Inland Lake Yachting Association &
Minnetonka Yacht Club

The Challenge
The Inland Lake Yachting Association (ILYA) and the Minnetonka Yacht Club (Minneapolis) needed funding, in-kind products/service, and local/regional publicity to successfully host a national two week long sailing regatta for 670 sailors, 200+ boats and four racing fleets from across the country. Additionally, the client wanted to:
• Promote the sport of sailing
• Raise ILYA and MYC brand awareness and allow MYC to bid on future ILYA Regattas
• Enhance the competitors experience with the Regatta

The Strategy/Solution
• In being one of the leading sailing event sponsorship agencies in U.S., Browne+Browne Marketing was hired to put its 15 year history of corporate sports sponsorship and PR planning, development, management and analysis to work. We presented custom business building propositions for each sponsor, where they could see their sponsorship “come to life” and how they could generate branding and incremental sales and profits.
• Browne+Browne developed comprehensive plans for both generating revenue and in-kind services by accessing agency’s Sponsorship Prospect Database, presented proposals, secured contracts, and managed sponsor displays, promotions, etc.
• Maximized agency’s media outlet relations and presented news-worthy features, interviews, on-water live coverage to gain favorable press coverage
• Post event, presented to sponsors a quantitatively based evaluation across their consumer activation dimensions, to analyze investment and its return.

Results/Testimonials
• 670 sailboat racers from 51 U.S. ILYA member yacht clubs competed
• 40 sponsors support event including General Mills, Great Clips, Ameriprise Financial, North Sails, UBS Financial and Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
• Live streaming web coverage, video online, Facebook sit (130,00+ views)
• 750,000 TV media impressions from 4 top TV stations and cable system
• Print impressions of over 7,100,000 from magazines and newspapers, including a local street banner with over 310,000 impressions
• $29,000 sponsorship revenue generated, $55,000 of in-kind contributions

“Great work on the Regatta sponsorships and PR. Appreciated your excellent work.”
                                                                        Co-Chair, 2011 ILYA Inland Championship

“I am pleased to report that MYC won the “ILYA Club of the Year Award (for 2011 Inland Regatta). Special thanks to our Regatta co-chairs and everyone at MYC for hosting an incredible event as MYC has “raised the bar” for future ILYA events and was one of the best regattas many had ever been to.”
                                                                                       Manager, Minnetonka Yacht Club