PickleBall on Ice

“A word of advice, play PickleBall on Ice.”

Table of Context

I. Event Description & Target Market…………….Pages 3-5

II. Special Features…………………………………….Page 6

III. Financial Data…………………………....................Page 7

IV. Funding Needs & Timeline…………………...Pages 8 & 9

V. Sponsorship Packages……………………………Pages 10

VI. Target Companies…………………………….…...Page 11

VII. Letter to Possible Sponsor……………………...…Page 12

VIII. Fact Sheet for the Sponsor………………………...Page 13

IX. Media Guide……………………………………....Page 14

X. Reference Pages……………………………Pages 15 & 16

Event DescriptionPickleBall is a mini-tennis game that will be played by 1 or 2 people on a

badminton-sized court using wood paddle or racquetball style racquets and the unique Pickleball. The PickleBall is made out of plastic and has the ability to bounce and has even been compared to a solid wiffle ball. This exciting sport can be played on ice or ice surfaces and is ideal for small spaces. PickleBall is a combination of Ping-Pong, tennis, and badminton. This event will cost $20 per team to participate. To sign up for this event, e-mail Michael Griffin or Chris Connery at www.PickleBallonIce.com The next section is going to examine the rules for this amazing game. Anyone will feel like a winner and a champion playing Pickleball.

The following section will examine the rules that are used well playing PickleBall (2004). PickleBall. Retrieved April 21, 2007, from PickleBall rules Web site: http://www.pickleball.com/Rules.asp):

Rules of PickleBall on Ice

The serve must be hit underhand and each team must play the first shot off the bounce.

After the ball has bounced once on each side, both teams can either volley the ball in the air or play it off the bounce.

No volleying is allowed within the 7-foot non-volley zone. This prevents players from executing spikes

Both players on the serving team are allowed to serve and a team scores points only when serving.

A game is played to 21 points and a team must win by at least 2 points.

Specific Rules of PickleBall on Ice

The serve

Players must keep both feet behind the back line when serving. The serve is made underhand. The paddle must pass below the waist. The server must hit the ball in the air on the serve. The serve is made diagonally cross-court and must clear the non-volley zone. At the start of each new game, the first serving team is allowed one fault. Both members of each team will serve and fault before the ball is turned over to

the opposing team.

Double-Bounce Rule

Each team must play its first shot off the bounce. The receiving team must let the serve bounce, and the serving team must let the

return of the serve bounce before playing it. After the two bounces have occurred, the ball can be either volleyed or played off

the bounce.

Doubles Play

If the receiving team faults (hitting the ball before it bounces or stepping into the volley zone) then a point is scored by the serving team.

When the serving team makes it first fault, players will stay in the same court and the second partner will then serve.

When the serving team wins a point, its players will switch courts and the same player will continue to serve.

When the serving team makes its second fault, they will stay in the same court and turn the ball over to the other team.

Players switch courts only after scoring. A ball landing on any line is considered good.

The PickleBall Court The PickleBall

Target Market

Before anything else, an explanation of the target market that will be utilized for PickleBall is needed. The Target Market that PickleBall on Ice is advertising towards is males age 14-18 in High School. This market has been chosen this particular market for many reasons. The characteristics of this market are easily seen.

These are the kids who have had the experience playing the game in physical education class and who are willing to give the event a chance. This event also appeals to teenagers, mostly because they are willing to put there bodies on the line for a fun event, and PickleBall on Ice is the perfect opportunity for them. The exact target market for PickleBall on Ice is shown in the following demographic:

Males ages 14-18 Currently in High School and taking Physical Education Experienced PickleBall Player Household income of $50,435 Living in the New England Area

PickleBall on Ice is event not only for the participants, but also the spectators and consumers attending. For the spectators, who will mostly be parents and fans of the game, the ability to watch a great game is the first advantage. Spectators will also be able to chose where they sit in the stadium. No assigned seating will take place, so parents will be able to sit as close to their kids as they wish.

PickleBall on Ice is also an event for the consumers. The merchandise that will be available in the arena will range from tee-shirts with the names of the people competing in the event, sweatshirts, hats, posters, and even equipment. One of the best parts of a sporting event is the merchandise one can buy at the event. PickleBall will appeal to this aspect to make the consumers/spectators happy.

Special Features

PickleBall is an excellent game to play in a gym class or on any hard surface with ones friends. The next step though is to take PickleBall to the next step; this is where the ice comes into play. The ice feature is the largest special feature that is being added to this already difficult game. The following special features are also modification and/ or new additions to the game:

Individuals or partners playing the game will be required to wear shoes during the event. The shoes recommended are the Men's ECCO A Traction Dakota®, but any shoe will be allowed (1997-2007). ECCO Shoes. Retrieved 4/21/07, from ECCO A Traction Dakota Web site: http://www.shoebuy.com/ecco-a-traction-dakota/190505/424663).

