John-Joseph Worldwide

Winter Olympics Pushes 2010 PGA Championship Out of Town. Sammanish, Wash.
The PGA announced that the 2010 PGA Championship scheduled to be hosted at Shalee Country Club in Washington State will be relocated to a venue yet to be determined.

In response to the IOC's announcement earlier this year that Vancouver, BC will play host to the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, the PGA in conjunction with the leadership at Shalee Country Club have agreed to move the 2010 Championship. "While we are disappointed that the 2010 PGA Championship will not be played at Shalee Country Club, we can not overlook the obstacles we would face with the Winter Olympic Games being conducted on our doorstep the same year" said Shalee President Jack Calabrese.

One of the largest revenue streams for both major tournament golf and the Winter Olympic Games is the corporate hospitality and sponsorship programs. Several PGA and Club officials have noted that the corporate base in the Pacific Northwest will be extremely diluted with the presence of the Winter Olympic Games.

It is expected that the club will be award the championship sometime between 2012 and 2015. Shalee Country Club last played host to the PGA Championship in 1998. This year's Championship will be held at the legendary Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, NJ August 11th - 14th.

Global Event Trends Survey Forecasts Bright Future: Auburn Hills, Mich.
Events and Event Marketing continue to lead the field as the most effective ROI according to those surveyed in the recently released Global Events Trends Survey.

The survey, complied over a three-year period by the Meeting Planners International Foundation and the George P. Johnson Company, surveyed more than 700 senior marketing executives in the U.S, Asia Pacific and European markets. The survey focused on the Healthcare, Automobile, Finance and Technology industries and only included companies that reported more than $250 million in recorded sales.

Of those surveyed, 82% of companies confirmed that they will include events/event marketing as part of their overall marketing mix. 92% of the same group suggest that the future importance of events and event marketing was increasing or stable.

While the Asia Pacific market leads the way in participation in events, they are closely followed by U.S. and European companies. Globally, companies reported that 20% of their annual marketing budgets are spent on internal and external events. While participation in external events exceeds internal by a two to one margin, 47% of those surveyed suggest that the importance of internal events will grow each year.

The most telling statistical data on the importance of events/events marketing is the ability to measure return on investment (ROI). Of the 700 companies surveyed, 44% reported that events/events marketing provided the greatest ROI. Advertising was a distant second at 18% followed by Direct Marketing at 15%, Public Relations, Sales Promotion and Internal Advertising received single digit percentages.

The use of events and event marketing has clearly rebounded after its rapid decline in the fall of 2001 and has once again established itself as an integral part of the overall marketing mix. While the events may change from year to year, it is clear from the Global Event Trends Survey that the importance of ROI and effective business-to-business relationship building insures a healthy future for events in the years to come.

Black Market Offerings Hurt the Event Industry: New York, NY
Imagine the embarrassment of arriving at a national event only to find the hospitality program you purchased is setup in a parking lot miles from the event. If you think that it's impossible or only happens to the unwitting, then think again.

With the growth of hospitality and sponsorship opportunities throughout the world, there has also been a growth of the fringe companies that are suspect in their hospitality offerings. "There has been noticeable increase in the number of companies who have no association with the event itself, advertising hospitality packages that are located at an off-site location.," says Antony Barker of john-joseph worldwide based in New York. "Imagine the embarrassment of senior executives who are entertaining clients at a temporary village that is located miles from the event site while their competitors are entertaining their clients at the official hospitality villages located on the event site." It happens every year says Tony Bernard of CEA, "At any event at Twickenham, there can be 6,500 invited corporate guests and between 5,000 to 10,000 unofficial ones."

Although it is not illegal to offer un-official hospitality programs at major events, the tactics employed to sell these programs are considered by many to be unethical. It is a problem that Barker warns is not uncommon at all within the industry. "We see this type of problem all the time" says Barker "Not to self promote, but we'd advise corporations to employee the services of an event management company to handle their investment; at this level, the planning necessary for these events is complex and the financial commitment significant. If they choose to go it alone then we strongly urge them to read the fine print and always talk with the governing body of the event before making a financial commitment."

Neil MacLaurin of Peter Parfit based in London agrees "it's not illegal, but it must be dreadfully embarrassing for the corporate client." He strongly suggests that if you are offered hospitality you should interview the firm carefully. "Ask if they are officially appointed, and where your seats are in the stadium. If in doubt, ring the sporting venue and check."

U.S. Open Returning to Bethpage: Far Hills, NJ
The United States Golf Association has announced that the U.S. Open Championship will return to the Black Course at Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, NY in 2009.

Bethpage, dubbed the Peoples Country Club, played host to the open in 2002 marking it the first time in the104 year history of the U.S. Open that it was conducted at a truly public golf course. The USGA invested three million dollars in 1998 to refurbish the course and, along with famed golf course architect Rees Jones, have been credited with revitalizing this Long Island jewel.

The 2002 U.S Open has been considered by many within the industry as one of the most successful and important Open Championships. The wildly successful event had an average attendance of 45,000 per day and one of the largest corporate hospitality programs on record. No doubt, the 2009 Open Championship will not disappoint.