27194 Event Sponsorship and Revenue

Subject level: Undergraduate

Handbook description

This subject deals with non-ticket/registration fee based revenue streams available to public and corporate events. In doing so, it seeks to first identify these income streams before going on to discuss their strategic development. Given its significance to many events, substantial time is given in this subject to examining how events develop and manage sponsorship as a major revenue source. Other revenue streams that are dealt with include merchandising, licensing, concession rights, media rights and grants. Discussion of the evaluation and effectiveness of these revenue streams is also a key aspect of this subject.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On successful completion of this subject students should be able to:

1. describe the range of potential non-ticket/registration based revenue sources associated with public and private events
2. develop strategic responses to the generation of non-ticket/registration based revenue for events
3. evaluate the effectiveness of an event's efforts to develop non-ticket/registration based revenue streams.

Contribution to graduate profile

Non-ticket/registration fee based revenue is integral to the success of most public and corporate events. This subject seeks to provide an understanding of the strategic development of these revenue streams. In performing this function it examines a variety of potential event income sources including sponsorship, merchandising, concession rights, media rights, image/brand licensing, grants, as well as other less commonly used sources such as competitions and donations. In performing this function, this subject seeks to add to the skill and knowledge set of managers in the event field for whom the challenge of maximising event revenue in an increasingly competitive environment is a major challenge.

Teaching and learning strategies

There is a focus in this subject on examining practice through the lens of theory. Integral to this process will be the strategic analysis of selected event case studies. In order to engage with these case studies, students will be expected to undertake designated theoretical and applied readings prior to classes each week. As appropriate, guest lecturers will be invited to present on particular topics/case studies. Additionally, a site visit to a major venue/event may be employed to aid students in their understanding of aspects of the course content.

Content

• Non-ticket/registration fee event revenue sources — an overview
• The strategic development of non-ticket/registration fee event revenue streams — sponsorship, merchandising and licensing, concession rights, media rights, grants, other, e.g. competitions, donations, hospitality services
• Measuring and evaluating non-ticket/registration fee based event revenue streams
• Legal issues associated with the development of non-ticket/registration fee based revenue streams
• Case studies

Assessment

Assessment item 1: Tutorial papers

Assessment item 2: Event Revenue Strategic Plan

Assessment item 3: Exam

Required text(s)

Geldard, E and Sinclair L (2002), The Sponsorship Manual (2nd edn), Sponsorship Unit, Upper Ferntree Gully, Victoria

Indicative references

Doyle, S (2004) 'Merchandising and Retail' in I Yeoman, M Robertson, J Ali-Knight, S Drummond and U McMahon-Beattie (eds) Festival and Events Management: An International Arts and Culture Perspective, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, Oxford, pp 158-170

Gray, A and Skildum-Reid, K (2008) The Sponsorship Seekers' Toolkit (3rd edn), McGraw Hill, Sydney

Kolah, A (2003) Maximising the Value of Sponsorship, Sport Business Group, London

Martin, P (2004) Made Possible By: Succeeding with Sponsorship, Jossey Bass, San Francisco

Skinner, B and Rukavina, V (2003) Event Sponsorship, John Wiley and Sons, New Jersey