Sports Event Business Plan [Sample Template]

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Do you want to start a sports event company and need to write a plan? If YES, here is a sample sports event business plan template & FREE feasibility report.

Starting up any business can be brutal in this socioeconomic climate and to be successful you have to accept the reality of hard work, long days (and nights), and a whole lot of networking. In this business, experience in the sports industry can be extremely useful, though it is not essential.

During your career you will have gained some transferrable skills that you can apply to your event planning career. Remember to leverage your own personal experience when deciding what type of events you are going to specialize in. For example, if your background is corporate, then this is a great place to start, rather that organizing sporting events.

Also, in this industry, it is never about what you know but who you know. Although what you know is important, sometimes who you know carries a lot of weight too, and in the world of event planning knowing the right people is a priceless key.

Knowing your audience and your competition is crucial to finding your niche and in deciding how and where to promote your services. Once you have determined your target market and completed your competitor research, it is important that you think about what type of services you are going to offer your clients.

Are you going to offer full event planning services including event registration, venue hire, catering services, event promotion, etc or are you going to specialize in one or two areas?

It is critical that you consider the costs involved. The administrative costs and time constraints of paper based event registration for example can be a burden on a start-up as can event marketing and promotion which require special expertise.

A Sample Sports Event Business Plan Template

1. Industry Overview

The united kingdom boasts of an unrivalled experience and expertise in sports economy, with its companies leading the way both at home and overseas. UK companies have a reputation for creative and ingenious solutions that respect tradition and leave a sporting and cultural legacy.

The UK has experience that is second to none, enhanced further by being involved in over seventy major sporting events since London 2012, as well as many events overseas.

From stadium design to communications, the UK has a proven expertise and reputation in every aspect of sports development and staging a major sporting event. Supported by a world-leading infrastructure, football’s global appeal showcases a compelling spectacle of talent and passion, and the UK’s globally-renowned offer of football expertise.

According to reports, millennial are behind a soaring growth in attendance at UK sporting events. Ticket-buyers aged 16-24 have increased proportionally from 15% to 23% in the six years since London hosted the Olympic and Paralympic Games – a period during which UK sport attendance has grown an average 2.8% year-on-year.

In 2018, total attendances at live sports events in the UK hit 74.6 million, with revenues from ticket and hospitality sales contributing £1.9 billion to the economy. It represents an increase of 11.5 million attendances in 2018, compared to 2012, with the UK leisure economy growing 17% over the same period.

Although football continues to lead the way with a cumulative total attendance of 49.8m, American football, basketball, ice hockey, MMA and netball have experienced the biggest average year-on-year attendance growth since 2012. Despite economic pressures, experts predict that the live sports events market will continue to grow into the next decade, with the agency’s AI-powered modelling tools showing that attendances will exceed 77m in 2019.

2. Executive Summary

Premium professional events in the world’s capital require a spectrum of services for success. We at Sunshine Sport Events (SSE) rise to the challenge, offering full turnkey solutions that are approved by the most prominent bodies in sport administration.

Event logistics and production underpin the solidity of our offer, enabling us to procure sponsorship deals that contribute to our marketing strategy. In turn, we pursue growth in revenue through creative ticket sale tactics that balance pricing and the social experience of live events. Sunshine Sport Events (SSE) ensures that events help clients reach their sales, sponsorship and media objectives.

We will own, organize and produce a prestigious programme of top-tier events throughout the London. We are on the London’s playing fields throughout the year. Our ambition is simple – to create enjoyable experiences for fans and athletes that offer additional sources of revenue for our clients.

Through partnerships with tour operators, we maximize ticket sales and drive event visitation from international markets, helping governing bodies, municipalities and governments to achieve their goals. Corporate hospitality packages are also integral to our marketing mix. We offer services in PR and promotion to round out our offer and ensure exposure, awareness and event success.

Sunshine Sport Events is an equal opportunity business making its expertise and its services available to help its clients plan their own sport events. We make hosting a sport event easy, from plans and marketing, right down to the refreshments. Our event planning software brings interactive event planning as close as their personal computer. Through these and other affordable services, we aim to be the number one resource for any sport event in London.

London, being an ever changing, fast-paced city, success is determined by good choices. Communication is essential. SSE strives to be the best choice for clients in and coming to London by helping to ease their event planning burden. Through consistent, predictable professionalism, we will ensure a worry and hassle-free event at a reasonable rate.

Although, not all our clients will be internal. SSE has external clients to serve. We will always strive to provide the same predictable and professional working atmosphere for our employees and contracted workers, justly compensating them for their hard work and services.

