By TTT on August 1, 2012
See your logo on 100,000+ promotional products instantly
Tired of looking for products on several different websites? Well look no further! Tournaments to a Tee has launched a new promotional product website providing you – the customer with the best data, sharpest images, and the latest product information available!
Ready to shorten your search time? We have re-vamped our site so you can find exactly the right product.
About the Redesign: What’s new?
- Product of the Week and Featured Product Sets: Gives you endless ideas & products.
- Virtual Samples: Profiles your logo on thousands of products.
- Product Searches: Allows you to narrow your search by price, color etc.
-Social Media: Lets you instantly share products via Facebook, Twitter, & LinkedIn.
- Videos: Shows you how promotional products work and look.
Please accept this invitation to poke around the site, explore, and familiarize yourself! Also, feel free to share this email with any of your friends, family, and/ or co-workers. See something you like but are not crazy about the price – contact us and we will see what we can do about the price.
To help you, here is the link to our site! http://toatee.espwebsite.com
Posted in Blog, Golfer Gifts, News |
By TTT on June 22, 2012
Delivering a commemorative gift, before the golfers leave the tournament, is easier than you think! Why not have your own volunteer photographers produce personalized photographic gifts, with our unique Do-It-Yourself solution?
It is easy to do and you will have fun during the process. We provide custom artwork and either the mouse pads, mugs or curved frames. You take the group pictures, print the 4″x6″ photos and assemble the gifts – all before the golfers leave!
Capture Action adds a creative twist to any golf tournament! Not only will it impress the sponsors and golfers, but it will also generate revenue for your tournament. To learn more about Capture Action and the DIY option, visit our Capture Action page for more details. There you will also find information on our turn-key approach, our Capture Action team. You can also watch our YouTube video to see it in action!
Posted in Blog, Capture Action, Golfer Gifts |
By TTT on May 22, 2012
Keep the Golfers Coming Back!
Remind golfers why they are golfing in your event and why they should return every year. Golfers can play in several tournaments each year, often because they have been invited by a friend. Sometimes they are unaware of who benefits from the funds raised. While we are honored to help great causes raise money through golf tournaments, one organization that provides emotional and financial support to wounded veterans and their families made a lasting impression with us. The golf tournament reinforced the message of its mission in several simple but powerful ways:
1. As golfers arrived at the golf course, they were welcomed by hundreds of full-sized American flags that lined the driveway every 20 feet. The flags were also flown at the putting green and staging areas for the golf carts.
2. Each golfer received ‘dog tags’ etched with the name of a wounded vet and was asked to think of each service man or women throughout the year.
3. A wounded vet thanked the golfers for their financial support which helped him to return to the community during his recovery.
4. As the golfers lined up in their carts for the shotgun start, two B-17s flew over the golf carts.
It was a humbling experience which I am sure none of the golfers will forget. None of us can do enough for our Nation’s military but this golf tournament did a great job of reminding the golfers to thank those who serve and who are injured in the line of duty. Participants will keep the memory of this tournament – and the charity – at the forefront of their minds throughout the year.
Great Giveaways
Complement the patriotic theme of your event by flying the red, white, and blue in the golfer goodie bags. How about head covers, umbrellas or the bags themselves?
For more golf tournament gift ideas, please visit our tournament shop.
Posted in Blog, Fundraising, Golfer Gifts, Tournament Tips |
By TTT on March 18, 2012
Real-time Scoring for Your Golf Tournament
If you are looking for something totally new to distinguish your golf tournament from all the other events, you need to use GameBook, the real-time scoring AND live leaderboard system.
GameBook elevates the atmosphere of regular golf tournaments with a tour-like scoring experience. This unique scoring system keeps track of each team’s score, provides a live leaderboard between groups on the course and allows everyone to follow who is winning – all in real-time.
GameBook supports most popular game formats, calculates gross/net scores and monitors contests (such as closest to pin and longest drive). An added benefit for the serious golfer, GameBook can track side games and wagers, all the time tracking the overall scoring of the tournament.
To find out how it works on tournament day – click HERE – or call Marianne at 281-701-5596 or email info@tournamentstoatee.com.
Posted in Contests and Games, Tournament Tips |
By TTT on December 13, 2011
Do you wake up in the middle of the night thinking about your golf tournament? Your tournament may be over for another year, but I know every tournament host worries about all of the work that needs to be done to orchestrate a fantastic golf tournament. Here are a few tips to relieve some of the inevitable tournament stress:
1. Create (and use) a great checklist – There are a lot of details to remember and checklists are a great memory aid. A practical checklist focuses on actions that lead to results – not just a list of everything you need to do. A long list of two hundred ‘to-do’ items is difficult to use and results in unproductive ‘lists of lists’. The best checklists are created by you. They evolve over time, having been adjusted through use and feedback.
2. Do the most essential tasks 6 months before the event – Confirm the date, sign a contract with the right golf course, secure the title or presenting sponsor and get your committee on board. The most successful and organized tournaments are well-prepared for their kick off meeting six months in advance.
