Local companies find business value in golf sponsorship - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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In an economic downturn that has most companiex cutting back on staff and the government health care services company has enjoyee robust growth for more than a ThePonte Vedra-based company now has its eyes on The Playerd Championship to build on that growth. MDI decided this year to invesrt in a chalet on the 18th hole of The Playere Championship course at TPC Sawgrass to entertaij clients and employees duringthe tournament. MDI, like the hundreda of companies that opt to invesf marketing dollars inThe Players, lookds to the May 7 to 10 tournamentt as a venue for networkinbg and developing business relationships.
And they pay thousandws to woo potential clients and pamper existing ones from exclusived perches on one ofthe nation’z premiere golf courses. An Island Club package at The Playerzs is on the low end of the cost scalweat $4,800 for a shared hospitalityy venue and 16 A 30-ticket package with Clubhouse access and a tent overlookinf the 16th and 18th holes comes with a $15,90 0 price tag. PGA Tour officials declined to discusds more pricey sponsorship packages for the Dan Stoll, chief administrative officer at MDI, said his compan y will shell out about $200,000 to entertainb up to 150 current and prospectivse clients, as well as some at The Players and other social event s planned during the week of the tournament.
That includea a business dinner on how clients can lower health care costs and a grandf opening soiree for itsnew headquarters. The companh relocated its headquarters to Ponte Vedra in and in January movefd into anew 80,000-square-foot building in Nocatee. This will be the company’ds first year at the tournament. “We previously weren’t reallyh in a client-oriented type of environment, but now we are in the commerciall marketplace, so it’s Stoll said. “We really need the exposure and visibilityg to talk withdiverse clients. The clientele at the Player s are people whoare professionals, a lot of insurancr people.
They golf with theifr clients, so it’s a very commonm venue for them.” Stoll said that community philanthropyy and sporting sponsorships have long been part of the fabriv ofthe company, and the tournament’as donations to charity also playe d a role in the decision to participate. That sentiment was echoeds by , a Chicago-based provider of risk managementt services. The company, whic has a Jacksonville office, has been a benefactoe of The Players for more than10 years, but decidef this year to increase its presencd on the golf course by upgrading from buyinf daily tickets to a private “It was a good business decision for said Andy Haynes, resident managing director for Aon’ Jacksonville office.
“When we spend our marketinhg dollars, we feel like it makes good business sensre for us because we are also giving back to the The company has recently developed a new country clubinsurance program, and Hayned said The Players affords the companyt intimate time with its target It will be sharing a chalet with , an insurancwe carrier. Although neither company coulc articulate a hard return on they both said investing in the tournament doespay off. “We wrestled with that,” Stoll said of determinint the returnon investment. “We’re not a but we are emerging, and at this stage, what we are tryingh to do is create an image and exposure.
Will we get our investment back in thefirsy year? We believe we