It is also a priority to make a comfortable living wage for our owners, full-time staff, and their families. Staying in line with the needs of the market, utilizing the latest technology and trends, all the while ensuring the client receives the individual attention they deserve, is the vision and daily mission of Sunshine Sport Events.

3. Our Products and Services

Sunshine Sport Events is a sport event management company in London, England that will offer its clients and members the following services:

Conception and Planning

We work with clients to turn ideas into events. Our teams create notary concepts to produce one-of-a-kind moments for athletes, brands and businesses. These ideas are then put into action with tight planning, organisation and stakeholder relations. Whether in the heart of a vibrant city or smaller venues, we can provide integrated solutions for events.

Event Logistics and Production

We know that high calibre sports events demand well thought-out logistics and production management processes. To keep our clients’ events running smoothly, our specialists secure and manage fields of play, handling set up to take down to ensure seamless execution on the big day.

Marketing, Ticket Sales and Corporate Hospitality

Marketing plays a key role in the success of an event. Through creating integrated marketing and media campaigns, we will align with clients to promote events to a wide range of audiences, helping businesses and events reach maximum brand awareness.

With a strong track record of combining sport and business we are also able to deliver valuable, corporate hospitality programmes at our events. Furthermore we manage all aspects of ticketing from fan engagement to sales, to help businesses strengthen customer relationships.

Media Production and Distribution

With our experience, specialist knowledge and strong track record of working with broadcast partners in the national and international markets, we will ensure high-quality coverage with an extensive reach for events. Constantly in correspondence with our media partners, we will perpetually strengthen and build our network of contacts.

PR and Promotion

With expert knowledge in sport marketing we utilise our client’s campaigns and projects to present brands, products and messages on target.

Event Sponsorship, Procurement and Execution

To get the most out of their event investments, brands and companies need long-term partners who can effectively guide them through the event sponsorship process. We are a trusted expert, providing sponsors with original activation ideas. To strengthen the activation process, we work on direct marketing and sales opportunities with clear communication to reach target audiences.

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

Our vision at Sunshine Sport Events is to build a highly competitive sport event management company that will become the number one choice for sport related event management in London.
Our mission at Sunshine Sport Events is to provide our clients with comprehensive services and portfolios so that they can reach their sales, sponsorship and media objectives.

Our Business Structure

Our aim at Sunshine Sport Events is to provide the best platform, staff, and equipment to fully meet the various sporting event needs of our clients, while generating profits for the owners and investors. Our sport event management company will be well organized and managed in a creative and innovative way to generate very high levels of customer satisfaction, and to build a friendly conducive climate appreciated in this modern age.

In the near future, we plan to offer an employee benefit package which will include health and vacation benefits for everyone working for us. Everyone but the receptionist will be contract staff, and will be paid a sliding commission based on the amount of revenue created. Our business structure is as follows;

Head of Business
Company Administrator
Sport Event Manager
Marketing Manager
Partnership Manager
Client Service Executive/Front Desk Officer
Cleaners
Security Officers

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Head of Business

In charge of providing direction for the company
Creates, communicates, and implements the company’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall company’s strategy.
In charge of handling high profile clients and deals
In charge of fixing fees and signing business deals (partnership)
In charge of signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
Evaluates the success of any sporting event
Reports to the board of the company

Company Administrator

In charge of overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the sporting company
Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders; evaluating new products.
Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs.
Defines job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
Carries out induction for new team members
In charge of training, evaluation and assessment of employees
In charge of arranging travel, meetings and appointments
Oversees the smooth running of the daily activities of the event company

Sport Event Manager

Responsible for setting up an organizing committee for sports events
Takes care of ticket sales and marketing by making sure that they are readily available
With the help of the organizing committee makes arrangement for guests’ accommodation and transportation
Provides or sets up adequate security for the entire process of an event
Creates or establishes emergency contingency plans for events
Inspects the entire sporting facility so as to make sure that they are all up to standard
Delegates different tasks to different members of the organizing committee so as to ensure that everything runs smoothly.

Marketing Manager

Advertise upcoming sporting events.
Secure sponsors for sports teams and specific events.
Ensure that sponsors’ logos are printed on kits, banners, and posters at the event.
Establish athletes as brand ambassadors for popular, relevant brands.
Research marketing trends and innovations.
Use analytics to gauge the success of campaigns.
Build and maintain positive relationships with brand representatives.

