ByJackie Reau

Game Day Communications

Creating an Advocacy Plan to Drive Awareness

and Revenue

Creating an Advocacy Plan to Drive Awareness and Revenue

Introduction • Game Day Communications is a sports and entertainment

communications and marketing firm based in Cincinnati led by former ESPN Anchor Betsy Ross

• Flying Pig Marathon was our first client and the 2016 race will be our 14th race weekend

• Capabilities include: fan research, strategic communications, media relations, social media and event marketing

Agenda• Sports Tourism Industry Overview• State of U.S. Running by the Numbers• Anatomy of an Advocacy Plan• Advocacy Plan Outline•Work Sheet Exercise• Q&A

Sports Tourism Industry• Visitor spending at amateur sporting events was $8.7 billion

last year, up 5% from the previous year

• Sports Tourism & Travel in the U.S. represents 28.5 million people, up 3.7% from the previous year

• Direct visitor spending at sporting events per day, per person is $208.80 (different from economic impact)

*National Association of Sports Commissions

Economic Impact Calculation• Economic Impact: Results to the city, results to the local CVB and/or

Sports Commission and to the event

• Hotel nights are calculated by surveys and/or CVB room pick up and include total nights stayed and the average room cost per night

• Visitor spending per person and per day

• Operational spending is calculated into the total economic impact figure by reported spending from one or all of the appropriate groups: teams, event rights holders and/or CVB/Sports Commission

Flying Pig Marathon Economic Impact• Participants generate more than $12 million in economic impact over Flying Pig

Marathon weekend including:

• Spending by out-of-town participants, local participants and guests and families who join the participants (each participant brings 4.5 people with them)

• $1.3 million spent on lodging

• $1.2 million spent at restaurants, bars, entertainment and Expo

• More than $250,000 spent at retail outlets

• Jobs created or sustained by the Marathon total 280+*Xavier University (2014)

U.S. Running Participation by the Numbers•1,100 + U.S. marathons held in 2013

•541,000 total marathon finishers in 2013

•57% men, 43% women

• Since 1990, there has been a 140% increase in U.S. marathon finishers

*Running USA Report (2014)

U.S. Running Participation by the Numbers

•18,750,000 finishers in U.S. running events

•Total number of U.S. running events reached 28,000

•2.046 million finished half marathons (up 4%) *Running USA Report (2014)

Definition of an Advocacy Plan

An Advocacy Plan is a tool to effectively communicate to key audiences to

influence behavior

“Funders need Numbers.”

“Understand the motivation of your target audience and provide impactful numbers to

influence support.”

Anatomy an Advocacy Plan• Total Number of Participants and U.S. Ranking• Economic Impact•Direct Visitor Spending• Total Amount of Charitable Donations• Total Number of Volunteers and Hours•Media Impressions and Earned Media Value• Social and Digital Media Insights

Advocacy Plan Outline

Objective(s)•To increase public financing support from city or county•To increase sponsorship revenue from companies in sports tourism sector•To increase media support from the CVB

Advocacy Plan Outline

Key Messages•Overall economic impact of the event in the community•Direct visitor spending from the event•Charitable giving•Hotel room night pick up

Advocacy Plan Outline

Target Audiences•Your Board of Directors, Sponsors, Volunteers, Charities•City Council and County Commissioners•Hospitality Leadership•Civic Leadership (Chamber, Downtown Committees, Neighborhood Councils)

Advocacy Plan Roll Out

Initiatives• Create a printed and/or e-report with key indicators of

Advocacy Plan• Schedule meetings and/or events with internal and external

audiences to share the Advocacy Plan• Leverage report with current and new sponsors• Share report on website, social and digital platforms

Advocacy Plan Roll Outline

Timeline of Activity• 3 months (post): Complete report/scorecard• 4 months (post): Distribute to internal audiences via

meetings• 5 months (post): Schedule meetings and/or community

event to announce highlights with media invited• On-going: Share on website, social and in all sponsorship

presentations, media interviews, etc.

Advocacy Plan Work Sheet Exercise

Q&A

Thank You