About / Premier Sports Group Who we are2014 is Premier Sports Group’s eighth year of operating a professional cycling team. Team SmartStop is a UCI Continental team competing in races throughout the North and South American continents. Current reigning US PRO Champion, leader of the UCI America’s Tour, and leader of the USA Cycling National Racing Calendar.
The Principals/ Premier Sports Group James R. Bennett is real estate developer and 1995 graduate from Wake Forest University. Passion for riding turned into an entrepreneurial endeavor in 2007 with the formation of the team. Currently is active in Storage related joint ventures in Canada and the U.S. His passion lies in directing the success of the team into a viable force on the world map of cycling. Patrick Raines is a Consulting Network Engineer at Cisco Systems. He has worked at Cisco for 17 years and prior to that was a professional cyclist. Pat started with the team as a rider and mentor.
Jon Watkin is a Quality and Customer Satisfaction Leader with Schneider Electric. He brings strong management and marketing experience through 14 years of cycling event organizing experience. Jon has managed the successful Accent Inns/Russ Hay’s Cycling Team since 2012 and, which captured the 2013 Canadian National Championship with Curtis Dearden.
Our Platform / Four Pillars of Success • ENGAGE: Engage cycling’s tech savvy & brand loyal audience - as the team adopts and promotes your products or services. Be seen as visible and active in the Community. • EMOTION: The unprecedented growth and popularity of cycling in Canada creates strong and lasting emotional connections with your brand. When we win, you win. • VALUE: Cycling’s reach comes at a fraction of the cost of comparative sports - providing Unmatched value. • CUSTOMIZE: As your brand partner we become an extension of your marketing team - continuously tailoring activations to your internal or external audience. What you need. When you want it.
Vision / Goal in Canada Team SmartStop started as a partnership among friends who wanted to bring under 23 aged riders to the Continents best races. Over the past nine years that Vision has evolved to constantly challenge our infrastructure and stretch our goals to succeed at the highest level events possible. We are an organization that wants to see what it is capable of, and making goals, and exceeding them to create new targets in the sport. We are looking for partners who want to be a part of this journey, stretching what is possible from an athletic and marketing platform.
Our Brand/Canadian Roots Premier Sports Group has had Canadian owners from the inception, and SmartStop, our title sponsor, is heavily vested with it’s business in Canada. Breaking down borders and being effective in all the North American markets is a natural progression to success for any marketing initiative. We would like to pioneer a cross border opportunity that differentiates us from other cycling organizations and allows our partners to participate in the full North American experience. Additionally, it allows us to stay true to our roots of providing opportunities at the highest level of the sport for the best athletes on the Continent.
Every year the world comes to watch the one sport that turns countries into stadiums.
The only sport in the world where your company becomes the name of the team.
U.S. Exposure / By The Numbers Amgen Tour of Californiases
USA Pro Challenge
Largest annual spectator sporting event in California
Over 1 million attendees
Attracts more than 2 million spectators annually
Combined 29 hours of race coverage on NBC and NBC SportsNetwork
More than 44 hours of race coverage on NBC, NBC Sports Network, and NBC Universal, including 14 hours of live coverage on NBC Sports Network (4 million total viewers)
Tour of Utah Fox Sports Network provided 18 hours of national programming including 12 hours of live coverage Attracts 300,00 attendees
Over 35,000 people in attendance on Flagstaff mountain stage
Canadian Reach / 2015 • Tour of Alberta: More than 30 hours of race coverage, 41 million international viewers. Attracts more than 204,000 total attendance annually Attendance 54% female, 46% male • White Spot/Delta Road Race • Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay • Tour de Beauce • Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec: Over 230,000 attendees Over 5 hours of race coverage • Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal: Over 230,000 attendees Over 5 hours of race coverage
Your Brand / Our Image • Brand Awareness: Global broadcast, Clothing branding, Vehicles/Merchandise / Apparel / Signage, Mass appeal/ gender neutral/ powerful following, Integrated Communications • Geographic Expansion: A truly Global sport, comprehensive calendar, UCI focus on expansion Canada, Asia, South America, Europe, Activate markets to suit your objectives • Engagement/Image: Expertise Media Management, Mass media interest, Video production/ content development, Continual content 10+ months a year, Strong Social Media following, Database access / electronic communications, Enthusiast/ Fan/Member/Community events
Your Brand / Our Image • Culture/Staff: Promotional Merchandise & performance, incentives - kits / bikes / apparel, Staff Memberships, Staff Discounts, Cycle Friendly Workplace Program, Workplace events / motivational speaking, Joint partner benefits • Stakeholder Engagement: Money Can’t Buy & Inner Sanctum Opportunities, Hospitality, Valuable Memorabilia , Training Facility access, Commercial partner introductions/ networking • Corp/Social Responsibility: Mutual ambition to “Give Back”, Talent access /Ambassadors, Profile for Leverage, Diversity Programs, Women’s Team, Health and Lifestyle Programs, Cycling Safety Programs, Improving cycling infrastructure
Be Heard / Be Seen After 6 years of sponsorships, 72% of French people knew AG2R La Mondiale; before investing in cycling it was 2% Sponsorship of professional cycling is 15 times cheaper than Formula 1 and 30 times cheaper than professional soccer.