Partnership Manager

Leading the sponsorships strategy
Set up + manage critical paths for events and brand activation
Liaising and working the product teams around licensing + event timelines
Development of mix marketing strategy associated with the events
Stakeholder + partners relationships
Creative Design vision – pop ups, POS, product placement
Review + measure success of events + partnerships growth

Client Service Executive

Welcomes clients by greeting them in person or on the telephone; answering or directing inquiries.
Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In centre, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
Through interaction with clients on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s services
Manages administrative duties assigned by the manager in an effective and timely manner
Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the company’s services, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to clients
Receives parcels/documents for the event
Distribute mails in the event

Cleaners

In charge of cleaning the floors at all times
Ensures that toiletries and supplies don’t run out of stock
Handles any other duty as assigned by the company administrator

Security Officers

Ensures that the facility is secured at all time
Controls traffic and organize parking
Gives security tips to staff members from time to time
Patrols around the event on a 24 hours basis
Submits security reports weekly
Any other duty as assigned by the company administrator.

6. SWOT Analysis

London boasts of a diverse array of athletics stretching from football to tennis which have put the city in the spotlight. London’s most popular sport is football and it has five clubs in the English Premier League as of the 2019–20 seasons:

Arsenal, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Tottenham Hotspur, and West Ham United. Apart from providing an excellent value to our customers, we are determined to establish an unmatched event hosting platform that will add to the enjoyment of every sports lover in London.

We also understand that we cannot do all these if we know nothing about our industry and our chances of survival. To find out these facts, we hired the services of well known professional in the area of business consulting and promotion with solid experience in the sports sector to help us in establishing a standard and competitive sport event management business.

They had to work with the management of our company in conducting our SWOT analysis. Outlined below is a summary from the result of the SWOT analysis that was conducted for us at Sunshine Sport Events.

Strength

We at SSE must establish our company as a distinguished name in London Sports Arena and creatively market our services to each of our market segments. Our SWOT analysis noted that by establishing an impeccable “exciting” atmosphere in our events through the use of first class equipment and targeting marketing strategies, elegant and comfortable process, colours and decoration, clients will frequently want our services and recommend it to others.

It also stated that by providing our clients with skilled and qualified staff to work with, they will feel comfortable and confident that we at Sunshine Sport Events can meet all of their sport event needs.

Weakness

According to our SWOT Analysis, it might take some time for our sport event management to break into the London market and gain acceptance via reputation in the already saturated sport industry. This it is believed is our major weakness at Sunshine Sport Events.

Opportunities

Threat

Our SWOT Analysis at Sunshine Sport Events noted that some of the threats we will be facing as a sport event management company will include unfavourable government policies that might affect the event planning documentation and system, the appearance of a competitor within our location of operation and global economic downturn which usually affects spending/purchasing power. We have made plans to curtail all possible challenges and threats.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

Market Trend

Sports events across the globe are undergoing transformations in the way they are organised, managed, broadcasted and consumed by audiences. These changes are heavily influenced by technology, which is affecting many functions, including ticketing, security, sustainability, workforce training and fan engagement.

The number one issue confronting organisers of major sports event is security. With threats to events becoming ever more sophisticated, experts expect organisers to step up their global collaboration and sharing of knowledge to combat these dangers.

New technology will include location-based social media monitoring for keywords, which will help security staff identify threats before they happen, via real-time alerts. Another measure to boost event security is anti-drone technology, which is being introduced to combat the threat posed by unmanned aerial vehicles.

Sustainability is also becoming a huge issue around major sports events, especially after strong criticism of the damaging environmental legacy left by the Olympic Games in Rio years back. The IOC’s Agenda 2022 reforms have sought to address the problem by stating that sustainability be integrated into all aspects of planning for Games.

Tokyo 2022 organisers have responded with a blueprint which sets out water, greenery and biodiversity-related targets to mitigate the impacts on water, atmospheric environment, soil and the ecosystem. Strategic placing of water and greenery will combat the damaging effects of the Urban Heat Island phenomenon (UHI), which sees higher temperatures in densely-packed cities.

Admittedly, a seat isn’t enough for millennial spectators; they now hanker for a mix of physical and digital experiences when attending live sport events.

So in coming years more and more stadia will be supplying fast and reliable Wi-Fi that meets that demand, while club apps will give fans information on free parking spaces, traffic, finding their seat and, most excitingly, show instant high-definition replays from multiple angles on their mobile phone screens.

Also, Mobile POS (Point of Service) systems will enable fans to buy food, drink or merchandise online and have it brought to them wherever they are in the stadium, eliminating queues and increasing sales. Volunteers are also an important resource at major sports events and their recruitment is set to move on to the next level following a Sport England study entitled ‘Motivations for Sport Volunteers in England’.