A point is lost by hitting the ball out of bounds, hitting the net, stepping into the non-volley zone and volleying the ball, or by volleying the ball before the ball has bounced on each side of the net.

The Event will be held at the TD Bank North Garden in Boston on the same ice rink the Boston Bruins play on. There will be four courts, two for single matches and two for double matches. Courts One and Two are for singles and courts Three and Four are for doubles. The image below is an example of what the layout of the event will look like:

The measurements of the NHL official rink are 200 ft long and 85 ft wide. Each PickleBall court is 44 ft long and 20 ft wide (2005). (NHL Rulebook. Retrieved April 21,

2007, from NHL.com Web site: http://www.nhl.com/hockeyu/rulebook/rule02.html).

Financial DataThe biggest issue in the financial data category is the total amount for the entire

event. To run and operate this event will take a lot of money from many corporate sponsors. Through various calculations and estimates, the total amount that has been establish for PickleBall on Ice to get off the ground and running is $102,880.00 This money will be received and distributed throughout the beginning stages of planning to the date of PickleBall on Ice. The actual time line for this process will be examined in the Funding Timing section.

To justify the total amount needed for PickleBall on Ice, the exact amount for each item needed will be given below. These items will include equipment, facility, announcers and utilities. The following are the items needed to run PickleBall on ice:

TD Bank North Garden (Rented for the day, including Lighting crew, Janitors, Sound System Crew, Registration crew, concession stand vendors)– $ 75,000.00

40 Wooden Paddles- $ 28.75

40 Racquet Ball Paddles- $ 122.45

100 PickleBall Balls- $ 159.60

16 regulation PickleBall nets- $ 496.00

2 Paint Carts- $ 3,799.98

12 Gallons of Paint- $ 216.00

16 Court Marking stakes- $ 56.00

2 Bruins announcers (Dale Arnold and Dave Shea)- $ 11,000.00

Merchandise (Tee shirts, paddles, sweatshirts, hats, PickleBall balls)- $ 2,000.00

Funding Needs

PickleBall on Ice is going to be an event that will feature men ages 14 through 18 and hopefully become one of the biggest sporting events in the US today. To make this event as big as it can be, money and products will need to be provided by sponsors of the event. The only way to make an event succeed is to make it the best it can be (through money) and give the participants equipment to play the game with. Spectators and consumers also take advantage of products through merchandise. The graph below will show an outlook on how money, products and other items will be distributed:

As mentioned before, PickleBall on Ice is trying to become one of the most exciting and top sporting events in the US. This is of course the biggest accomplishment that is trying to be reached. Another goal though is to support the participants with college scholarships. All of the money that is made during PickleBall on Ice will be donated in the forms of college sponsorships to the participants. This way kids who are old enough will receive help with their future, since they helped begin ours. The final goal of PickleBall on Ice is to allow people to watch and play a sport the love and come together to have a fun time.

Funding Timeline

This timeline examines the exact times when every piece is needed for PickleBall on Ice to go under way on July 20th, 2008. This timeline is to aid participants, sponsors and even the public about when specific event will happen and what the important dates to remember are. PickleBall on Ice’s timeline is set up so that people will always remember when the event will take place and when participants need to register for the event.

Sponsorship Packages

Grand Slam Package- The name of the event is Dairy Queen Presents Pickle Ball on Ice. Advertising for this company and their products is going to be maximized. They are going to be a top priority because of the money they are supplying. They are also getting the most attention because they have the most involvement in the event. Cost of this package: $40,000

Smash Package- Six Flags Theme Park is going to be a primary sponsor along with JAMN 94.5. Six flags is partners with Cold Stone Creamery and JAMN 94.5 is a local radio station that plays popular music. Six Flags Theme Park is going to supply flyers for this event and JAMN 94.5 is going to broadcast it on their radio station. Each of these companies will also sponsors a piece of equipment. Cost of this package: $30,000($20,000 from Six Flags and $10,000 from JAMN 94.5)

Ace Package- ECCO is going to be a subsidiary sponsor of this event. They are supplying the shoes for the event and they are going to have their company name on the boards at the TD Banknorth Garden. Another subsidiary sponsor is going to be Subway. They are going to supply the food for this event and they are also going to have their company name on the tee shirts of the teams.. Cost of this package: $10,000 (ECCO and Subway will provide $5,000)

