.... There are other creative inexpensive ways to get seats filled. Regardless, corporate sponsorship will not really happen until those sponsors have a consistent market in the stands to 'advertise' to. Yes indeed it's a bit of a Catch-22, but at the end of the day it's the club's job to fill-up the stands.
A packed house attracts more lucrative corporate sponsorship deals. An empty house attracts it not.
Several good points by posters on this thread, but the above comments resonate well. So how do we create a packed house or perception of a packed house as once yuh get this, the monied interests cyah resist dabbling then taking the plunge. So leh we take a random shot at dis ...
1. What do Trinis/Trinbagonians, who would be candidates to attend these games, SEEM to like?
2. Don't mean to be condescending but one could mention some very simple not-so-costly things that we easily overlook:
3. Need a good
announcer who knows the personalities and can give little bits of
commentaries. Our football games, when I went, were like silent movies and that needs to change.
Team line-ups need to be
properly announced with
team jersey numbers and with
team line-ups in full view of the stands just as if they were national teams waiting for their respective anthems. This is more important for the women who are often there to follow their men who inturn might know the players better. No sexism intended. Build interest by making fans acquainted. Conquer boredom!
4. Door prizes. What do attendees crave? Depending on the demographic/age: I-phones, blackberries, Flat screen TVs, computers, discounts, free jerseys. Find some way to say that when gate attendance passes 2000, there wil be giveaways based on ticket stubs. Small ting for some of the medium-sized sponsors.
5. Free admission for children under age X. Fill up de stands man. But they must be brought by a paying parent / adult. If that fails, well free for children. Period. Try something. Try a ting.
6. Network with other sport organizations, artistic groups themselves also tusty for publicity, using the football event as a springboard.
7. Have some booths for all the football teams, cycling groups, volunteer organizations, focusing on selling their stuff, jerseys, promoting their organizations, and getting new people registered.
8. Media. media media!!! Camera work!!!! Capture the
covered stand action and make sure that sports personalities are captured in the midst of the frenzy. As a poster said, create "hype" man and exaggerate the effect with good camera angles.
9. Get volunteer camera people to offer shots for marketing purposes.
10. Dis list could go on and on ....
11. Remember the girls coming for the boys and boys coming for the girls, beers, food and football etc.
12. Target the community leaders. Free tickets once they prove to represent. Big up past football stars and mention their name on the microphone.
13. Make parking safe for al those driving their bling wheels and rims.
14. Get some chartered maxis for those who doh have transport
15. Free tickets for maybe 3 nutsmen to compete for business
16. Put good billboards for advertizers to use.
17. Let Touches get a paid syndicated column
18. Let Football Supporter, Patriot, Brown Sugar get a locum announcer after-work job
19. C'mon man utilize the talents on socawarriors.net some of whom ready to help .. for free! Oh crimes man!
20. Get a cheap magazine (like a community / church newspaper) and get small slots advertised cheaply. Let people have something, even if just 4 pages to carry home. The small advertiser wants the magazine, the bigger advertiser wants the billboard. When the magazine succeeds it can become more attractive and glossy.
21. Carry some stories in the magazine. Syndicated interviews that Flex easily does. C'mon man! Stories we does be reading every week right here on Winchester in Finland, Guerra in Finland, Bateau in Belgium, Power in Thailand, Glen in Inda, Mitchell with Vancouver Whitecaps. Let the fans smell success and let the youths read in awe that these very games produced heroes who do make it big. Let Sancho, Kelvin Jack, Rougier, Sam, Ince, Leonson Lewis, Clint Marcelle, Marvin Andrews, Angus Eve write articles that are samples of their fascinating biographies. C'mon Football Supporter get yuh act together and try some of this!!!
22. Free entry for major stars of yesterday/yesteryear. What criteria. Well let's start with anybody who is a former national team player. From Jughead to Dwarika. Chubby to Rougier, Whitley to Hardest. You will have a massive influx of attendance and the flock that looks up to dem on whichever block they hang out on.
23. Let Big Mag perform on a big double header late in the season or a Cup match