3. Delegate but hold your committee members accountable – Outline, in writing, your expectations and the responsibilities of three to four committee chairs and their volunteer committees. Let each chair recruit members to their own committee. Offer training to volunteers. Develop a regular reporting system, celebrating successes and noting incomplete action items. All of these simple tips hold volunteers accountable and let them know that you expect them to contribute more than just their presence.
4. Order golf tournament merchandise early – This is the most common mistake made by golf tournament hosts and delaying this decision can be stressful, not to mention costly. If you plan to order golfer gifts or awards imprinted with logos, you should place your orders at least six weeks before the event. You may not have all the golfers signed up yet, but this is a decision you do not want to postpone. You need to leave enough time for approvals, production, shipping, and yes, time to recover from any errors that could happen.
5. Relax, it’s tournament day – It is finally here. Relax and enjoy the day. Free yourself from the details to welcome golfers and sponsors. Whether you work with a professional planner or volunteers, make sure everyone is trained to welcome golfers, staff the registration table and look after last-minute details. The first impression you make with golfers is the welcome/registration table. Make sure golfers know they are appreciated.
Posted in Tournament Tips |
By TTT on November 15, 2011
In a recent ‘tournament tip’ we emphasized that securing sponsors is about relationships and offering value, but getting a sponsor to say “yes” to your tournament is hard work too. So why, after months of working with a sponsor, would a tournament host neglect showing off the key sponsors who helped make the event a success? Act on these tips and sponsors will come back every year.
1. Talk to your sponsor and find out if your sponsorship package is ideal. Ask them what kind of visibility they want for their brand and discuss the details.
2. Profile sponsors in unique ways on tournament day- indulge your sponsor with a championship experience. Banners and tee box signs are expected, but why not offer golf cart shades emblazoned with the name of your event and the sponsor’s logo? Sponsors will love to show off these cart shades on their home golf course and they will always remember it was your tournament that put these great emblems together.
3. Provide continuing visible recognition that lasts long after the golf tournament is over. Custom – logo gifts such as Driver Head Covers or a golf gloves are sure to impress sponsors and golfers alike and will remind them of your tournament and organization every time they step on a golf course.
4. Display the sponsors’ logos on something the golfers will see or use daily. Sponsors benefit from fantastic marketing value when their logos are profiled on commemorative photographic gifts by Capture Action.
5. Represent the sponsors’ brand adequately, accurately and repeatedly. You’ve spent time structuring sponsorship packages and selling a range of levels, so make sure you deliver everything you have offered to the sponsor.
6. Request that the sponsor provide either marketing material or promotional items so that all golfers receive something from the sponsor at the event.
7. Check (and re-check) every detail to ensure the sponsor’s brand is represented in the best possible light, and that it’s reproduced in an adequate size, with color accuracy and in the highest available resolution. If the sponsor sends a low-resolution file for their logo, follow-up – after all, they paid for visibility and low resolution only makes signs look outdated.
8. Most sponsorship packages are multi-faceted. Make sure the sponsor takes full advantage of every portion including logo placement on signage, complimentary golfers, web links, email blasts, regular Tweets and Facebook postings. Be sure to keep all web links current.
9. Encourage the sponsor to participate in the success of the event. If their name and brand is associated with the event, they should attend the event, bring a client or send a customer. Promoting their participation can only benefit the sponsor and allow them to reach out to more potential customers.
Posted in Blog, Capture Action, Fundraising, Tournament Tips |
By TTT on October 6, 2011
Do You Have a List of Sponsors?
We get this question a lot. There is no list of sponsors lining up to support golf tournaments. The likelihood of someone, outside of your organization, having a list that would sell sponsorships on your behalf is 0%. Now it’s time to face the facts: Raising the cash will be up to you.
So, how do you find sponsors for your event?
1. Who do you Know? Selling sponsorships is very much tied to personal long-term relationships.
2. Offer a Return on Investment for the Sponsor. Sponsors want to reach their target markets. You are just a conduit – how can you offer value and help sponsors reach their audience?
3. Securing Sponsors is Hard Work. How much time do you spend contacting existing and potential sponsors – and not just 2 -3 months before tournament day? Do you have a breakfast or lunch appointment scheduled with a key decision maker each week, or at the very least on a regular basis?
4. Work those Referrals. Some of your key contacts may not be able to support your golf tournament every year but they may be able to provide you with referrals. Think about your top 2-3 sponsors. Ask them why they support your golf tournament. Think about how they can open doors to new financial support or golfers.
5. Stay Organized. Invest time in keeping your data collection current. This is pretty basic stuff but a lot of golf tournaments do not keep their contact information databases up-to-date. Ask the golf committee to forward information to one central location and have someone maintain the information.
