2.  Because sports camps are organized over a five- to fourteen-day time period, their schedules allow athletes to address a variety of skills used in the particular sport.  In contrast, a one- or two-day baseball clinic may be called a “Secrets of the Swing” and focus on only improving batting skills.

3.  Clinic sessions…  Are more intense and concentrated, and the number of participants must often be more limited than in a sports camp setting.  Short clinics frequently introduce a sport to beginners.  The clinic agenda may include several short sessions about each basic element of the game.

4.  One- to two-day clinics do not have nearly the amount of overhead costs associated with summer camps.  For an overnight workshop, participants often arrange their own food and lodging.  The athlete or team putting on the clinic does not need to worry about those expenses.

5.  Sponsorship is a major consideration for workshops.  Money is needed for leasing the space for the workshop and for a marketing budget.  Sponsors can help keep participants’ fees down, enabling more people to attend.  They can also add interest to the event.  In return, sponsors can promote their products and get to know their clientele better.

6.  Sponsors will require details about the workshop – time, place, target audience, celebrity athlete involved, participant fees, and advertising budget.  They will want to know just how the sports marketing firm will position their brands for name recognition.

7.  Successful marketers will include their sponsors in numerous ways, such as…  all media advertising and informational print materials  onsite banners, fliers, and exhibitor booth space for the sponsors to market their products and services  spoken recognition at the event and time for the sponsors to discuss their products and services  licensing potential

8.  Sponsors often contribute products to workshops or promotional items to be distributed at the event.  What are some examples of promotional items given away at workshops?  Free athletic equipment (soccer balls, footballs, baseball bats)  pens with the company logo  T-shirts

9.  Sometimes well-planned workshops fail because they are insufficiently advertised.  Successful sports marketers will conduct research in the area in which a workshop is being held in order to learn more about its demographics.

10.  They will answer questions such as…  What do citizens in this town read daily?  Are there free newsprint weeklies that have high rates of advertising success?  Do the area schools have a high percentage of participation in this sport?  Where do people who might be interested in this event tend to congregate in their leisure time?  At which local sports facilities could posters and brochures be placed?  Which are the best radio stations to consider for promotional ads?

11.  Once the initial research is done and enticing, well-written ad copy is created, it is time to get the information to the public.  Amateur athletes tend to follow professional activity in their sport through local newspapers.  As papers offer reasonably priced advertising opportunities, marketers can place large boxed ads to catch the interest of potential participants.  Care should be taken to keep copy concise and attractive, using bold letters to draw a reader to the main attractions of the event.

12.  What are the advantages and disadvantages of newspapers and weekly newsprint mailers?  Advantages:  they require little lead time to place the ad  copy can be changed quickly (usually w/in 24-48 hrs.)  Disadvantages:  not as targeted to the clinics prospective attendees  usually thrown away quickly  nontraditional sports are not given much space in the sports section regularly

13.  Sports magazines, especially those targeting the specific sport that the workshop addresses, are great places for promotional ads.  Magazines are more expensive than newspapers, but these publications tend to be read by enthusiastic athletes in the sports that are most likely to offer clinics.  Examples include:  Skateboarding clinic in a skateboarding magazine  Golf clinic in a golf magazine

14.  Marketing companies can both buy and create their own targeted mailings lists of people most likely to attend specific events.  While direct mail is the most expensive advertising method mentioned here, if it is sent to a well-researched group of customers it can be the most successful method.

15.  What is the biggest advantage and disadvantage of targeted mailings and brochures?  Advantage  It is sent to a well researched group of consumers and can be the most successful method.  Disadvantage:  most expensive advertising message (more than the ones above)