Publicising Orienteering (/European Orienteering Championships)

[Street]

its good to know that Ralph Street can cook a veggie risotto

It is probably my greatest achievement this year.

Also for this to work properly, elite athletes would need to be comfortable with the concept of increased media exposure for them, down the success route. Are they?

I am sure there are some people who would be more comfortable with it than others but the majority would be very glad to help out where they can.

[SeanC]

I do think though that at the club level there is lots of untapped money available - either through small sponsorship such as local running shops, or (perhaps more significantly) through private and public grants. The PWT example is an interesting one -lots of that quite large pile of money isn't what (I at least) perceive as sponsorship... sportsmatch etc sounds like public sector grants.

I think there is the case for employing one or more people who's job is just to raise money for clubs, not just BOF, either directly through grants and sponsorship, or indirectly through improved marketing (and therefore increasing attendance). BOF employees don't really have this remit.. though there is some limited help. Of course clubs can write their own grant applications and do their own marketing, but many clubs don't know where to start looking and don't have the manpower/experience, especially the medium and small sized clubs who need the help most.

As is often the case with orienteering, this would reduce costs in the long run, but requires up front investment from us, nobody else.

[ER]

Why oh why does someone who has influence or power in BOF not harness the skills, knowledge, expertise and enthusiasm of those who want to do something about improving marketing of orienteering?

There may be some people who do not want orienteering to have such a profile but I do.I still cannot work out the reason as to orienteering not piggybacking on to the Olympic jamboree. Sprint event in Hyde Park? Orienteering events accompanying the torch relay? These are just two ideas that are off the top of my head. There will always be reasons for keeping things just as they are. BOF does not seem to have the paid resources but there are massive resources in the membership - look back at the above posts - lets use this talent!

Let's be radical, lets be inventive, let's be bold in our thinking and ideas. There is an enormous untapped demographic waiting to be brought into orienteering by effective marketing of the sport.

This is not a criticism of BOF as organisations work by committees, rules and processes that are not readily amenable to embracing risk. It is most likely that what has to be done must be done outside the existing governance structure of the sport.

[Gnitworp]

Out of interest does anyone know what sponsorship from the past has brought in - i.e Youngers' sponsorship/involvement in WOC in 1976 (oh happy days), Peter Dominic and the ranking list sponsorship in the 80s, Fosters who I seem to recall sponsored a BNC at Bradgate Park in the late 70s? Think Rank Xerox and Guiness also played a sponsorsship part too at one stage?

Guiness sponsored BOC from 1966 to 1972 (and you got a free pint at the Finish!)
Batchelors Soups have also sponsored BNC
TSB also sponsored the Rankings and Robinsons Barley Waters sponsored something for a while (I forget what)

As to whether TV coverage is possible, WOC 1976 got a 20 minute slot on BBC Grandstand, and a primetime (Christmas) 1 hour documentary on the BBC.
The events also got long articles(before and after), many accompanied by large photographs, in virtually every national daily and Sunday newspaper, including the Mirror. All this was because of one man, Chris Brasher. Maybe if Mrs H was currently BBC Head of General Features, we'd stand a chance.

Within one year BOF membership had increased by 50%

[Big Jon]

I still cannot work out the reason as to orienteering not piggybacking on to the Olympic jamboree. Sprint event in Hyde Park? Orienteering events accompanying the torch relay?

Probably because any orienteering event attempting to "piggyback" onto anything to do with the Olympics (copyright, registered trade mark) would be hit by overzealous security thugs and then sued within an inch of its life! I'm surprised the Welsh 6-days hasn't been forced to change dates to avoid clashing with the great God of Olympics and thus potentially reduce the commercial income of some of the sponsors by a few pennies.

[SJC]

Why oh why does someone who has influence or power in BOF not harness the skills, knowledge, expertise and enthusiasm of those who want to do something about improving marketing of orienteering?

If people such as this are around then why do they need BOF to harness their skills. Are they not capable of doing so themselves ?

[brooner]

There are some mixed messages out there, but is TV Coverage on the BBC a possibility?

April 30: (Olympic focused, but nonetheless) BBC sports head admits minority sports unlikely to get airtime after Olympics

May 16: (near the bottom)

The BBC Trust has given guidance on how the sport rights budget should be spent telling the corporation to prioritise events that have the "greatest national resonance" and provide airtime for minority sports.

[andy]

There are some mixed messages out there, but is TV Coverage on the BBC a possibility?

It's certainly being investigated from a WOC perspective..