PREMIER ATTRACTIONS

Local agency begins push for Host Committee’s second-tier sponsorships

By Steve Pate

Thursday, July 29, 2010 - 11:16am

Everything is coming up 45 these days for the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee.

The NFL’s 45th Super Bowl, of course, will be staged at Cowboys Stadium in 2011. And now, even as the Host Committee edges toward its goal of fifteen $1 million founding sponsors, the launch has begun for 30 additional sponsors below $1 million.

That, quite naturally, means 45 sponsors for Super Bowl XLV.

Premier Partnership joined the North Texas Super Bowl XLV efforts in late April to quarterback securing sponsors for the events and programs of Super Bowl XLV in the year long buildup to the game.

John Alper, Vice President of Premier Partnership’s Central Region, is based in Dallas and has been pitching second-tier sponsorships for three short weeks. The early response is heartening.

“With this being the first Super Bowl ever in North Texas, the feedback has been tremendous,” Alper says. “After just a dozen meetings, essentially everyone we’ve met with thus far wants to participate at some level. It’s a matter of where they want to come in with VIP events and hospitality (packages).

“But early indications are stronger than we anticipated. Obviously, there’s nothing out there that’s recession proof. We work with Major League Baseball venues and properties and other major sports, and I would say this is as recession proof as it gets.”

The theme of “45 for 45” also has an air of exclusivity to it. By offering a mere 30 additional packages — total — participating companies will be highlighted far more prominently than if sponsorships were wide open.

“We’re going to have a finite number of packages available and at some point we will sell out,” Alper says. “This is not like a typical property or sports team where you can always go back and find extra tickets or signage, or you can later develop extra promotions. Essentially, once the packages are gone, they’re gone."

“It will be a very exclusive, intimate family. A lot of teams or properties have 100 to 150 sponsors. In this case, we’re going to have a maximum of 45. It’ll be a very exclusive group  of prominent entities throughout the region.”

For that reason, Alper and the Host Committee are focusing primarily on the four-county region that won the North Texas Super Bowl bid: Collin, Dallas, Denton and Tarrant counties.

“A lot of companies have a major presence in the North Texas region,” Alper says. “They have a desire to participate in North Texas’ first Super Bowl at some level.  A lot of them see this as something historic, something significant.” 

Alper says packages will vary in sizes depending on VIP access, hospitality, different levels of marketing, branding and advertising exposure. Sponsorships will likely range from low- to mid-six figures.

“Keep in mind that these packages include assets that will begin early next year,” Alper says. “Our countdown is not the number of days remaining until Super Bowl XLV. We’re going to have a major concert series and other events — all sorts of hospitality and VIP events — beginning in 2010 leading up to Super Bowl Sunday.”

In other words, if you want to be a part of the 45 involved in 45, climb aboard early and enjoy the ride.