6. Rely on your Committee. Oh yes, the committee. Is everyone pulling their weight or are just two board members picking up all of the slack? While not everyone may have an amazing circle of lucrative connections, there are other ways they can contribute to help secure sponsors. Could they design the sponsor request email? How about maintaining that database?
7. Keep in touch. Review and evaluate your golf tournament sponsors from the previous year. Will these sponsors continue to support the golf tournament? Don’t wait until three months before the tournament to touch base with big or long-term sponsors. Keep in touch with sponsors throughout the year, reinforcing how their financial support benefits the organization.
In short, if you’re looking for sponsors remember this: There is no list. Securing sponsors is about relationships and offering value but getting a sponsor to say “yes” to your tournament is hard work too. Do you push as hard 9 – 12 months before the golf tournament, as you do 2 months before?
No? Then get going!
Posted in Fundraising, Tournament Tips |
By TTT on September 1, 2011
Our Capture Action team recently helped a newly launched non-profit organization with some creative branding at their golf tournament. We reinforced the message of its mission to provide deserving children with a quality outdoor adventure experience, by using a little camouflage.
The American Marketing Association (AMA) defines a brand as a “name, term, sign, symbol or design, or a combination of them intended to identify the goods and services of one seller or group of sellers and to differentiate them from those of other sellers.” When a charity is attempting to define itself in the extremely competitive market of philanthropy, the stakes can be high to create a unique image that not only allows donors to recognize the organization and its intent, but also increases the likelihood that they will want to be associated with the charity’s goals.
While stationed at the tee box of this particular tournament, our team took the traditional foursome group photo and videotaped each golfer’s swing. We then transformed the video and photos into a unique, commemorative stainless steel mug which each golfer received, all before leaving the tournament!
When donors see photos and videos of the organization they’ve helped, they’re a lot more likely to continue giving – even if the message is camouflaged. Participants will also keep these useful gifts year-round and the memory of the tournament – and the charity – will remain at the forefront of their minds.
To find out how Capture Action can help you establish your “brand” and raise money, contact us at Tournaments to a Tee for a marketing consultation and gain access to our extensive experience in golf tournament event management.
Posted in Capture Action, Fundraising, Golfer Gifts, Tournament Tips |
By TTT on August 25, 2011
Golfers expect to spend money on tournament day to support your organization, but they hate to be repeatedly asked for donations throughout the 
event. Instead, bundle the sale of mulligans, entry into all contests, raffle tickets and everything you would like to offer into a single purchase.
You have all heard about Super Tickets but if you really want golfers to buy a unique ‘bundled offer’ add a high-quality tournament glove as part of the package. Create an offer valued at $60 but sell it for $40 and you can generate profit for your event.
How does your tournament make money??
Sell 100 items at registration @ $40 = $4,000
Less cost of 100 gloves @ $10 = $1,000
Event profit = $3,000
Add a sponsored logo for $1200 and your profit climbs to $4,200
You set the price! You collect the profits!
How it works on tournament day:
- Include a high-quality leather glove in the package
- Glove can be emblazoned with tournament or sponsor’s logo
- We send you more gloves than your estimated number of golfers, in a range of sizes. During registration, volunteers help fit each golfer with a glove.
- After registration, you tally the remaining gloves and return them to us. You only pay for the gloves used.
- Includes $10 GolfSmith card for each golfer
Posted in Fundraising, Golfer Gifts |
By TTT on August 19, 2011
In an earlier blog post we talked about the value that volunteers contribute but how can you keep volunteers involved and motivated?
When it comes to recruiting volunteers to be a part of your event’s committee, be sure that they are fully aware of the time-commitments required, and are willing to share valuable contacts for golfers or sponsorships. If someone joins the committee but is unwilling to contribute, they can be an unproductive ‘drain’ on the planning of the event.
Once the volunteers are on board, be sure each and every one of them fully understands the mission of the event. You want to make sure that each contributing individual shares the same mindset and vision as the people who created the tournament.
Holding volunteers accountable for their contributions is crucial when attempting to create a profitable golf tournament. Outline, in writing, your expectations and the responsibilities of three to four committee chairs and their volunteer committees. Let each chair recruit members to their own committee. Develop a regular reporting system, celebrating successes and noting incomplete action items.
Once the planning is underway, there will inevitably be some loss of enthusiasm from the group. Don’t let this discourage you! Rather, remove anyone who has proven themselves a hindrance to the event’s progress. It may seem ruthless, but it will save you a lot of time and headache in the long run. If you don’t build a strong team, you are doing a great disservice to your organization and you will eventually burn yourself out.
Once the time comes, be sure to train your volunteers close to the day of the event. Share expectations and provide instructions in advance and make the day productive. Most tournament day volunteers really want to work. Nothing is more frustrating for the volunteers or ineffective for the tournament if you are not ready for the golfers on tournament day. These few tips will help you create an effective, efficient team of like-minded individuals that will propel your event from an idea into an ingenious success.
Posted in Tournament Tips, Volunteers |
