Alright folks!!!  We are about 6 weeks out until the World.  Food. Championships! in Las Veeeegaas!!!!!!  (Can you hear my echo-booming voice? I’m just a little excited!)

I know many of you are gearing up to get yourself to Vegas.  You are probably looking into flights & hotels at this point.  How are you doing on getting your competition dish and all of the little details taken care of? Well, as I know, one of the big details on everyone’s mind is budget.  How the heck are you paying for your trip to WFC?

Some lucky folks have been sponsored by the company that hosted their winning competition, the one that got them a slot at WFC.  On another note…some competitors have gotten scooped up by a sponsor because of their blog or other promotional opportunities that the competitor can provide.  If you have ever wondered how that works, this is the post for you.

(Lucky me, I’ve qualified for the WFC through Sterling Vineyards Ultimate Host Challenge)

The first thing that I want to address is:  it is OK, even smart, to get a sponsor for your attendance at WFC.  Having a sponsor usually means that they pay for part, or all, of your trip to the event and might even do more for you. This all depends on what exposure you offer to the potential sponsor.

How to begin:

Discuss sponsorship opportunities with the company that hosted your winning competition, the win that got you the slot at WFC.  You most likely have a contact within the company or the marketing agency that you dealt with during and after the competition.  This is a perfect place to start. If they are unable to sponsor you, don’t despair, there are other options.

Additional sponsorship options:

Identify a local company that is related to your signature dish, to food, or a company that is interested in getting national exposure.  Once you have determined what company would work, you start calling.

Begin at the receptionist and ask for the marketing dept. This is where you will get a contact name, or hopefully, talk with a marketing person. Explain that you will be competing and would like to represent their company at WFC. This may take a few calls, it may take some emailing… you may have to send a link or two, whatever it takes… it is worth the time and work to get yourself sponsored.

What you can offer in exchange for the sponsorship?:

WFC will allow for you to wear branded clothing, to give-away small promotional items, and to place a banner on your competition table. There will be hundreds of people at WFC, plus the TV programming that is happening (important tidbit to note here, just because there is a television show, no potential sponsors should be guaranteed television time. Logo blurring may occur. It’s best to be up front and only commit to promises you personally know you can deliver). This is an opportunity for plenty of exposure for your potential sponsor. You may want to offer some social media, blog posts, etc. Anything that can help enhance their exposure to their targeted audience.

Yesterday, I spoke with Suzanne Clark – a prolific recipe competitor and TV segment provider.  She did all of the above and got set-up by Challenge Butter. She is now working with them on lots of aspects of promotion.  What began as a simple call to Challenge Butter as a last ditch effort to get to the World Food Championships, turned into a great ongoing promotional relationship.  Suzanne promotes Challenge Butter by using her personal promotional opportunities and Challenge Butter helps Suzanne with sponsorship for events like the World Food Championships.

Give it a try! You never know, you will be sharing your opportunity for brand promotion while getting yourself supported at great events like WFC and…you never know what could come from a promotional relationship with a brand that fits with your audience exposure. What are you waiting for! Get on it people! ‘Cause WFC is right around the corner!

Can’t wait to see you all there!!!!! Keep checking here for announcements on what is next! Ally and I have a big surprise event to announce! All the breaking information will be listed between our two blogs… so, keep your eyes peeled!