AJAX, ON -- July 22, 2009, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- The Ajax Attack Jr. A Hockey Club is pleased to announce three upcoming fundraising events.
On Thursday, September 3, the club will hold its golf tournament at Four Seasons Golf Club in Claremont. The afternoon will include lunch, golf with power cart, dinner, and prizes. Entry for the golf tournament is $150.00. Sign in and lunch is at 12:00 PM, with the tournament teeing off at 1:00 PM. The team is also seeking hole sponsors and prize donations for the tournament. For more information, or to purchase tickets or sponsor a hole, please contact Rob Toffoli by e-mail at robtoffoli@rogers.com, or Derek Sharp at 905-259-2673 or derekpsharp@hotmail.com. Please purchase your tickets before Aug. 31, as the team needs to confirm numbers with the golf course.
On Friday, October 23, Annandale Golf and Country Club will host the Ajax Attack Poker Tournament. $75.00 will include entry to the tournament, a buffet meal, and prize table. Arrival and dinner at 7:00 PM, with the tournament starting at 8:00 PM. There will also be additional contests throughout the evening, as well as a silent auction. The team is also looking for table sponsors and prize donations for this event. For more information, tickets, or to sponsor a table, contact Derek Sharp at 905-259-2673 or derekpsharp@hotmail.com. Everybody purchasing their tickets before August 31 will receive an early bird bonus of $250 worth of chips in the tournament.
The third of the fundraising events will be the Ajax Attack Karaoke Party, on Friday, November 27, at 7:00 PM. The event, taking place at Annandale Golf and Country Club, will feature a fun night of karaoke, music, and dancing. A buffet dinner at 7:30 is included in the $40.00 admission price. There will also be additional contests and a silent auction. For tickets or more information, please contact Derek Sharp at 905-259-2673 or derekpsharp@hotmail.com.
How about putting together an amazing hockey team that has talent, shows improvement and is entertaining the people who might come to watch them. LET'S CALL THEM FANS!!!
Next, put together a good marketing program and ticket sales schemes that are affordable for hockey nuts, teams and families.
Make sure that the rink is a great place to come to. Yea some music and a side show wouldn't hurt but the atmosphere has to come from the anticipation of the game. It's the star and by showcasing the players and coaches, you just might get those folks back.
After games, how about weekly "meet and greets". Have 5 players per event and sprinkle in a coach and a "special" guest that people will want to meet. Have muchies, etc.
Promote the opponent! Every week make sure that your fans know who is coming to town. Is it the league leading scorer, best defense, most penalized??? Be sure that your weekly media release includes your teams view of the other team.
Keep your web site up to date every day!!! Twitter - Facebook . Offer online deals and discounts. Make sure they are your official sites and give the info you want out regularly!
You wouldn't believe how many of those things are already in the works...but you would agree it would be folly to actually announce them before they are finalized, right?
No worries, DD. We have a very structured long-term marketing plan in place, but building from nothing, which is what Ajax has had for as long as I can remember going back to the days of Larry Labelle, it will be a work in progress throughout the season. By next season, it will be a well oiled machine and a turnkey marketing program.
Thanks for the suggestions. We have a place that might be hosting our "meet and greets" as you call them, throughout the season, but it is not finalized and so has not been announced. As the season wears on, you will see the promotion of "local stars" from the Attack team, but again...that will be a work in progress based on who the fans are responding to.
No offense, I know your suggestions are sincere and coming from the right place, but it is a little early to be criticizing a marketing plan that hasn't even really got its legs, and yet has already accomplished quite a lot.
I wasn't critisising your plan, I was making suggesting that I think every team should take into consideration.
Along those lines though, just a few questions that apply to all events.
Is there a team member or member of the Coaching staff in each foresome, table, participating so that people feel connected?
Back when you were setting up the team sponsorship program, did you allow in your budget to assure that each sponsor got a ticket to play / participate in each event free with their committment?
I could ask more but think I will just wait and see what you guys do and how well it works.
There is a company running it for us, and we are not offering cash prizes, we are having a prize table with donated prizes, similar to a golf tournament. It is purely an entertainment fundraiser. But thank you for the concern.
So not all of the funds will be going to the team? That's important for contributors to know as some people get real ticked when they find out that it is not being run by volunteers.
Private companies are great when everything works perfectly. When they don't I've seen a lot of charities and NPO's get stuck footing bills for losses and bills to the suppliers AND the company who provided the "management".
However, this company has been running similar fundraiser events for years. My cousin has used their company to raise money for his local Big Brothers, as well as for a service club he is involved with (I can't remember whether it is Kinsmen, Rotary, or which). He recommended them as truly professional, and always raises a great deal of money with their events.