Inaugural Race for New Global Powerboating Series
Sonny Hawkins, owner of the US based FLYING TIGERS SUPERCAT OFFSHORE POWERBOAT TEAM, and UIM representative and Stewart Mison a London based sports and television marketing expert, have gone into business together and formed GLOBAL POWERBOAT MARKETING INC, based in Buffalo New York. In this new venture they have been joined by Dan Wilkins a US based sports media executive, who for sometime has been working on a powerboat race series in the Caribbean.
The plans for their inaugural race in Barbados are well underway for this summer, which has the full backing of the Barbados Government and Tourism bodies. The Race Festival is being structured in partnership by GPM’s Barbados based affiliate, Mark Chandler- Managing Director of D&M Professional Marketing Services. Local business on the island is contributing to the overall financing which will include the biggest prize to date in the sport. The race series, to be held over two weekends this summer is open only to Supercat Class boats, although Hawkins says
'We would extend a warm welcome to any of the Class One teams who want to run against the US boats. Under new technical rule changes this year, it looks as though Class One and the Supercats may have some parity at last. We are looking at and talking to those in the know to see if something could be worked out. We all have crowded seasons but, well just maybe...
Our teams are traveling to Barbados on a specially chartered ship. The logistical arrangements are all in hand, and we have wonderful support from the islands and our partner there, D&M Professional Marketing Services'
The racing logistics and race management will be under APBA Offshore rules, and final deal points are being finalised. An international television package is being put together which will see highlights and coverage in over 100 international markets.
Mison, who resigned from the powerboat joint venture he started with UK based Television Corporation Plc at the end of 2000, is excited about the future for GLOBAL POWERBOAT MARKETING Inc.
'I know the opportunity to grow this sport exists, it is just some of the current players have failed to capitalize on opportunities to do so. Why are we different? – It is about selling sponsorship. The overall racing should not be that expensive.
Much of race day happens because of local volunteers, so the management overhead should be low. TV needs to have the money spent on it, as this is the promotional platform
for the commercial partners. Make the sport look like a million dollars, and this is what the
income streams will deliver
Everyone talks about the market downturns, budgets being cut. What I see is Formula One racing with new sponsors, Soccer World Cup being funded, a family of sponsors supporting the Salt Lake City Games, the money is out there, the sport just needs to put the commercial package together and go ask for the cash.
Television production and distribution are two of the main ingredients in making the sport become a success. Build awareness of the race boats, the hero and villain scenarios through a simple well-produced series. Spend money on good graphics and presentation. It needs initial investment but once people start watching we will have audience data.
Marketing Directors buy on data. Couple this with marketing profiles on who goes racing or watches and we have the required stats to hit our targets.
Global Powerboat Marketing is not desperate to own race venues or to physically run races. Why change good operating systems, particularly if we do not have to make a cost outlay? Primarily we want the TV side of things. If we do this I know we can market the sponsorship. We work with our partner promoters and race venues to build uni and multi lateral sponsorship packages, covering their TV production costs and making it work for the commercial partners. It should be a 'win, win win' scenario.
Other islands in the West Indies have already started approaching our partners in the Barbados race for the staging races in their Islands. We have plans for holding an CARIBBEAN TRIPLE CROWN next year and this summer’s race is a prime and unique, launching platform for our plans. We have the support from the US based teams for this, and an enviable list of commercial partners.'
Without doubt something new is happening in the sport. The Barbados race is Global Powerboat Marketing’s first step in their five-year plan. How soon the business finds its running shoes, only time will tell, but whatever happens in the short term Global Powerboat Marketing looks forward to their inaugural event in Barbados and to implementing the annual Caribbean Triple Crown.
For more information contact:
Stewart Mison
Global Powerboat Marketing Inc
+ 44 (0) 7836 201511
stewmison@aol.com
Mark Chandler
D&M Professional Marketing Services Inc
Barbados
+1 246-424-2376
dmmarketing@sunbeach.net
The plans for their inaugural race in Barbados are well underway for this summer, which has the full backing of the Barbados Government and Tourism bodies. The Race Festival is being structured in partnership by GPM’s Barbados based affiliate, Mark Chandler- Managing Director of D&M Professional Marketing Services. Local business on the island is contributing to the overall financing which will include the biggest prize to date in the sport. The race series, to be held over two weekends this summer is open only to Supercat Class boats, although Hawkins says
'We would extend a warm welcome to any of the Class One teams who want to run against the US boats. Under new technical rule changes this year, it looks as though Class One and the Supercats may have some parity at last. We are looking at and talking to those in the know to see if something could be worked out. We all have crowded seasons but, well just maybe...
Our teams are traveling to Barbados on a specially chartered ship. The logistical arrangements are all in hand, and we have wonderful support from the islands and our partner there, D&M Professional Marketing Services'
The racing logistics and race management will be under APBA Offshore rules, and final deal points are being finalised. An international television package is being put together which will see highlights and coverage in over 100 international markets.
Mison, who resigned from the powerboat joint venture he started with UK based Television Corporation Plc at the end of 2000, is excited about the future for GLOBAL POWERBOAT MARKETING Inc.
'I know the opportunity to grow this sport exists, it is just some of the current players have failed to capitalize on opportunities to do so. Why are we different? – It is about selling sponsorship. The overall racing should not be that expensive.
Much of race day happens because of local volunteers, so the management overhead should be low. TV needs to have the money spent on it, as this is the promotional platform
for the commercial partners. Make the sport look like a million dollars, and this is what the
income streams will deliver
Everyone talks about the market downturns, budgets being cut. What I see is Formula One racing with new sponsors, Soccer World Cup being funded, a family of sponsors supporting the Salt Lake City Games, the money is out there, the sport just needs to put the commercial package together and go ask for the cash.
Television production and distribution are two of the main ingredients in making the sport become a success. Build awareness of the race boats, the hero and villain scenarios through a simple well-produced series. Spend money on good graphics and presentation. It needs initial investment but once people start watching we will have audience data.
Marketing Directors buy on data. Couple this with marketing profiles on who goes racing or watches and we have the required stats to hit our targets.
Global Powerboat Marketing is not desperate to own race venues or to physically run races. Why change good operating systems, particularly if we do not have to make a cost outlay? Primarily we want the TV side of things. If we do this I know we can market the sponsorship. We work with our partner promoters and race venues to build uni and multi lateral sponsorship packages, covering their TV production costs and making it work for the commercial partners. It should be a 'win, win win' scenario.
Other islands in the West Indies have already started approaching our partners in the Barbados race for the staging races in their Islands. We have plans for holding an CARIBBEAN TRIPLE CROWN next year and this summer’s race is a prime and unique, launching platform for our plans. We have the support from the US based teams for this, and an enviable list of commercial partners.'
Without doubt something new is happening in the sport. The Barbados race is Global Powerboat Marketing’s first step in their five-year plan. How soon the business finds its running shoes, only time will tell, but whatever happens in the short term Global Powerboat Marketing looks forward to their inaugural event in Barbados and to implementing the annual Caribbean Triple Crown.
For more information contact:
Stewart Mison
Global Powerboat Marketing Inc
+ 44 (0) 7836 201511
stewmison@aol.com
Mark Chandler
D&M Professional Marketing Services Inc
Barbados
+1 246-424-2376
dmmarketing@sunbeach.net