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HomeMy WebLinkAboutFunding 2007 Easter Bowl Tennis TournamentCITY OF PALM DESERT COMMUNITY SERVICES STAFF REPORT REQUEST: Consideration of a request for funding of the 2007 Easter Bowl Junior Tennis Tournament. DATE: October 12, 2006 CONTENT: Easter Bowl Request Letter September 2006 Draft Marketing Minutes Recommendation: By Minute Motion, concur with the Marketing Committee's recommendation to deny sponsorship of the 2007 Easter Bowl Tennis Tournament. Executive Summary: Seena Hamilton & Associates, organizers of the Easter Bowl Tennis Tournament has requested a $25,000 sponsorship of the event, which will be held April 15 — 22, 2007, at Rancho Las Palmas, Rancho Mirage. Organizers believe that Palm Desert will benefit greatly from the tournament's new location and estimates that the economic impact in the Valley is up to $2 million. Staff recognizes the benefits of the economic impact of the tournament; however, there is no confirmation that this event will stay in the central Valley versus returning to Palm Springs when the Riviera renovation is complete. Additionally, with the significant amount of dollars the City of Palm Desert has already allocated to events this fiscal year, staff is recommending concurrence with the Marketing Committee's recommendation to decline this opportunity. Background: Attached please find a $25,000 request for City funding for sponsorship of the 2007 Easter Bowl junior tennis tournament, along with other pertinent information about the event. The "U.S. Open of Junior Tennis" will be held April 15 - 22, 2007. This year, the new host site will be Rancho Las Palmas, Rancho Mirage. The Easter Bowl has been held in Palm Springs for the past ten years and has been financially supported by the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism. Organizers estimate that the Easter Bowl has an economic impact of up to $2 million, including nearly 4,000 hotel room nights for the community. As a sponsor, Palm Desert will be included in a nationally syndicated magazine - style show that airs the highlights of six championships in which Palm Desert would be mentioned throughout. Last year's show aired on Fox Sports and Comcast stations in more than a dozen states. In addition, Palm Desert would receive a billboard in one of the segments, a 30-second commercial, and ads in local publications and the event program. In relation to promotion, Palm Desert would receive from the Easter Bowl, the City is already receiving exposure on Fox Sports via its sponsorship of the Lexus Challenge golf tournament at Desert Willow. Because of its New York location, no one from the organization was able to attend the Marketing Committee meeting. Upon speaking with a representative, they did inform staff that the City of Rancho Mirage has been approached with a similar proposal, and that city's support is still under consideration. In addition, the Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention and Visitors Authority have contributed $5,000. While staff recognizes that Palm Desert may benefit from some overflow business as a result of this tournament's Rancho Mirage location, the City has invested significant funds to a number of special events including Art of Food & Wine, Fashion Week El Paseo, Samsung World Championship, the Palm Desert Golf Cart Parade, among others. There becomes a point of diminishing return in financially supporting every event in and around our City; therefore, staff concurs with the Marketing Committee's recommendation to decline this sponsorship opportunity. Submitted By: &())/7-1 ,67ZO)Ge.4- Kristy Kneiciing Marketing Manager Approval: Carlos L. Ort6 TY COUNCIL ACTION: ul Gibson PROVED 1.7 DEN City Manager �recLor or rinance RECEIVED ....... OTH Sheila R. Gilligdn Assistant City Manage � Ja METr Ii+;G '� ...S� AYES : NOES: ABSENT : _N 11„P ABSTAIN: VERIFIED Original on File r:1 tka ,itv. Clerk's fs �ffy` Sep 13 06 03:12p Seena Hamifton 212-753-8742 p.1 116• York Ave. 12E i Ne York, NY 10021 (21 308-5368 (oflioe) (21 753-8742 (fax) Sha Ny@earthlink.net j� -x -a I ' i � i i To: Kristy Kneiding —Mktg Mgr— City From Seena Hamilton of Palm Desert Fax 760-779-5271 Pass: 2 iq760-568-5240 Date: 9113106 no: 2007 Easter Bowl CQ Urgent x For Review 0 Please Cammeat O Please Reply ❑ Please Recycle Deal Kristy, I apl ireciate your call and hope the following information will give you insight to the ex�es involved in producing the Easter Bowl. 1. U ie Easter Bowl costs close to $200,000. a. We have staff and umpire expenses b. We pay close to $40,000 for the production of a one hour TV Special which I personally syndicate to stations throughout the U.S. 2. We spend six months in advance promoting the event and working on sponsorships as %yell as two months or more afterwards