This revealed that the sense of euphoria, camaraderie and once-in-a-lifetime ‘buzz’ generated by volunteering at events is the most attractive element, as it often leads to repeat volunteering. London’s Speed Volunteering app is removing the traditional barriers to volunteering by matching willing workers with appropriate events and charities.

This type of volunteer skill-matching portal points the way forward for planners and recruiters at sports events of the future. Technology is set to play a key role in event ticketing as well, with organisers looking to technological advances to keep one step ahead of counterfeiters and touts.

The rise of smartphone usage and mobile ticketing in the transport industry is leading to sport adopting digital ticketing, since it enables fans to buy tickets through apps (as well as food, drink and merchandise in stadiums).

8. Our Target Market

Our target markets are sports teams, sports agencies, middle to upper-middle class families, couples, individuals, or other private and public organizations. We chose these groups because they are most able to afford event planners, host a sport event as a branding strategy, and have the least amount of time to spare for event planning in general.

Families demand attention, employees are overburdened, and overwhelming detail needed to plan large events are too large a constraint to place on people not versed in the area of event planning. The fast pace of the world we live in leaves little time for extra things we would like to do, like plan events, outings , and social get-togethers.

We at Sunshine Sport Events plan to only make ourselves available to take on the burden of planning sports related events so that people can spend time on more crucial things, like family and friends. The demand for this service can only increase considering the growing interest in sports, the rise in incomes, population, and need for interpersonal relations in the workplace.

Our Competitive Advantage

Being a sport event management company in London, we at Sunshine Sport Events believe our company has a very large potential market. Due to the uniqueness of our services throughout London, we strongly believe we can become the main sport event planner quickly.

We plan to accomplish this actively and continuously promote our company and events through media as well as hosting and supporting various community events. We also believe our competitive advantage at Sunshine Sport Events is in three segments. First, our company is the only sport event management that offers our kind of planning services that will be available for our clients in the city.

The second segment of our competitive advantage is our business location, size, and appearance of the facility that will attract many people. We at Sunshine Sport Events strongly believe that by maintaining our focus in our strategy, marketing, program development and fulfilment, our event company will be known as the top sport planners in London.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

Sources of Income

Sunshine Sport Events is a company developed with the aim of generating substantial incomes from planning, organising and putting together sport events and we plan to do these by leveraging all available opportunities in the industry and within the proximity of the law in the United Kingdom.

We plan to sustain our business and make profits by charging a fee for each service we provide. We will strive to sustain relationship with organizations that require our services regularly to ensure a steady flow of income.

10. Sales Forecast

At Sunshine Sport Events, we assume that by the end of our first year, we must have planned at least 6 sport events that require our wide array of services. We also expect an enviable growth rate for several years, and up to 32 steady clientele bases. That will be the maximum number of clients that can be accommodated by this company. Further expansion of workforce and capacity shall be considered in future. We project that we will be able to generate sufficient capital from operation to meet our initial needs. However, our projections are based upon present real market conditions and data. Should revenue generated not meet projections, adjustments will be made in ordering and long-term commitments decreased or postponed. Below is our sales forecast at Sunshine Sport Events;

First Year: $345,000
Second Year: $1,193,990
Third Year: $2,310,034

Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

Note that our Sales (commission and equipment) at Sunshine Sport Events will be based on the services and amenities provided by our company. We plan to ensure that all the users of our services must feel they are getting the best possible value for their money. If there is a better value, for equal services, we at Sunshine Sport Events will strive to match or beat that value for customers.

We also plan to ensure that any person desiring our services will get an extensive break down of our products and options. During this brief discussion, the person will be also informed of all of the processes, past event and expertise we have to offer. We plan to build our marketing plan around the following;

Focus on service and support.
Establish a relationship business.

Focus on golf equipment as the key target market.

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

At Sunshine Sport Events, we totally know the benefits of a good publicity, which is why even though we have no specific marketing plan, we hope to leverage a lot of strategies to boost our business through publicity. At Sunshine Sport Events, we are very ready to become the number one choice when it comes to sport related events.

Social media is a great way of networking. LinkedIn is a superb example, join appropriate groups and participate in discussions. Attending seminars, exhibitions, and trade shows are also great ways of expanding your contacts and network.

