120 Guests Convene at Tavern On The Green

BRIDGEHAMPTON, NY—July 8, 2002—The Hampton Classic held its most successful sponsor workshop ever, hosting 120 guests on July 1 at Tavern On The Green in New York.

The Hampton Classic hosts this workshop annually to help its sponsors better understand how to maximize the value of their corporate sponsorships. The workshop provides sponsors with an overview of various opportunities available to them in connection with their sponsorships, including ancillary promotional options such as advertising on the event’s telecasts, in special Hampton Classic newspaper and magazine sections, and on local radio. Networking with other sponsors, meeting with Classic officials, and hearing from outside speakers combine to make the day extremely popular with sponsors who attend.

“Every year our sponsors thank us for hosting them at the workshop,” said Hampton Classic executive director Tony Hitchcock. “At some events sponsors simply write a check and then that ends their involvement. We encourage deeper participation and we feel that we can help accomplish that by creating a better understanding of what sponsors should, and should not, expect from us. The more they know, the more they’ll get involved.”

IEG’s Lesa Ukman Sees New Trends in Corporate Sponsorships

The keynote speaker at this year’s sponsor workshop was Lesa Ukman, president and founder of IEG, Inc., long considered the nation’s foremost authority on event sponsorship and host of the websites Sponsorship.com and SponsorDirect.com. Ukman’s address focused on the benefits of event sponsorship as opposed to traditional advertising. She cited several changes in the ways companies utilize sponsorship, including “commoditization” of the core values of what companies stand for, shifts from brand-centric to consumer-centric sponsorships, and a focus on experiential sponsorships and increased emphasis on corporate and personal social responsibility. She noted that IEG, Inc. has been able to quantify a measurable shift from advertising to sponsorship spending during this down-economy period and particularly in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon.

“Sponsorship offers much more than advertising as a brand-building tool,” she said. “People are becoming jaded and immune to advertising and what a company stands for is now as important as what it sells. Sponsorship of the right event can make a difference in developing and sustaining customer loyalty.”

The 27th annual Hampton Classic Horse Show, which benefits the Southampton Hospital, is a showcase for hunter/jumper competition from junior levels up to the pinnacle of the sport—grand prix show jumping—and culminates with the $150,000 Prudential Financial Grand Prix on Grand Prix Sunday, September 1.

The Second Annual Seniors Day, presented by 50 Plus Senior News, will take place on Thursday, August 29. Senior Citizens, admitted free on Seniors Day, can watch show jumping, shop, dine, and explore the Exhibition Horse area where miniature horses, llamas, alpacas, and the show’s special horse acts are stabled. Pony rides for grandchildren will be available for a modest additional charge. The Classic’s new “An Evening of Shopping” takes place on Thursday, from 5-7 PM in the Boutiques Garden.

Horse show officials have expanded the show’s community-centered salute the growing Hispanic community on Long Island—Fiesta Day, presented by Avis. Fiesta Day, Friday, August 30, will include Hispanic food, music, and dancing in tribute to diversity in work and play. Fiesta Day celebrates the culture and traditions of more than 23 Spanish-speaking countries and regions worldwide.

The seventh annual Cablevision Kids Day, Saturday, August 31, promises to be the best ever. Along with the fun of face painting, balloon sculpting and a magician, the day will feature hands-on circus acts with the National Circus Project, free pony rides and grooming lessons. A visit to the petting zoo is included in the fun, along with chances to win some great prizes.

Other Featured show jumping events during the Hampton Classic include the $15,000 W.G.H.R. Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic, $25,000 Sally Hansen Grand Prix, $30,000 Adequan Grand Prix, $50,000 Eastern Finals of the Young Jumper Championships, and the $25,000 Calvin Klein Show Jumping Derby for riders under the age of 21.

The weeklong competition, from Opening Day, August 25, until the Grand Prix competition, September 1, also features social activities, special events, demonstrations, and exhibitions for all who participate or attend. Five show rings, 60 vendors, three restaurants, and the children’s area will be operating throughout the week. Admission is $5 per person or $15 per carload per day, with children under 6 admitted free. Reserved grandstand seating for Sunday, September 1 is $15 per person (in addition to $5/person or $15/carload admission) or $25 per person for premium front-three-rows seating. Parking throughout the show is free.

For more information about the Hampton Classic be sure to visit the show’s website at www.hamptonclassic.com

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