I have now had a chat with Joanna at Virgin. SR received the letter, and being a sailor liked the idea. He passed it through to the flying club department asking them to try to find a way to make it happen. This is when Joanna picked it up (Because her boss gets seasick).
She has checked their staff incentives and 'other' marketing budgets and there is not much money spare. However she does not yet know the costing, and I suspect the small size of the numbers will surprise her. She then came up with the idea of tying it in with the activities associated with their 'charity of 2007'. This would give budget to stage the event, but we would need to find a way of making money out of it.
Joanna has had the idea that each of the crew members would be sponsored. There are about 14 crew on each boat. So that is 28 people all in all. If each could commit to raising £x then I think if the funds were shared between VS's and Clipper's charities we could get the boats cost free.
I have committed to sending her the numbers, which I will do today. I have flagged that at the moment they are indicative.
I also committed to very confidentially asking for ideas here. I cannot emphasis the confidentiality enough. So this is a request for brain storming of money raising ideas. Some rules - no idea is too stupid, please come up with anything at all that comes to mind. Even if it is obviously not going to help it may prompt another idea in someone else's mind. So let rip!
A few to start the ball rolling:
Sell branding on the side of the boat - VS suppliers may well be keen to pay in order to stay in VS's good books.
Auction (ebay/to FC members) 2 places, 1 on each boat.
Sell tickets for a corp entertainment package to watch the racing on one of Phils boats (Making assumptions here phil - sorry!)
Sell the prize giving rights (Lots of cost in this one too, paying for a party, organising the party, etc [n])
Have the racing just off cowes and hire the Royal Yacht Squadron Lawn (very swanky) for a paid ticket event.
Sell autographed crew photos/shirts (SRB and Sir Robin Knox Johnston to autograph / and be in photos)
She has checked their staff incentives and 'other' marketing budgets and there is not much money spare. However she does not yet know the costing, and I suspect the small size of the numbers will surprise her. She then came up with the idea of tying it in with the activities associated with their 'charity of 2007'. This would give budget to stage the event, but we would need to find a way of making money out of it.
Joanna has had the idea that each of the crew members would be sponsored. There are about 14 crew on each boat. So that is 28 people all in all. If each could commit to raising £x then I think if the funds were shared between VS's and Clipper's charities we could get the boats cost free.
I have committed to sending her the numbers, which I will do today. I have flagged that at the moment they are indicative.
I also committed to very confidentially asking for ideas here. I cannot emphasis the confidentiality enough. So this is a request for brain storming of money raising ideas. Some rules - no idea is too stupid, please come up with anything at all that comes to mind. Even if it is obviously not going to help it may prompt another idea in someone else's mind. So let rip!
A few to start the ball rolling:
Sell branding on the side of the boat - VS suppliers may well be keen to pay in order to stay in VS's good books.
Auction (ebay/to FC members) 2 places, 1 on each boat.
Sell tickets for a corp entertainment package to watch the racing on one of Phils boats (Making assumptions here phil - sorry!)
Sell the prize giving rights (Lots of cost in this one too, paying for a party, organising the party, etc [n])
Have the racing just off cowes and hire the Royal Yacht Squadron Lawn (very swanky) for a paid ticket event.
Sell autographed crew photos/shirts (SRB and Sir Robin Knox Johnston to autograph / and be in photos)