That is why Sunshine Sport Events has made provisions for effective and direct publicity and advertisement of our golf sporting Event. Outlined below are the platforms we hope to leverage on to promoting Sunshine Sport Events;

Place adverts on both print (community based newspapers and magazines) and electronic media platforms
Sponsor relevant community based events / programs
Establish relationships with sports clubs throughout London
Develop ongoing relationships with sports agencies that will refer their clients to the Company on an ongoing basis.
Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook , twitter, YouTube, Google + et al to promote our brand
Install our Billboards in strategic locations all around London
Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas in and around London
Passing general information via our company’s social media handles like twitter, Facebook, Google hangouts etc.
Ensure that all our staff members wear our branded shirts and all our vehicles are well branded with our company’s’ logo et al.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

At Sunshine Sport Events, we clearly understand that event planners charge clients a fee for each service they render. Our plan at Sunshine Sport Events is to keep our fees below the average market rate for all of our clients by keeping our overhead low and by collecting payment in advance.

We also hope to give out special discounted rates to all our clients at regular intervals. We also understand that there are some of our prospective clients that would need special assistance, we will offer flat rate for such services that will be tailored to take care of such needs for the client.

Our Payment Options

We at Sunshine Sport Events plan to establish different payment options that will suit our different clients at any given time and place. We have also made plans and partnered with a well known banking platform in London in other to offer these diverse services. Here are the payment options that we will make available to our clients;

Payment by via bank transfer
Payment via online bank transfer
Payment via check
Payment via bank draft
Payment via mobile money
Payment with cash

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

Sunshine Sport Events will be a medium sized sport event management company that will provide a comfortable location for our clients to learn and practice.

We plan to spend our start-up costs on mostly equipment purchase, main building (which will be a wooden pre-fabricated building of good quality), office equipment, stationery, legal costs, advertising, land rent and expenses associated with opening our first office. Below is a detailed cost analysis of starting Sunshine Sport Events;

Business incorporating fees in the united states of America will cost – $750.
The budget for Liability insurance, permits and license will cost – $33,500
Acquiring a large building and (Re – Construction of the facility inclusive) will cost – $300,000
Equipping the office (computers, printers, projectors, markers, pens and pencils, furniture, telephones, filing cabinets, and electronics) will cost – $50,000
Launching an official Website will cost – $500
The budget for the payment of salaries for the first three months of operations: $120,000
Additional Expenditure such as Business cards, Signage, Adverts and Promotions will cost – $50,000

From our detailed analysis above, we have come to the conclusion that we will need approximately $700,000 to start up Sunshine Sport Events.

Generating Funding/Start-up Capital for Sunshine Sport Events

Sunshine Sport Events will be a Limited Liability Corporation financed by direct owner investment. Alfred Simpson and Desmond Curtis will own 50% of the company each. Through careful planning on the part of the founders, the start up costs for Sunshine Sport Events is minimal.

The start-up cost and investment funds will be assets saved from prior earnings by the owners who did event planning on a part-time basis before establishing themselves as a business. It is the wish of the founders to remain a debt-free establishment. However, recognizing that in reality not all variables are controllable, outside financing is a viable option. Both founders own homes and have a perfect credit rating.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

At Sunshine Sport Events, our major goal is to be a profitable business starting from the very first month of our opening. Due to our elegance, approach to planning and vast expertise, we believe clients will be attracted to our company to see what we have to offer.

But, we do not plan to wait for clients to come to us first. Instead, we plan to focus our marketing strategies on those target audience that match our offerings. Note that our main objective with our early marketing strategy will be to get people and convince people that we can bring the best sporting events to London.

We believe that once people see what we have to offer, and feel the atmosphere that will be created, they will want to return and leverage the many services and programs we provide at Sunshine Sport Events. Some of the ways we plan to get people into our event include:

Giving specialized tours and lessons to junior and senior students on the over 20 stadiums in London
Hosting and/or supporting various community events that will attract many people who otherwise would not come.
Mailing our free day passes to managers of sport clubs
Offering special discounts for annual subscriptions.
Hosting a big promotional event to open the event that will be free to everyone.

Checklist/Milestone

Business Name Availability Check: Completed
Business Incorporation: Completed
Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
Application for business license and permit: Completed
Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
Conducting feasibility studies: Completed
Leasing, renovating and equipping our facility: Completed
Generating part of the startup capital from the founder: Completed
Applications for Loan from our Bankers: In Progress
Writing of Business Plan: Completed
Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
Drafting of Contract Documents: In Progress
Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
Printing of Promotional Materials: Completed
Recruitment of employees: In Progress
Purchase of software applications, furniture, office equipment, electronic appliances and facility facelift: In progress
Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
Creating Awareness for the business (Business PR): In Progress
Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement: In Progress
Establishing business relationship with banks, financial lending institutions, vendors and key players in the industry: In Progress