“The Chesapeake Bay and the Bay Bridge are two of Maryland’s most iconic venues and assets. This event will provide Marylanders and visitors a unique opportunity to cross the scenic beauty of the bay on the impressive engineering – the bridge- while experiencing and participating in what will become a signature sporting event for Maryland for many years to come.” Terry Hasseltine, Executive Director, Maryland Office of Sports.
According to one of the race founders, Peter Paris, this event is being designed as an elite event, offering runners, walkers and sponsors an extraordinary platform. “For course management, we are very excited to be working with Dave McGillivray and his team at DMSE. As Race Director for the Boston Marathon and numerous other high profile races, Dave and his team will bring a world-class level of professionalism and safety to this event.” In addition to DMSE, the race organizers have hired the services of internationally renowned Playbook Management International (PMI) to assist with developing customized partnerships with national, regional and local businesses. PMI brings over 75 years of sports marketing experience and a great deal of excitement to the 10K Across the Bay.
According to the other race founder, Sparrow Rogers, “In addition to bringing DMSE on board to handle logistics, we’ve also partnered with Playbook Management International to work with race sponsors. Ryan Helfrick and Michael Hitchcock of Playbook Management International are well known through their work with FIFA and other major sporting events and we feel confident that they will help all interested sponsors find a way to participate in this event.” Over the last 9 months, organizers have worked with the State of Maryland and the economic development team in Queen Anne’s County to identify key opportunities that sponsors will have to participate. From branding on the Bridge itself to 8.7 miles of signage opportunity along the guard rails, this event will provide sponsors with priceless images of their brands spanning the most historical waterway in our Nation’s history.
“PMI looks forward to working with local, regional and national companies who want a unique opportunity to grow their business through one of the biggest events in Maryland. 10k Across the Bay is not only a major community event but also a strong marketing platform for businesses to connect with thousands of prospective customers while giving back to the community,” Michael Hitchcock, Founding Partner of PMI.
For more information or to schedule a call to learn more about sponsorship and marketing opportunities for 10K Across the Bay, please contact PMI Director of Business Development, Ryan Helfrick.
Chuck Engstrom says
As presented here, this will be a repugnant perversion of what was once a fun, commercial-free gee-whiz event. I walked the Bridge twice, back in the day, but don’t think I’m “elite” enough to qualify now, either physically or economically –“We will have a separate corral for elite runners” and “Entries…will start at $60 and will go up incrementally.” (from the race website http://www.bridgerace.com). That would be $240, minimum, for a Maryland family of four just to sign up.
Consider the contrast here between two elements of this report: “a unique opportunity to cross the scenic beauty of the bay” followed later by “…branding of the Bridge itself [and] 8.7 miles of signage opportunity along the guard rails…” A marketer’s wet dream if there ever was one, all this signage will be visual pollution run amok, and to what purpose? Runners won’t be slowing down to absorb each item in 8.7 miles worth of signage – at six feet per sign, that would be 7,656 signs, or 40 signs per minute at the suggested minimum participant speed of 19 minutes per mile. And all this only for those who have already coughed up at least $60.
What’s in this for the toll-paying citizens of Maryland? Will we get a toll holiday on the bridge from the revenue of this event? The paint is still drying, so to speak, on signs noting the July 1st toll increase on the Bay Bridge. How much will the state get paid to allow “branding on the Bridge itself,” presumably much like M&T Stadium, where M&T Bank will pay $5 million for “naming rights” in 2013, $6 million each the next two years?