World Championship 2015 Sponsors

[PixelWizard]

Hey

I'm wondering about sponsoring in cubing in general, because it seems like something that pushes the attractivity of speedcubing.
I'm especially interested in how to get sponsors, how fast you should be and what you have to do.

I'm planning to attend the World Championships 2015 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This won't be cheap and therefore a sponsor would really help me. I will also make holidays before and after the competition (without sponsoring of course ).

At the moment I'm averaging about 16 seconds, but until July '15 I should get down to 10-13 seconds. I'm not bad at pyraminx either. Currently I average about 5 seconds but Sub-4.5 should not be too hard.
I'm practicing everyday around 2-3 hours and it's alot of fun.


Now to the specific questions:

1. Are my times low enough to get sponsors?
I really don't know very much about sponsoring but I think Non-Speedcubers are even amazed by a average of 20 seconds.
On the other hand, the sponsors want you to do stuff which gets positive attention and therefore I want to know, how good should one be?

2. Where can I find sponsors?
Should I just write some random companys if they would be interestet in sponsoring me or is there any platform? Could you recommend a company or dou you have contacts?

3. What can I expect from a sponsor / What can the sponsor expect from me?
If you get sponsored, what does that mean? Of course they give you money or pay you something in return of marketing and attraction, but how much do they roughly pay?
What do I have to do for them? Is wearing a t-shirt enough or do I have to do additional stuff? I don't expect a precise or exact anwer because this question is so variable but I just like to get a overview.


Would be amazing if you could help me with this stuff
Thanks
PixelWizard

 

[Username]

Honestly, unless you have a serious chance to win (or atleast podium) in an event, then I wouldn't expect anyone to sponsor you. Think about it this way, would you pay for someone to go meet a bunch of people he/she hasn't met before? Might sound rude, sorry about that

 

[PixelWizard]

Honestly, unless you have a serious chance to win (or atleast podium) in an event, then I wouldn't expect anyone to sponsor you. Think about it this way, would you pay for someone to go meet a bunch of people he/she hasn't met before? Might sound rude, sorry about that

No, it's totally legitimate to say that and it seems pretty logic, but to be at the finals at the worlds would also get a lot of attention just to mention that. Though, with 10 sec avg you wouldn't get in the finals but where do you think is the time shift?

 

[Dene]

You have absolutely no chance of making any of the finals at WCs.

 

[Username]

No, it's totally legitimate to say that and it seems pretty logic, but to be at the finals at the worlds would also get a lot of attention just to mention that. Though, with 10 sec avg you wouldn't get in the finals but where do you think is the time shift?

it gives you attention in the cubing community, but no-one else cares since people don't know what a fast time is and what format we use. Which one do you think non-cubers would care about?
1) I have a chance to get to the finals at the world championship of solving a Rubik's Cube
2) I have a chance to place 1st/2nd/3rd at the world championship of solving a Rubik's Cube

 

[antoineccantin]

Getting a sponsor is much harder than it sounds. I myself have been trying for quite a while without success.

 

[MatejMuzatko]

In other thread I saw someone saying "I'll ask my city for a grant"... You can try that, but I think it will not work... From my experience, from what I've read about my town in the newspaper, it doesn't seem like they have some money for speedcubers ;-) Unless I have some friends in the city hall
From my experience, parents are best sponsors, as they wanna see some grate places that aren't that far... But not in case of Brasil ;-)

 

[PixelWizard]

Getting a sponsor is much harder than it sounds. I myself have been trying for quite a while without success.

If even a WR Holder has hard times to get sponsors, well then there's not much hope...

Did you put much effort in? Have you actively contacted companys?

 

[antoineccantin]

In other thread I saw someone saying "I'll ask my city for a grant"... You can try that, but I think it will not work... From my experience, from what I've read about my town in the newspaper, it doesn't seem like they have some money for speedcubers ;-) Unless I have some friends in the city hall
From my experience, parents are best sponsors, as they wanna see some grate places that aren't that far... But not in case of Brasil ;-)

I have actually done this. It works

If even a WR Holder has hard times to get sponsors, well then there's not much hope...

Did you put much effort in? Have you actively contacted companys?

Yes I have. Most refuse on the pretext that they only sponsor charities or teams, not individuals.

 

[PixelWizard]

I have actually done this. It works



Yes I have. Most refuse on the pretext that they only sponsor charities or teams, not individuals.

That would be one of many reasons to make cubing not just an individual but also a teamsport. Founding Clubs and Teams and introduce Team Events as official WCA Events would be amazing!
This could be a big thing for speedcubing. Look at speedstacking, they did it and don't regret.

 

[cmhardw]

I have been sponsored by my employer multiple times for attending large competitions in the past. Sponsor amounts have ranged from $50 all the way to about $1100.

It's easier to get your employer to sponsor you because they know you already. It would be difficult, but not impossible, to get a random company to sponsor you.

Usually a company sponsorship takes the form of free time off. When I say that a company sponsored me $1100, that doesn't mean that they cut me a check for that money, it means that they let me take off the time for the trip as paid time off without using my own vacation time. This form if sponsorship is much easier for a company than paying out cash. The company is still paying you for non-work though, so in reality it is still a sponsorship payment, but in a specific form.

Approach asking for a sponsorship by first introducing yourself to the person who has the power to make that decision. This could be your boss or your head of department. If you're cold calling companies, then try to stick to ones you have worked for in the past or ones where you have a family member or friend who works there or used to work there.

Sponsors are paying you as a form of advertisement for their company. When talking to them, stress that you will wear their company swag in the form of a t-shirt, hat or other clothing item with a logo at pretty much all times, and especially when you are on stage competing. Tell them that there are roughly 1000-1500 people in attendance including competitors and spectators. They will also want to write about you in their company newsletter or website afterward. This last part is why you want to ask the place where you work, so that they can brag about the achievements of their employees to make their company look good.

You do not need to worry about making the final round of 3x3 speed in order to get a sponsorship. If 600 people compete at Worlds and you come 89th place in an event, then you can say you are 89th in the world at that event, and this would look great in a company newsletter or on a company website. Even 354th in the world would read nicely on a company newsletter. They don't care at all what place you come as far as the number is concerned, they care that someone at their company is really good at something that makes their company look good compared to their competitors.

Adjust your expectations to expect to receive at most about $1000 worth of sponsorship, and probably not in the form of actual cash paid to you, and then sponsorships become much more likely. Be grateful for any amount given, as you may do a lot of work and get a $50 sponsorship. That's still $50 of your trip expenses that you don't have to pay yourself. Be persistent when asking, but if they say no then move on and ask someone else or another company.

Good luck, and keep us posted on how it goes!

 

[vcuber13]

Yes I have. Most refuse on the pretext that they only sponsor charities or teams, not individuals.

But, sponsoring you helps assemble Team Canada.

 

[AlexMaass]

I have actually done this. It works



Yes I have. Most refuse on the pretext that they only sponsor charities or teams, not individuals.

Team Canada OP

 

[obelisk477]

At the moment I'm averaging about 16 seconds, but until July '15 I should get down to 10-13 seconds.

I don't think you realize how hard the 10-second barrier is to get to, let alone break