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These are certainly tough economic times for the country and our sport of darts. We’ve been through similar economic downturn before and have always emerged as strong if not stronger than before.
The enormous economic downturn and its effects have caused sponsors to temporarily pull back in all areas of American sports. And the ADA is no exception. Rather than go with half-measures and stage a competition that would pale in comparison to past Regionals (see Adam Ember’s report on the 2008 Midwest Regional), we are forced to cancel the 2009 Regionals.
Some might wonder why sponsors are all that necessary. This is a fair question and requires a fair answer. What sponsorship money does is pay the costs of staging these four-day Regional events. Trucking in the machines/standards, renting equipment, trophies, printing, postage, paying for staff and all the things required to smoothly manage these events. Done correctly this leaves your entry fees as the cash prizes.
The ADA Executive Office has always taken very seriously the responsibility of organizing and staging professionally managed regional and national championships. Sponsors have recognized the value of the ADA’s management and high attendance record. The ADA has a long history of delivering value to its sponsors. That history and the ADA commitment will remain unchanged. Our sponsors know that.
In 2007 sponsorship reached 750 billion dollars in the American sports industry. It will be less in 2008 and even lesser in 2009. An important thing to remember about sports sponsorship is that it is subject to the short term fiscal concerns of the sponsors. So is the ADA Regional Championship an isolated case? Unfortunately no. There are many other circumstances and they continue to grow. Several recent examples; the cancelation of the Arena Football League, dozens of sponsorship losses at NASCAR, the Houston Comets leaving the WNBA and Tiger Woods losing his 1.7 million dollar sponsor from Buick.
So the ADA is caught up with this too. We can’t forget that over the past 17 years sponsors have worked with us to achieve our many goals. In return ADA members continued to support them and their products. As the economy grew it remained a great relationship.
So now as we all struggle through these tough times, we look forward to our sponsors returning in 2010. Looking forward to next year the American Dart League dates are already scheduled, the 2009 National Championship is moving to St. Louis and we look forward to bringing the 124 Pros together for the third Pro Darters Championship.
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