on administrative work. This one 1 We it we have an additional burden since Rancho las Palmas Resort is only putting up d of what the Riviera did. They are only giving us 7 rooms and continental st for the staff. The Riviera not only gave us $15,000 site fee but housed and fed a about eighteen or twenty. This represents about a $45,000 loss from what the gave us. .end to split the two days of finals between Shadow Mountain and Rancho Las Ls with constant mention of Palm Desert. For example Luke Jensen, our TV Special always starts each segment with "here in beautiful Palm Desert", etc. This is es the commercials we will give you. Sep 13 06 03:13p Seena Hamilton 212-753-8742 p.2 i September 13, 2006 'r `Ve� Fould f us on Palm Desert instead of both Palm Desert and Rancho Mirage or you could split Vie at $1 ,000. each. '-'hE,,; esert has been asking out the 2007 Easter Bowl and I need to lockup the deal before them. 7 lo9k forty d to hearing from yob soon ly, i eeJ-a • Page 2 Seena-mamiltoil +-Associates. inc. Kristy Kneiding Marketing Manager City of Palm Desert 72567 Highway Number 111 Palm Desert, CA 92260 Dear Kristy, August 30, 2006 We were told to contact you by Jennifer McNeil. We would like to give you a brief description of what the Easter Bowl (heralded as the U.S. Open of junior tennis) and its owner Seena Hamilton and Associates can bring to the Palm Desert area — thousands of room nights and millions in print and TV exposure. That is what we delivered to the Riviera and other Palm Springs hotels for 10 years and therefore, that is the kind of business we'll deliver to you. While the Riviera was only able to accommodate 1,200 — 1,300 room nights, the tournament, which hosts 640 of the top American juniors in the country as well as their families and their coaches, delivered closer to 4,000 room nights for the community. Not only seven participating Palm Springs hotels but also 20 non -partnering Palm Springs hotels got the overflow. Palm Desert will benefit from this because the host site will be Rancho Las Palmas. The Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism and the Palm Springs Riviera Resort calculated a total economic impact of $1.5 million - $2 million of business for the Palm Springs community (Please see attached Palm Springs Desert Sun articles). Riviera VP Ed Svitak informed us that the resort also booked an additional 4,000 room nights a year in tennis business as a direct result of Easter Bowl publicity. The Palm Springs Tourist Board has always given us $25,000 a year and we are hoping that Palm Desert will provide these funds in exchange not only for the business that your hotels will get, but also the enormous publicity that we will bring to the area. Palm Desert will be one of our sponsors. SHA produces and nationally syndicates a one -hour TV special. The Easter Bowl TV special is a magazine style show that airs the highlights of six championships in which Palm Desert will be mentioned throughout. The city will also receive a billboard in one of the segments and a :30 second commercial. Furthermore, the Easter Bowl receives a full -page ad in both Palm Springs Life and The Desert Sun in which Palm Desert will be prominently mentioned. Palm Desert will also receive an ad on the back cover of our Easter Bowl program. Additionally, according to Burrelle's clipping service the Easter Bowl generates 55 million print impressions (all of which will mention Palm Desert). The opportunity for widespread visibility is enormous. 1161 YORK AVENUE, PHE. NEW PORK, NY 10021 -Tel: (212) 08-5368 - :—Fax: (212) 753-8742 - E-nnil: seena 1161(aaol.com MARKFTING SFRVIC'FS\SPORTS. SPECIAL FVENTS\PUBLIC RELATIONS This year is especially important because The Easter Bowl is celebrating its 40`h consecutive year in 2007. We are planning special, celebrity -oriented events. The following are some key points with regard to the Easter Bowl and how it would benefit the Palm Desert community: Economic Impact: Based on paid hotel room nights for all partnering hotels and hotel taxes generated for the City of Palm Springs, an analysis provided by the Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism and the Palm Springs Riviera Resort calculated a total economic impact of approximately $1.5 million - $2 million of business generated for the Palm Springs community. • Hotels: The Easter Bowl partnered with seven Palm Springs hotels while their families also stayed at an additional 20 non -partnering Palm Springs hotels. • Tennis Business: The Easter Bowl has also helped to establish Palm Springs as a major tennis destination. More than 4,000 additional room nights for tennis events were booked at the Riviera solely because of the publicity of our tournament. That is what the influence of the Easter Bowl can deliver to Palm Desert. • Additional