Benefits of sponsorship

The idea of good corporate citizenship has been and still is a strong and well-regarded practice among Australian companies. Beyond the "feel good" factor, though, there is considerable commercial benefit to be had from association with and support of bodies which are highly regarded by the broad community.

Sponsors of Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club (Bondi SBLSC) gain an association with an Australian institution that has unique iconic status in Australia - and world-wide - the world's first surf lifesaving club, almost 100 years old, located squarely in the centre of Australia's most famous surf beach, Bondi. It's the original home of the sun-bronzed Aussie lifesaver, still a powerful symbol of Australia's reputation for sporting ability, self-reliance, and being one of the world's best places to visit and to live in.

The sponsorship identification opportunities include signage on surfboats and other rescue craft and equipment, on clothing and apparel, on competition marquees and other structures, together with identification and exposure via the Bondi SBLSC website, e-mail bulletins, mass mail-outs, and advertising and publicity material. This presence will ensure significant exposure of the sponsor's brand and identity to the millions of visitors who come to Bondi each year. In addition, through media coverage - TV, radio, press and magazines - that exposure increases to cover an even greater and more widespread audience both in Australia and overseas

Brands and companies are often helped by the company they keep - their connections and associations and endorsements. Uncle Toby's and Iron Man is a good example, just one of many. There is ample evidence to show that sponsorship of highly regarded causes helps companies and brands build and maintain a place in the minds of their customers and prospects.

Bondi SBLSC is certainly one of those good causes. It needs sponsorship to continue to do the work for which it is highly regarded. But in return for sponsorship, Bondi SBLSC can demonstrate a connection with a considerable audience of people who might well be direct prospects for your business.

Sponsorship opportunities

In 2007 Bondi SBLSC will celebrate its Centenary year. Many celebrations, commemorations and public events are currently being planned to mark this significant occasion.

Accordingly there will be significant marketing opportunities available to our sponsors as we lead up to the celebrations and when we arrive at them.

Our most prestigious sponsorship category is Centenary Sponsor. You may become a Centenary Sponsor at a number of levels. 

Club history

The Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club is officially recognised as the oldest surf life saving club in the world. It is an Australian icon and holds an indelible position in Australian history. The primary objective of surf life saving was - and is - to protect the bathers who frequent our beaches through manned patrols and associated services.

The Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club was established on the 21^st of February 1907 by a group of like-minded bathers. The club was responsible for introducing surf life saving to Australia and pioneered the famous surf reel and line. A notable rescue was one of a young boy by the name of Charlie Smith who later went on to become the famous aviator Sir Charles Kingsford Smith.

The moment that thrust Bondi and surf life saving into the public arena was Sunday 6^th February 1938. Thirty-two years to the day after the club was founded Bondi members performed over 300 rescues after hundreds of swimmers were swept out to sea by a series of large waves. At the end of the day five lives were lost and the occasion was forever etched into Australian history as 'Black Sunday'. 

Other important milestones in the Club's history include the development and introduction of duty rosters, test swims and the Bronze Medallion, which is still the basic qualification for lifesavers to this day. 

Bondi leads the country in the number of rescues performed and is more committed than ever to providing the highest quality of voluntary community service. We are at the forefront of new technology in the life saving field including inflatable rescue boats, jet ski rescue craft and automatic external defibrillators.

General marketing and media coverage of Bondi SBLSC 

Bondi SBLSC enjoys a unique position both as the world's first surf club as well as its presence on Sydney's most famous city beach. This unique profile offers numerous opportunities for media exposure.

Our primary demographic targets are residents of Sydney who use the Bondi Beach recreational area and overseas tourists for whom Bondi is a major destination. During summer over 30,000 people a day use the beach and during the week around 50 tourist buses visit each day.

We are pleased to offer temporary signage opportunities on the Club building itself as well as signage on competition and lifesaving craft such as inflatable rescue boats and oared surfboats, and on clothing and apparel.

2003 independent sponsorship survey results 

S-COMM Australia is Australia's leading sponsorship research and evaluation company. In 2003 they were engaged by 'Imagine That Event Management' to independently assess the value of sponsorship of Surf Lifesaving Patrol Stations during a typical Sydney season. Surveying 10 Sydney beaches, their findings showed 7 million people visit those beaches in a season, with 2,100,000 people being directly exposed to Patrol Station sponsorship.

Bondi has the largest slice of that 2.1 million public exposure coverage at 19.6%,

followed by Tamarama with 17%, North Bondi with 15.7% and Coogee with 11.8%. The remaining beaches were significantly lower.

A summary of this research is available to sponsors should they want more detail.

Member communication

We have a website at www.bondisurfclub.com, which is continually updated. The site includes a wide variety of information about the club, its sponsors, and events, and is featured on all appropriate media promotion and publicity.

We have a strong internet presence. The committee and most of our members are contactable via e-mail, which we use extensively for direct communication throughout the year. There are also e-commerce initiatives linked to our web site enabling members and the public to purchase official Bondi Surf Club merchandise and other services.

We have 3-4 mail-outs per year to the entire membership (1000+) and we welcome advertising or sponsorship of these mail-outs to keep the membership aware of our sponsors, as well as to reduce our costs. The annual report is distributed to all members in July, and our sponsors are prominently listed.