Top Spin Package- Gatorade is going to be another subsidiary sponsor along with Lids. Gatorade is going to supply various kinds of Gatorade along with Pepsi and its various beverages to go along with the subs that Subway is going to supply and Lids is supplying hats that we are handing out at the event with the logo of PickleBall on it. Cost of this package: $10,000 (Gatorade and Lids will provide $5,000)

Drop Shot Package- Lay’s Potato Chips and YouTube are going to be official suppliers of PickleBall. Their company name and products are going to be advertised via the announcers. They are going to get the least exposure. Cost of this package: $6,000 (Lay’s Potato Chips and YouTube will both provide $3,000)

Backhand Package- Best Buy and Old Navy are also going to be official suppliers. They are also going to have their company name and products advertised at the concessions. These companies are also going to get the least exposure. Cost of this package: $6,000 (Best Buy and Old Navy will both provide $3,000)

Target CompaniesThis section will examine the companies the PickleBall on Ice is targeting to be

potential sponsors for the event. A list of 30 potential sponsors is below:1. Pepsi (Gatorade)2. Dicks Sporting Goods3. Nike4. Dairy Queen5. Six Flags Theme Park6. JAMN 94.57. America Online (AOL)8. MTV9. Super cuts10. Subway11. Domino’s Pizza12. Cingular Wireless13. Blockbuster14. Sports Illustrated Magazine15. Sony16. Gamestop17. Apple18. Lays Potato Chips19. Applebee’s20. Target21. Exxon Mobil 22. Old Navy23. Bank of America24. Regal Cinema25. Lids26. ECCO27. YouTube28. Dunkin’ Donuts29. Best Buy30. Facebook

All of these companies are potential sponsors for PickleBall on Ice. Each one of these companies has been thoroughly investigated to see if it would correspond with PickleBall on Ice, and the answer that has been determined is yes. The biggest factors that come into play are the connecting target markets (there companies target market along with PickleBall on Ice’s target market) and the willingness to support the event.

May 10th, 2007Dairy Queen Associates7505 Metro Blvd.Minneapolis, MN 55439-0286Phone: (952) 830-0200r

Dear Dairy Queen associates,

My name is Chris Connery and my partners name is Michael Griffin, we are co-marketing directors. We would like to present you with the opportunity to be an exclusive sponsor in an event called PickleBall on Ice being held on July 20th 2008.

PickleBall is a mini-tennis game that will be played by 1 or 2 people on a badminton-sized court using wood paddle or racquetball style racquets and the unique Pickleball. The PickleBall is made out of plastic and has the ability to bounce and has even been compared to a solid wiffle ball. This exciting sport can be played on ice or ice surfaces and is ideal for small spaces. PickleBall is a combination of Ping-Pong, tennis, and badminton.

We are trying to hold this event at the TD Banknorth Garden in Boston which is a very well-known arena in this country and it is also expensive to rent it. Your company is growing and is starting to become well-known in the area. With this kind of event you will receive great exposure and your company will grow in popularity.

If you do decide to sponsor this event your name will be in the title. The title will read: Dairy Queen Presents PickleBall on Ice. We want Dairy Queen to be linked with an event that is going to be played on ice because of the popular ice cream that is sold in your restaurant locations.

We would like to thank you for listening to our proposal and we hope that you decide to become the proud sponsor of PickleBall on Ice being held at the TD Banknorth Garden on July 20th 2008.

Sincerely,

_____________________ ___________________

Chris Connery Michael Griffin

Fact SheetThis fact sheet is here to inform our leading sponsor what incentives they will

receive if they choose to take part of PickleBall on Ice. The following incentives are what Dairy Queen will receive if they purchase the Grand Slam package:

- The Dairy Queen will be used in the title of the event; Dairy Queen presents PickleBall on Ice.

- Dairy Queen will receive the luxury of being the only sponsor involved in this package, so the interest towards they will be extremely high.

- The advertising ability for Dairy Queen is unlimited. Some potential ideas are flyers, television ads, product names (ex. The PickleBall shake).

- With the potential of PickleBall to be a success, the prestige of Dairy Queen has the ability to skyrocket. If it is seen that Dairy Queen is the main sponsor of a lucrative event that is a huge success, the prestige of the company will rise.

- Dairy Queen will be seen as a cause sponsor if they become associated with PickleBall on Ice, since all of the money made at the event is going to college scholarship for winning individuals who can not afford college alone.

- This package is priced so highly because of all of the incentives Dairy Queen will be receiving for being the main sponsor of this event.

