SEA Games targets SG$50 million sponsorship

Singapore Southeast Asian Games Organising Committee (SINGSOC) has announced plans to attract SG$50 million in sponsorship dollars for the 28th SEA Games in 2015. This value will be measured in both cash and value-in-kind sponsorships, according to  SINGSOC.SINGSOC has made a call to companies to sponsor the event, which will take place in Singapore on the country's 50 year of independence.At the media briefing yesterday, SINGSOC outlined plans for the event, including the type of companies it was targeting, as well as the sponsorship activation and fringe activities surrounding the sporting event.According to Richard Seow, chairman of the 28 SEA Games sponsorship and marketing advisory sub-committee, corporate branding and sponsorship for the SEA Games is expected to reach out to a potential audience of 600 million people.Branding is a key topic that was raised during the media briefing earlier."Over the years, more companies are seeing sport as a multi-dimensional vehicle that is able to connect them with their consumers at the personal and emotional level," Chaly Mah, chief executive officer, Deloitte Asia Pacific and a member of the SINGSOC sponsorship and marketing advisory sub-committee said.For example, companies such as Singtel and DBS Bank have provided long term support for signature sports events like the Formula One and dragon boat races respectively, that have become imprinted in people's minds over the years, Mah added.He added that the return on investment in sports sponsorship grows exponentially over time as these companies use sports to grow market share and enhance their brand equity."Companies looking at sponsoring the 2015 SEA Games should also consider continuing their involvement in sports beyond the games. They may want to see how they could spearhead an annual signature sports event that can become synonymous with their brand," Mah added.Marketing Events spoke with Toh Boon Yi, chief of strategic development & marketing group, Singapore Sports Council. Over the next 18 months, there will be several fringe activities in the run up to the event, with a handover ceremony, torch relay as well as an outreach plan to visit all the schools in Singapore on the even, said Toh.When asked which companies have expressed interest or have come on board as sponsors so far, Toh declined to comment. However, he added that over 100 companies have already expressed interest in signing on as sponsor.Toh told Marketing Events that the event will encourage companies interested in signing on as sponsors to either plan their own events round the SEA Games, or to work together with SINGSOC.The 28th SEA Games is expected to be one of the biggest regional sports events in 2015. Over 7,000 athletes and officials are expected at this event which will take place over 10 days.The event is expected to be held across multiple venues in Singapore, including in the Singapore Sports Hub.The Games is also expected to be highly digitalised. A 28th SEA Games documentary along with over 50 creative videos will be produced to feature athletes, coaches, and the various sports. A targeted 600 web content articles will be created to activate search engines and seed social media traffic. These articles will be written by content creators and story-tellers.Mobile applications will be built to provide Games-related information on-the-go.John Vamvakitis, head of sport, Google Asia Pacific and member of the SINGSOC sponsorship and marketing advisory Sub-Committee said: "Digital provides a powerful and cost effective platform that will extend sponsors' reach beyond traditional channels.""With the SEA region boasting one of the fastest growing digital adopters, digital will play a crucial role in engaging consumers during the games. Digital will also enable participants to enjoy the games in more ways than one. For example, through the use of second screens, mobile applications as well as social media," he added.