Television

Throughout the season we enjoy extensive television coverage of high profile events such as major surf carnivals, community events such as ocean swims and many other news-related matters pertaining to Bondi. Bondi SBLSC is the leading life saving authority on the beach, so any matters that attract television coverage are usually directed to us.

At the present time the Club's television coverage includes:

·       Numerous television requests especially from the UK including Good Morning London, Record Breakers and a special on Black Sunday for ITV. Our famous lifesavers were featured in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games closing ceremony as one of the Australian icons. A major interview was conducted with the NBC Today Show featuring Katie Couric. Other recent interviews have included the BBC and TV Indonesia 4. We expect this level of international media interest will grow.

·       The club is used for many corporate television launches with the most recent being the National Surf Safe Summer Campaign that was filmed at Bondi. Fashion designer Collette Dinnigan and swimwear label Sea Folly launched their new summer ranges at Bondi, and both featured as news items and in variety and current affairs programs.

·       NSW Surfboat Titles and National Surfboat titles are held annually with full coverage on Channel 7.  

Radio

We regularly use the services of Radio Bondi and the community switchboards of 2MMM and 2DAYFM for publicising club events. Club members are frequently

asked to give phone-radio interviews regarding the day's events at the beach to a number of AM stations.

We are currently in negotiations with the Australian Radio Network for media coverage sponsorship to extend Bondi's media profile still further.

Newspapers

The Bondi SBLSC has a strategic partnership with the Wentworth Courier newspaper, which regularly runs articles and advertisements for us. Stories and features have appeared frequently in major publications using the Bondi Life Saver image and related historical articles.

Magazines

We publicise the Club in Australian Surf Lifesaver magazine. The Club has also enjoyed exposure in Inside Sport magazine using the Club premises and equipment for a photo session. Other recent major publications include Black + White magazine.

The company you'll keep:

our current sponsors

National sponsor

·       DHL

Bondi SBLSC sponsors

·       Beach Supplies Australia

·       Nautica Footwear

·       Dial B4 You Dig           

·       St Hilliers

·       Richardson & Wrench Elizabeth Bay

And our sponsors of goods and services

·       Hog's Breath Café Bondi Beach                           

·       Digital Masters Australasia   

·       People telecom                     

·       Energy Australia

·       Hakoah Club Ltd

·       Coca Cola

·       Rotary Club Rose Bay Branch

·       Rotary Club Bondi Junction Branch

·       Waverley Council

·       Kelloggs Australia

Lifesaving equipment and hardware your sponsorship investment will buy 

Some of the events and exposure opportunities at the Bondi SBLSC 2006/2007 centenary season  

Surfboat competition

There are 22 surfboat competition events including State and Australian Titles, from November to the end of March, along the NSW coast.

Generally, there are more competitors and public at the Australian Titles than attend a day in the Commonwealth Games.

In 2006/2007 Bondi SBLSC will have 8 competing crews with 5 members per crew.

·       Masters (men) x 1 crew

·       Men's A / open x 3 crews

·       Reserves x 2 crews

·       Colts (<21) x 1 crew

·       Ladies x 1 crew

Previous and future competitions may include Junior (< 18) crew - depending on number of Sweeps available.

Inflatable Rescue Boats competition

The IRB competition currently has 4 competition events but previously has had 12 carnivals. The number of carnivals per year is expected to increase so 4 events should be seen as a minimum. Competitors would wear sponsor's competition gear.

Surfboat training

·       Commences July for all crews.

·       Usually 4 times per week either in morning or afternoon.

·      Training is on Sydney Harbour, typically from Rose Bay to and around Watson's Bay, the Zoo and Opera House.

IRB and beach trike

These rescue vehicles are on the beach every weekend and public holidays during summer on patrol duty. A banner, indicating IRB training is in process, is placed

near the patrol tent to make the public aware of likely activity. The banner displays the IRB sponsor's name. 

Special Bondi SBLSC events exposure

Sponsor's signage would be seen during events including:

·       Sponsor's race day e.g. sponsor crews own boat in competition with other sponsors.

·       Ocean Swim Bondi to Bronte

·       Frequent member events e.g. 'Bottles' held in function room

·       Fund raising activities held at the club

Public events exposure

Many annual events are not promoted by Bondi SBLSC but occur at Bondi Beach and surrounds, increasing traffic and exposure to sponsor signage. They include:

·       City to Surf Race

·       Sculpture by the Beach

·       Flickerfest Short Film Festival

·      Festival of the Winds

What's what?

Bondi Surf Bathers' Life Saving Club Inc

Location                                 Queen Elizabeth Drive, Bondi Beach NSW 2026

Postal address                      PO Box 7007, Bondi Beach NSW 2026

Contact                                  Phone: 02 9300 9279
                                                Fax: 02 9300 9596

                                                Email: info@bondisurfclub.com
                                    Website: www.bondisurfclub.com

And who's who?

Club Executive

President                              Rod Harvey APM

Senior Vice President         Robert Tate 

Treasurer                              William Hardman

Secretary                               Scott Ryan

Club Captain                         Andrew Hoggett

Chief Instructor                    Jim Kornmehl

Your Sponsorship Committee contacts

Vice President Sponsorship           Sam Leon

                                                            Mobile 0412 205 515

Treasurer                                            William Hardman

                                                            Mobile 0416 185 108