Return on investment for charity golf and awards events

ROI of Charity Golf and Awards Event

Return on Investment (ROI) of a Charity Golf and Awards Event

at Baderman Island

Delivering on the expectations of creating a unique and highly valuable event on behalf of charities and in support of corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, event marketing and their results are measured today more than ever before. Where in the past events were primarily participated in and contributed to by corporations and smaller businesses to show their support for a community and its needs, hoping to strengthen and solidify their brand locally, today corporations participate to fulfill the requirements of CSR programs and to promote their goodwill globally through social media (Bailor, 2006) (Bernoff, Li, 2008). Given the pressure that social media and the new era of transparency has put on corporations to participate often and generously in CSR initiatives, the following ROI analysis and model are provided for the Baderman Island Resort Golf Tournament and Awards Ceremony.

ROI Model and Analysis

The future of corporate events has become more measurable and precise given the role of social media (Bernoff, Li, 2008) including the proven effectiveness of sporting events specifically and golf in particular (Burke, 2011). Golf is a sport that has high aspirational value and for many, a means to get ahead in their careers. Combining this aspirational need with the ongoing efforts of corporations to support and strengthen their CSR initiatives, event marketing can be very profitable and successful (Moore, 1989). Taking into account the constraints as defined for the Baderman Island Resort's cost estimates, the following ROI Model has been developed in Figure 1.

Figure 1:

Proposed ROI Model for Baderman Island Resort Golf Tournament and Awards Ceremony

For this tournament to reach a 12% ROI with the reserve of $25,000 included for unexpected expenses, the following categories of donors need to be created. Each of these categories includes its own social media support in the form of Facebook Fan pages, Twitter accounts and real-time social media monitoring including the use of Radian6 and other sentiment modeling tools to ascertain how the event is impacting their brand and reputation globally, in real-time (Bernoff, Li, 2008). Web design experts who understand how to get the most performance possible from Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques will also be contracted with, so that the results of each sponsoring company is globally seen instantly online.

Here are the following categories and the benefits of each:

Gold Level of Sponsorship -- For the $5,000 investment in this level, companies get their logos on all marketing materials for the event, their own Facebook Fan page specifically for this event, SEO support and web design assistance in promoting the event, and two spots in the Pro-Am Tournament where two members of the company will be paired with local or national celebrities attending. This level also includes four tickets to the awards banquet. Payment is required prior to the event.

Platinum Level of Sponsorship -- For a $10,000 investment, a sponsoring company will get one of the eighteen holes to sponsor, and will also have their brand and logo identified prominently on marketing materials. This level of sponsorship will also get ten tickets to the awards ceremony and four people invited to paly in the Pro-Am with local celebrities. Local cable television coverage of the event is planned, and at this level of contribution, two spokespersons from the company can be interviewed to discuss why they sponsored the event, further supporting their CSR initiatives. These videos will be available on YouTube, Facebook and Twitter immediately following taping for future, global CSR program support. Payment is required prior to the event.

Director's Circle of Care Sponsorship - This is the ultimate level of commitment to the cause of the charity event, and at $35,000 entitles the benefactor to an entire table at the awards ceremony, the opportunity to give the keynote at the ceremony, and five people playing the Pro-Am with a nationally recognized golfer or celebrity. The event will be branded with their name and a cable TV interview done with their team of sponsor managers and their CEO. A Facebook Fan page, a series of blog posts, and SEO support will be provided for online initiatives and a success story written for this sponsor to use globally, showing their concern for the cause supported. All of these components of the program will also be coordinated in an integrated marketing communications strategy so the sponsoring corporation gets the full benefit of this event as a CSR investment. Payment is required prior to the event.