Media GuideTo make PickleBall on Ice as big as it can possibly be, marketing through

the public will be a large part. This media guide will investigate how PickleBall on Ice will be advertised through our various potential sponsors.

-If Six Flags become on of the main sponsors of PickleBall on Ice, flyers will be placed all around the park advertising the event. The flyers will be put up five months before the event takes place (around March 20th, 2008). These flyers will be filled with information, such as where the event is, how to sign up, when the event will take place, and how much it will cost to participate in the event.

-The next way PickleBall on Ice will be marketed is by JAMN 94.5 radio station. JAMN 94.5 will announce on air when the event is, how to sign up, when the event will take place, and how much it will cost to participate in the event. These announcements will be made 2 months before PickleBall on Ice takes place and will be made at 5 times during the day. These times will be 10:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 4:00 PM, 7:00 PM, and 10:00 PM.

-The last way PickleBall on Ice will be advertised is by grassroot marketing. Chris Connery and Michael Griffin will travel to greater Boston area schools and talk face to face with possible participants. The time of the event, location of the event, how to sign up, and how much it will cost to participate will be some of the information provided.

As said above, these marketing ploys will be administered 2 months before PickleBall on Ice happens. This time frame was chosen because it is just enough time for people to think and remember the event. Advertising to early would allow people to forget the event and might hurt the event in the long run.

Flyer Example

Reference Pages

Articles

AllBusiness. (1997-2005). New England States ranked by median household income. Retrieved April 22, 2007, from

http://www.allbusiness.com/north-america/united-states-new-hampshire/4014132-1.html

Arrington, M. (2005). 85% of College Students use FaceBook. Retrieved April 22, 2007, from

http://www.techcrunch.com/2005/09/07/85-of-college-students-use-facebook/

ECCO Shoe Company. (1997-2007). ECCO Shoes. Retrieved 4/21/07, from ECCO A Traction Dakota Web site:

http://www.shoebuy.com/ecco-a-traction-dakota/190505/424663

Journal Wire. (2007). Six Flags’ mission is to make it a family destination. Retrieved April 22, 2007, from

http://www.projo.com/business/content/BZ_SIXFLAGS_04-16-07_3K575R3.30c845d.html

NHL. (2005).NHL Rulebook. Retrieved April 21, 2007, from NHL.com Web site: http://www.nhl.com/hockeyu/rulebook/rule02.html.

Packaging World Magazine. (2002). Custom line lets Gatorade sprint to market. Retrieved April 22, 2007 from

http://www.packworld.com/view-15250

Pickle-Ball, Inc. (2004). PickleBall. Retrieved April 21, 2007, from PickleBall rules Web site: http://www.pickleball.com/Rules.asp

Reuters. (2007). Genesco Inc GCO (NYSE). Retrieved April 22, 2007, from http://stocks.us.reuters.com/stocks/fullDescription.asp?

symbol=GCO.N&WTmodLoc=NewsArt-C1-ArticlePage1

Strauss, M. (1997). Dairy Queen Targets Teens. Retrieved April 21, 2007, from http://www.mcspotlight.org/media/press/torontoglobe_7feb97.html

Prices for merchandise

AskMen.com. (2005). Sportscaster Salaries. Retrieved April 22, 2007 from http://www.askmen.com/sports/business_100/114b_sports_business.html

Pickle-Ball, Inc. (2004). PickleBall. Retrieved April 21, 2007, from PickleBall balls Web site http://www.pickleball.com/Products/Balls/Balls.asp

Pickle-Ball, Inc. (2004). PickleBall. Retrieved April 21, 2007, from PickleBall nets Web site http://www.pickleball.com/Products/Nets/Nets.asp

Pickle-Ball, Inc. (2004). PickleBall. Retrieved April 21, 2007, from PickleBall paddle Web site: http://www.pickleball.com/Products/paddles/paddles.asp

Racquet World. (2007). Racquetball racquets. Retrieved on April 21, 2007, from http://store.racquetworld.com/Racquetball_Racquets.html

Reliable Golf Course Supplies. (2007). Permastake™ Marking Posts - with or without spike. Retrieved April 21, 2007 from

http://www.reliablegolf.com/markingsystems.cfm

Stop-Painting.com. (2006) Industrial Paint Spray Cart. Retrieved April 21, 2007, from http://www.stop-painting.com/aisle-marking-spray-cart/

TD Bank North Garden. Customer Service: Caryn Weydemeyer, (617) 624-1331

PickleBall on Ice

“A word of advice, play PickleBall on Ice.”

Michael GriffinChris ConneryApril 22, 2007

Professor GentileSports Promotion and Marketing: Event Project