Edmonton Sport Council

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WORKSHOPS OVERVIEW

EVENT MANAGEMENT

Special events may range from national Games to a community competition, to a simple fundraising dinner. Events can also be big business and are increasingly viewed as entertainment - competing for a share of people’s leisure time. They have also become a significant way for sponsors and organizers to reach their target markets, and are a powerful way to zero in on specific markets. Staging an event takes preparation and must be well planned and coordinated. This seminar identifies and describes the key elements required to make an event successful, including the preliminary planning process, feasibility checks, creation of the organizing committee and support personnel, identification of roles and responsibilities, event plan development, budgeting, sponsorship, and post-event analysis.

FUNDRAISING BASICS

This seminar provides guidance in developing strategies for raising funds to support your club. It covers how to assess your strengths and assets, set fundraising goals and timetables, identify and approach potential funding sources, secure support from individuals and institutions, and evaluate your fundraising efforts.

ORGANIZATIONAL PLANNING

Strategic and operational plans provide a common focus for everyone in the organization. They establish goals to be reached and allow progress to be monitored and evaluated. A written plan is also a way of keeping your stakeholders informed of your organization’s business. This workshop examines the various types and benefits of planning, and how to determine the type of planning and best process for your organization’s needs. It will identify who should be involved in the process, how to make the process into a plan and how to make the plan a concrete part of your organization’s actions. It also includes simple, effective planning exercises that can be used immediately.

PRINCIPLES OF SPORT MARKETING

Effective sports marketing can raise awareness of your sport and/or organization, persuade people to try the sport or to switch from another activity, build confidence, loyalty, commitment and warmth and offer incentives and increase the public’s knowledge. Marketing can influence tasks such as recruiting members, raising funds, ensuring a positive perception and maintaining loyalty to your sport. Effective marketing also provides benefits in attracting and retaining sponsors. This workshop will help you to design a marketing strategy, based on what you are trying to achieve – increased participation in your sport, more fans at your games and events, or simply an enhanced image in the community.

PRIVACY AND ACCESS TO INFORMATION

The material in this seminar continues to evolve as Alberta is in the process of revising the first draft of the PIPA legislation. This seminar presents the current federal (PIPEDA) and provincial (PIPA) legislation governing the collection and dissemination of personal information. It covers the legal obligations of organizations that collect personal information concerning their members, including what can be collected and revealed, security requirements and how the information can be used.

PROPOSAL WRITING

This workshop will help you produce a comprehensive funding proposal by identifying the purpose and significance of your project, how you will achieve your objectives, and how will you evaluate your efforts. It will provide guidance in locating potential supporters and making contact and selling your proposal, including how to structure and present your proposal. Participants will examine sample funding proposals and discuss common errors in proposals.

SPONSORSHIP

Sponsorship is a business relationship between a provider of funds, resources or services and an individual, event or organization which offers in return some rights and association that may be used for commercial advantage. Sponsorship is not a donation; it is a business deal giving value for both parties. This workshop will help you identify your sponsorship needs, your event’s target market, how to identify your best prospective sponsors and what you have to offer a sponsor.

WEB SITE DEVELOPMENT AND UTILIZATION

The Internet has become a useful source of information and an essential communication tool. This has allowed organizations to acquire and disseminate information with greater efficiency and lower cost than ever before. Although many sport organizations have developed a website and use e-mail regularly, they may not be making optimal use of this technology. This seminar will provide you with the basics of web site design, examine common features and uses of web sites, and explore new ideas in revising and maintaining your Internet presence. Examples of time and cost saving procedures and software will be presented to demonstrate ways of maximizing the impact of the Internet in supporting the work of your organization.

WORKING WITH THE MEDIA

Reasons for wanting media attention may be as simple as wanting to see a young athlete featured in a news story for the purpose of building self esteem or they may go as far as the need to increase your sport’s profile as a means to increase corporate sponsorship. Whatever your reasons, you should define them clearly and be sure that your media relations actions compliment your media relations goal. Knowing the answer to this question will help you create your media relations strategy and keep it on target. This hands-on workshop will provide an understanding of the media’s needs and the basics of dealing with the media in promoting your events and athletes. It includes writing a media release and public service announcement, determining the appropriate media activities leading up to an event, determining your media protocol and media list, and designing your media guide. It will assist you in receiving timely, appropriate coverage and handling difficult public situations.