for many budgets. But a lot of well-polished athletes are willing to appear at events for a reasonable amount. Fees usually range from $2,500 to $75,000. Appearances are generally priced in two-hour segments, with longer times negotiable. You'll be surprised at some of the talent you can hire for a relatively small amount. To ensure you get the right speaker for your needs, work with a talent agency where the focus is on corporations looking for talent, not the athlete.

Tell the athlete your objectives. They are jocks, but many are extremely well versed in the world of business meetings and events. Most athletes are able to customize their speaking to specific topics relevant to your industry. Some of the best at this include tennis champion Lindsay Davenport and former Denver Broncos captain Karl Mecklenburg, who played in six Pro Bowls and three Super Bowls.

Prepare the audience. Don't assume the audience knows your speaker. Even boxing great Muhammad Ali might be foreign to some people.

Autographs and pictures: a must. People enjoy getting their pictures taken with famous people. They also like bringing home presents for the kids, so make sure you leave time during the appearance.

Planning an Incentive at the Game. Another great option for implementing sports in your program is to develop an entire incentive around a sporting event. There is no better way to capitalize on the lure of sports than through an incentive program where winners can personally experience a major event like the Super Bowl or Final Four. Other events, like the Ryder Cup, World Cup or Olympics, come around only once every couple of years or even four. One thing that is consistent is that being able to attend a spectacular event is something that no one ever forgets.

Here are seven key factors to consider when putting together a sporting event incentive program:

Choose the right sporting event. First, you need to determine the time frame of your incentive. Once you know this, you can narrow down the list of sporting events to choose from. You need to then figure out the event your participants would most likely want to attend. If your payout is in the second quarter and your group is mainly middle-aged men, then I'd suggest the Masters Golf Tournament. If it is a spouse-oriented program, I might suggest the Kentucky Derby. Understand the event demographics and match them with your audience.

Select a sports travel company to assist planning.Planning a sporting event is a lot different than preparing for a typical travel incentive. Hotel space is almost nonexistent because the event organizers usually block up to 90 percent of the rooms with the local CVB. The other 10 percent of the rooms are locked up by sports travel companies who will go in and sign contracts three to four years in advance of the event. In addition, there is the element of securing tickets through a trusted source. There is too much risk in not working with a reliable partner. Having your tickets not show up can ruin everything.

The hotel and tickets are key components. The major components of a sports incentive are the location of both the seats and the hotel. With limited space available, clients tend to expand the list of hotels they would be comfortable staying in. This can get you into trouble. Most corporate clients would sacrifice being in the middle of the action for a better property. Tickets depend on the client's expectations. With some clients, it might be good enough just being there. Others expect to sit in the best seats, no matter how expensive. I suggest above-average seating for corporate groups.

Personalize your event and plan your own experiences.There are many things you can do to put your own stamp on a sporting event incentive and make it more memorable. One option is to bring in a famous athlete to give an insider's perspective. A lot of athletes tend to be on-site for these events, and are willing to accept half of their regular fee. Another idea is to add your own experience. At a golf event, you might want to host a tournament for clients. If it is a racing event, you can create your own pre-race driving experience with the help of a company like Richard Petty Driving Experience.

Do the little things.There are many great ideas to further enhance your sports-themed program and give it a special feel. It could be something as easy as a themed gift, like golf clubs or autographed memorabilia dropped in the room each night. Maybe on the ride over to the event, you can show a greatest sports moments DVD or even a sports movie like Friday Night Lights or Hoosiers.

Deliver tangible memories. The one thing about sporting events is people like to say they were there. Whether they were or not is always open for debate. Give your clients something that will make them remember the incentive. A glass ticket holder can sit on their desk and display proof of their good fortune for years after the event. A ball autographed by the event's star athlete is also a nice takeaway.

Prepare like a good coach. There will always be issues with any incentive program. With sports events, there are things to prepare for that you might not consider with other incentives. Sometimes, a game goes into overtime. Also, there is tight security during major events, so you will need to allow for extra time in getting into the stadium. Always make sure you know the exact time for game time as well. More often than you'd think, the newspaper will print the incorrect time. Call the stadium directly.

Robert Tuchman is president of celebrity marketing firm TSE Sports & Entertainment (www.tseworld.com). Contact (877) 621-5243