ACCCT2
11-11-2009, 10:44 AM
OK...
I've finally decided to "come down from the mountain" and am letting everyone here on IHC know that we now have 3 international inline hockey events fully set for the coming 24 months. A brief precis of what is presently being finalized and planned for with all of these events:
There will be one event each in North America, Europe and Asia. All 3 are in amazing "vacation" destinations (during "vacation" times of the year).
All 3 will feature 64 team draws (16 teams max from 4 regions: USA, Canada, Europe & "The Rest" so as to insure full and fair global participation).
All 3 will feature over $400,000 USD in "purse/prize-money" for each event ($200,000 1st; $100,000 2nd; $50,000 3rd; $25,000 4th; $10,000 "MVP"; $5,000 each for being "Best" in/as "Goals", "Assists", "Points", "Defenseman", "Goalie" & "Captain").
All 3 will feature an entry fee per team of $2,500 USD per team and ALL teams will be required to book travel and accommodations ("event travel packages") through each of the events' respective "event travel partners" ("event travel packages" will include all international "gateway" airfares, hotel accommodations and all airport/hotel/game transfers, as well as all event parties, special events and diplomatic receptions). The "event travel packages" will feature special discounted "zone-fare" pricing that makes the entire team/player/fan registration, booking and confirmation process an easy, affordable and care-free "one-stop-shopping" experience. The "event travel packages" will be available ONLY on the event websites (due for May 1, 2010 'roll-out' -- stay tuned to IHC for more "ads" and more on all of this).
We are also currently working on a 4th "Super-event" that will be held in Europe, though some key final details are still being worked out. We're presently talking about offering an additional $100,000 "bonus" for any team that would win either the "Trifecta" (for all 3) or $200,000 for the "Grand Slam" (for all 4) of these events -- either all in the "same calendar year" or all consecutively "in a row" (we're still discussing the "plus/minus" issues of this particular "same/row" part of the "bonus" scenarios).
The most interesting aspect of all of these events is that a very unique interpretation and application of "Co-ed Rules" will apply to all 3 events. While each team can choose whether or not to roster women (or men?), should a woman score a goal at any point in any game, that "goal" will be scored as 3 points on the scoreboard. We believe that this will encourage teams to roster women (almost like basketball's "3-point" specialists) and help grow the game on an international "inclusive" and "cross-gender" (!?) basis. Imagine actually seeing teams putting out MORE women on a power-play or penalty-killing or end-of-game situation in order to maximize and possibly capitalize on their "3-point" capabilities. A game would NEVER be "over" until it was truly "over" with these very dynamic and exciting scoring rules in place. It would also be, by the way, the very first time ever that a series of major "team sport" championships would feature men and women playing on the same court/surface with and against each other. And WOW, just try to imagine the much more inclusive, exciting and FUN atmosphere that all of the pre and post game social gatherings would feel like and engender (pun intended!). We firmly feel that pro-actively including and encouraging women to participate on a "Co-ed" basis is a vital part of setting our sport above, apart and far-and-away much more ad-affinity-effective from all the others out there and will ultimately encourage even more young girls and women to play, a key factor in making our sport a truly unique, exciting, inspiring and attractive sponsorship vehicle.
All of this said, we'd like to put out this "feedback/feeler" forum-post to help us in gauging the up-front interest and response (basically for "value-ing" the attendant advertising/sponsorship support opportunities) that these events would generate within the international inline hockey community.
Looking forward to all your replies and obviously, in good old passionately IHC-forum-posting style, let us know what you think in general.;)
All the Biscuit-Best to ALL,
ACCCT2
I've finally decided to "come down from the mountain" and am letting everyone here on IHC know that we now have 3 international inline hockey events fully set for the coming 24 months. A brief precis of what is presently being finalized and planned for with all of these events:
There will be one event each in North America, Europe and Asia. All 3 are in amazing "vacation" destinations (during "vacation" times of the year).
All 3 will feature 64 team draws (16 teams max from 4 regions: USA, Canada, Europe & "The Rest" so as to insure full and fair global participation).
All 3 will feature over $400,000 USD in "purse/prize-money" for each event ($200,000 1st; $100,000 2nd; $50,000 3rd; $25,000 4th; $10,000 "MVP"; $5,000 each for being "Best" in/as "Goals", "Assists", "Points", "Defenseman", "Goalie" & "Captain").
All 3 will feature an entry fee per team of $2,500 USD per team and ALL teams will be required to book travel and accommodations ("event travel packages") through each of the events' respective "event travel partners" ("event travel packages" will include all international "gateway" airfares, hotel accommodations and all airport/hotel/game transfers, as well as all event parties, special events and diplomatic receptions). The "event travel packages" will feature special discounted "zone-fare" pricing that makes the entire team/player/fan registration, booking and confirmation process an easy, affordable and care-free "one-stop-shopping" experience. The "event travel packages" will be available ONLY on the event websites (due for May 1, 2010 'roll-out' -- stay tuned to IHC for more "ads" and more on all of this).
We are also currently working on a 4th "Super-event" that will be held in Europe, though some key final details are still being worked out. We're presently talking about offering an additional $100,000 "bonus" for any team that would win either the "Trifecta" (for all 3) or $200,000 for the "Grand Slam" (for all 4) of these events -- either all in the "same calendar year" or all consecutively "in a row" (we're still discussing the "plus/minus" issues of this particular "same/row" part of the "bonus" scenarios).
The most interesting aspect of all of these events is that a very unique interpretation and application of "Co-ed Rules" will apply to all 3 events. While each team can choose whether or not to roster women (or men?), should a woman score a goal at any point in any game, that "goal" will be scored as 3 points on the scoreboard. We believe that this will encourage teams to roster women (almost like basketball's "3-point" specialists) and help grow the game on an international "inclusive" and "cross-gender" (!?) basis. Imagine actually seeing teams putting out MORE women on a power-play or penalty-killing or end-of-game situation in order to maximize and possibly capitalize on their "3-point" capabilities. A game would NEVER be "over" until it was truly "over" with these very dynamic and exciting scoring rules in place. It would also be, by the way, the very first time ever that a series of major "team sport" championships would feature men and women playing on the same court/surface with and against each other. And WOW, just try to imagine the much more inclusive, exciting and FUN atmosphere that all of the pre and post game social gatherings would feel like and engender (pun intended!). We firmly feel that pro-actively including and encouraging women to participate on a "Co-ed" basis is a vital part of setting our sport above, apart and far-and-away much more ad-affinity-effective from all the others out there and will ultimately encourage even more young girls and women to play, a key factor in making our sport a truly unique, exciting, inspiring and attractive sponsorship vehicle.
All of this said, we'd like to put out this "feedback/feeler" forum-post to help us in gauging the up-front interest and response (basically for "value-ing" the attendant advertising/sponsorship support opportunities) that these events would generate within the international inline hockey community.
Looking forward to all your replies and obviously, in good old passionately IHC-forum-posting style, let us know what you think in general.;)
All the Biscuit-Best to ALL,
ACCCT2