Saturday, May 13, 2006

 

Athlete Appearances, Athlete Appearances at Sports Collectible Shows, Athlete Appearances at Store Promotions, Athlete Appearances at Fundraisers

In my last blog I talked about athlete appearances at sports collectible shows and how nice it would be for parents to take their kids to these types of events so that the kids could meet the players both current and retired. These shows exist in most parts of the country. If you do not know how to find them you can just go to my website http://www.lernersportsmarketing.com/ click on links of interest, then click on major sports sites and then click on the signings website listed there. It will give you a pretty complete list of all or most of the shows in your area where athlete appearances are going on. Most of the shows are very similar as far as the athlete appearances. You purchase a ticket at the front of the show and you go to a selected area where either you get right on line and wait for the athlete to get there or you wander the show and wait for the show promoter to call line up numbers for the athlete appearance. Most show promoters are very professional and very courteous and will be glad to assist you in getting your autograph, saying a few words to the athlete, introducing your child to the athlete and even taking a photo of your child with the athlete. If you encounter any problems at the show then it is advisable to find the show promoter and let him know of your problem. He will usually be very helpful. If he is not then you can ask if the athlete has his agent with him and speak to him. If, however you feel that you have not been treated right or that the autograph price is way over what you think it should be or what other shows charge for autographs then you should not attend this show any more. Like most things in life autograph prices are set by supply and demand. If the demand is high regardless of the price then the athlete will want a high price and the show promoter will charge a high price for the autograph. Select the sports collectible shows that treat you well, provide good athletes and have fair prices.

Athlete appearances at store promotions are done in most parts of the country and are only advertised in daily newspapers, local weekly newspapers and in some areas on radio and television. The purpose here is to promote the store by giving away free autographs of a current or retired popular athlete and draw attention to the store and possibly new customers who will continue to come back to the store. If the event is well advertised the promotion usually works well. People love free things, especially free autographs from professional athletes. If you own a store or manage a store or are part of a store chain then email me at al@lernersportsmarketing.com and I will help you set up an autograph appearance at your store that will help promote the store and bring in new and old customers. If you are an autograph collector or sports fan then I strongly suggest you read over the ads in your local papers to catch any of these promotions in your area. Remember though if you go to one of these store promotions the lines will be large and in some cases so large that not everyone will get an autograph. In this case you will just have to settle for getting a glimpse of this athlete in person and in civilian clothes. The best thing to do is get there a half hour or even an hour before the event time. If there is a line you can get right on it or if they give out numbers you can get one of the first numbers so that when there is a line you will be among the first to be on it. If it is not crowded then you have the opportunity to shop around at this store and see what they have to offer.

Athlete appearances at fundraisers are fun to attend. You get to see the athlete up close, you get to participate in an event that will help raise money for a worthwhile cause and any money spent here is usually tax deductible. There are many different fundraisers that have athletes in attendance; such as fundraising dinners, fundraising golf outings and fundraising sports auctions. If you are a charitable organization please stop now and call me at 516 752-7557. I will be glad to help you plan your fundraising event and show you how an athlete can make your event a huge success and bring in substantial amount of money for your cause. If you are interested in going to one of these events then again the best way to find out about them is to look in your daily newspapers and look through the weekly ones mailed to your home or included with your Sunday newspaper. These events can be a lot of fun. Imagine golfing either in a foursome with this athlete or even in the foursome behind him or in front of him. Talking to him and giving him your opinions as well as getting his at the kickoff breakfast or lunch or at the awards dinner and getting autographs and taking photos with him. This is a day you will remember all your life. Fundraising golf outings do cost a considerable amount of money with or without an athlete but with an athlete there they become memorable events in your life and are usually worth every cent you spend. If you play in fundraising golf outings that do not have sports celebrities then tell the sponsors to email me at al@lernersportsmarketing.com and I will help them upgrade their event at little or no cost to the charity or just tell them to go to my website http://www.lernersprtsmarketing.com/ and click on my fundraising page for more details on this type of event. Fundraising dinners are usually run by local charities or religious or fraternal organizations. Here the athlete usually is available to talk to the people attending the dinner during the cocktail hour and usually stays for the whole event and sits either at the dais or at a lead table. Sometimes autographs are free at these events (included in the price you pay to attend) and other times there is a set time set aside for people to visit the athlete and pay a nominal fee (usually tax deductible) which goes to the fundraising organization. This type of event is usually very successful for the fundraising organization and very enjoyable to all the participants and guests. Sports auctions are sometimes combined with either golf outings or banquet dinners or run on their own as a major event. In either case they are usually a lot of fun. Athlete appearances at sports auctions really make them fun. The athletes themselves are usually quite enamored with all the sports memorabilia that is on display and being auctioned off either as a live auction or as a silent auction. The athlete is very available to talk to and take photos with and get autographs from. Usually there is a slight charge for this but the money is going to a good cause and again is tax deductible. Choose the athlete appearance of your choice or go to all of them or as many as you can find in your area. Athletes are generally polite, cordial and anxious to talk to you. This is a fun activity and people need to have fun activities in their life.





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