Notes: Easter Bowl families are an affluent group. More than three quarters of them have incomes of $75,000 to $200,000+. Many are professionals, corporate executives or heads of their own businesses. Not only that, but we have key USTA executives, along with more than 150 private coaches, many of whom manage their own clubs and are influential throughout the industry. In addition, some of our corporate sponsors have brought their sales meetings to Palm Springs. Advertising/PR Value: The Easter Bowl generates major national, regional, and local media exposure. The promotional staff at the Easter Bowl utilizes a number of different mediums to achieve millions of print impressions: • National TV: SHA produces and nationally syndicates a one -hour TV special. The Easter Bowl TV special is a magazine style show that airs the highlights of six championships as well as delivering constant mention and tremendous exposure for the area. When you add up all paid subscribers for the different networks that air the show, the Easter Bowl TV Special has a reach of over 50 million households. Please note that many of the networks have multiple airings. (Attached is a list of the different networks that air the show). • Print Media: Through its fully staffed press room, sports and mainstream media contacts around the country, the Easter Bowl (according to Burrelle's clipping service) generates 55 million print media impressions each year with constant mention of the area and its hotels. We also have a full -page of advertising in the Desert Sun and Palm Springs Life where Palm Desert will be featured. • Electronic Media. Via the official Easter Bowl website, and media partner Palm Desert will receive millions of additional on-line impressions. There is heavy volume on both sites during the month of the Easter Bowl and Juniortennis.com is the most popular junior tennis website in the world. Giving Back to the Community: The Easter Bowl always gives back to the community whenever possible. The following is a brief summary of the Easter Bowl's philanthropic work for the Palm Springs community: • Since 2004, The Easter Bowl, in conjunction with Advanta Corp. has donated over 150 tennis racquets to the National Junior Tennis League of Coachella Valley. The purpose of the NJTL of Coachella Valley is to provide opportunities for those youngsters who want to play tennis and perhaps don't have the financial means to do so. • At the end of every tournament the Easter Bowl donates dozens of cases of bottled water, Gatorade and other products to a number of junior tennis groups and organizations. Donations of bottled water and Gatorade were also made to the Palm Springs Fire Department. • Every year the Easter Bowl and Seena Hamilton & Associates make a financial contribution to the Guide Dogs of the Desert. Since, 1968, the Easter Bowl has been heralded as the most famous and best publicized National Junior Tennis Championship in the country. As of 1995, it had been held at the Rivera Resort (except the years of 1997 and 1999). I hope this information paints a clear picture of what the Easter Bowl can deliver for Palm Desert. Please let me know if you need anything else. Si rely, I Seena Hamilton President Seena Hamilton Associates THE 2007 FASTER BOWL USIA NATIONAL SPRING CHAMPIONSHIPS NAME: THE EAST ER BOWL -The blockbuster showcase of American junior tennis DATE: April 15-22, 2007 SITE: Palm Desert, CA FORMAT: Boys and Girls 18, 16, & 14 and under divisions — 18's are also a top int'l event with Singles, Doubles & Feed -In -Consolations FACTS: ■ Every American tennis great has played in the Easter Bowl including: Sampras, Agassi, McEnroe, Connors, Davenport, Capriati, Austin, and current phenoms, Andy Roddick, Robby Ginepri & Taylor Dent! ■ America's future stars: the top junior tennis players (from over 40 states) in what the press calls "The Super Bowl of junior tennis" ■ Only Nat'l Championship where the top juniors in multiple age divisions, their families and coaches are all at the same place at the same time ➢ Over 650 high -profile influential teenagers 12 — 18 years old ➢ Young, upscale parents: avg. age 37 —55, 26% earn over $200,000 ➢ Over 500 family members and 150 private coaches ■ Only junior tennis tournament noted for its national publicity and high sponsor I.D. through tailor made promotions and visibility on our TV special ■ National print and electronic media coverage reaches (over 50 million print impressions) ■ Nationally syndicated award winning Easter Bowl TV special: reaches over 50 million households! ■ Only junior tennis tournament with own national TV special ■ Generates $2 million in tourism revenue for the Palm Springs economy ■ Noted for its world -class hospitality for players and sponsors ■ 20,000+ spectators on -site; 100,000+ in the community