Reaching across national lines
812 Broadcast Hours in US / 39.12 Million Cumulative Audience in US
491 Broadcast Hours in Canada / 2 Million Cumulative Audience in Canada
Demographics / Canadian Cyclists Vs US Cyclists Pleasure travellers participating in the Travel Activities and Motivations Survey (TAMS) who had been to British Columbia in the past two years:
The majority of Canadian and US cycling travellers had household incomes over $60,000 (64% and 71% participated, respectively and 63% and 69% motivated, respectively).
More males than females participated in cycling activities; this difference was greater for travellers who were motivated by cycling. The gender split is also more pronounced for visitors from the US than from Canada (for instance, 63% of participating travellers from the US are male, compared to 55% from Canada).
Education levels for Canadian and US cycling travellers were similar, with most travellers having completed post-secondary education (66% and 69% participated, respectively and 64% and 65% motivated, respectively).
Canadian cycling travellers were younger overall than US cycling travellers. The largest group of Canadians were aged 18-34 (40%), while the largest group of Americans were aged 45-54 (30%) for participating travellers. A larger proportion of US cycling travellers were 65 years of age or older as compared to Canadian cycling travellers (7% participated and 10% motivated, compared to 3% and 3% respectively).
Bicycling is a powerful and influential force in our economy and culture. Nearly 40% (Approximately 64.3 million) of adults in the U.S. ride bicycles.
Corporate Engagement Hospitality, VIP Treatment Unparalled access to the sport that cannot be purchased. Become totally immersed in the sport. Cycling has replaced golf as the new venue for closing business deals because of the uniqueness of the experience.
Sponsor Benefits Connection Points: TV, Print, PR, Digital Media, Mobile, Merchandising, Retail, Social Media, Grass Roots, Event Managment, Hospitality, Radio
Opportunity to partner with co-sponsors and suppliers Create company pride through employee engagment with the team. You are in good company: The culture of Premier Sports Group and our marketing reach has attracted top brands from around the world. (SmartStop Self Storage, BMW North America, Champion Systems, Wilier, et. al.) International Roster: United States, Canada, Mexico, Slovenia
Title Sponsorship / Team First Name Complete access to events and hospitality Global media rights to riders and team 360 degree branding
Price: $950,000 Price with Co-Title: $650,000
Co Title Sponsorship / Team Second Name (Example: SmartStop Company Name) Complete access to events and hospitality Global media rights to riders and team
Price: $300,000
Presenting Sponsor / Premium Representation Prominent Team Branding Complete access to events and hospitality Global media rights to riders and team
Price: $100,000
Additional Branding
Our History Team SmartStop 2014 - Road Race focused program, current leaders of the UCI America’s Tour, leader of the USA Cycling NRC, reigning US PRO Road race champion, participation in Tour of Utah, Pro Tour Challenge, and Tour of Alberta, 42 podium finishes. Team SmartStop p/b Mountain Khakis 2013 - Transition to stage race focused program, Tour of Alberta Team Mountain Khakis p/b SmartStop 2012 - Criterium focused program, USA CRITS Individual and team champions Team Mountain Khakis 2011 - Criterium focused program USA CRITS Individual and team champions Team Mountain Khakis Fueled by Jittery Joe’s 2010 - Criterium focused program, USA CRITS Individual and team champions Team Mountain Khakis 2009 - Criterium focused program, USA CRITS team champions Time Pro Cycling 2008 - Development focused team Time Factory Development Team 2007 - U23 Development program, 3 National Championship medals
Deep Roots / Canadian Firsts • First National Champion - Egidio Bolzon • First Canadian in Tour - Steve Bauer • First Yellow Jersey wearer - Alex Stieda • First Canadian Continental Team - Symmetrics • First Canadian Pro Continental Team - Team Spider Tech • First Canadian Team in a Grand Tour - Premier Sports Group
Road Map of Success
2014 Goals: Win a Stage of the NRC Lead an NRC Stage Race Win a Climbing and Sprinting Jersey at a UCI Race Get invitations to UCI 2.1 and HC events Top 3 in the UCI Americas Tour Overall
2015 Goals: Win a UCI Race Win a UCI Stage Race Win a National Championship Register as a UCI Pro Continental Team in Canada
Global Reach / Schedule January: Santos Tour Down Under: +/- 760,000 spectators, 284 hours tv coverage Tour de San Luis
July: White Spot/Delta Road Race Cascade Cycling Classic
February: Vuelta Independencia
August: Tour of Utah USA Pro Challenge Tour of Alberta
March: Vuelta Mexico April: Redlands Bicycle Classic Winston Salem Cycling Classic Joe Martin Stage Race May: Tour of the Gila Tour of Califorina: Largest spectator sporting event in California 2 Billion impressions US Professional National Championships June: Philladelphia Cycling Classic Grand Prix Cycliste de Saguenay Tour de Beauce Canadian Professional National Championships
September: Bucks County Classic Tour of Britain Team Time Trial World Championships October: Grand Prix Cycliste de Quebec Grand Prix Cycliste de Montreal