Sporting Chance Foundation - Dubai 7s
Objective
Raise the profile and awareness of the Sporting Chance Foundation (SCF) to provide fundraising opportunities and invaluable corporate partnerships by taking part in the high profile Dubai Rugby 7’s 2008.
Strategy
•Build on Sporting Chance Foundations previous participation in the Dubai 7’s by having a men’s team in the International Invitational Tournament and a ladies team in the International Tournament
•Partner with a tournament sponsor to gain an opportunity to do fundraising in their VIP corporate hospitality and form a valuable partnership for the charity
•Have the best available players from around the world to play in the means tournament and partner with the RFUW and take the England Ladies 7’s team and management
•Finance the tour by attracting sponsorship and support from the private sector
•Logan Sports Marketing (LSM) to be the appointed event management agency to manage all logistics, tour management, sponsorship generation and budgeting
Implementation
•LSM worked with SCF Trustees and other key points of contact including player management, kit suppliers, coach’s, RFUW to create an overall vision for the fundraising and financing of the tour
•LSM appointed a leading sports travel company to source accommodation options and negotiate flight prices and final bookings process
•LSM appointed a senior director to head up the management of the project and an experienced event manager
•LSM conducted site visits and made recommendations for accommodation, local transportation and training facilities
•LSM worked with tournament organisers to ensure that both teams and the sponsors and guests had everything they needed
Evaluation & Results
•LSM sourced a main shirt sponsor in Mathon Finance a UK based finance company, who paid a substantial five figure sum for their brand to be featured on all kit and access to corporate hospitality
•Both teams travelled with all expenses paid, a total of 35 made up the playing and management party
•In addition to the playing party, an additional 15+ people travelled with the group who contributed towards additional costs for the teams including food & beverage and cash support for SCF
•The men’s team was made up of international players from England, Wales, New Zealand, Australia and Fiji. The team won the International Invitational tournament beating the tournament favourites the South Sea Drifters in a tight semi final, going on to convincingly beet the Kooga Wailers 31-5 in the final.
•The ladies started the tournament as favourites and after a tight final they went on to win the tournament beating the Wooden Spoon 12-10.
•SCF was able to make a corporate partnership with HSBC, one of the main tournament sponsors
•The charity was able to auction a number of unique sports items in the HSBC VIP Corporate Hospitality raising a large sum of money for Sporting Chance Foundation
•A number of relationships were made on the tour which will help deliver future revenue for the charity, specifically one major event in 2009 has said it will make SCF the beneficiary of its fundraising
•The partnership with the RFUW provided extra PR and all match reports were posted on the RFU web-site
•The tour met all of its objectives and planning has started for involvement in the 2009 Dubai 7’s