By Charlie Laughtland
BDA blog editor

BDA hosted our first annual Football Think Tank last week, with over a third of the NFL’s teams participating in the two-day workshop at Seattle’s Qwest Field and BDA Headquarters in Woodinville.

Similar to the Baseball Think Tank we’ve run for our Major League Baseball partners the past 16 years, the event is an opportunity to:

• Share best practices regarding client services, alumni programs, social media, etc.
• Encourage communication across teams
• Discuss the latest marketplace trends
• In-stadium and out-of-stadium merchandise giveaway strategies
• Assess product ideas for sponsor activation and ticket renewal premiums
• Review importing, testing and compliance standards and regulations
• Explore a merchandise showcase featuring hundreds of custom products

“We’re fortunate to be in the position to bring team and league officials together, in person, to share ideas and discuss hot-button issues,” said BDA CEO and co-founder Jay Deutsch. “With this type of interactive format, we learn as much from our guests as they learn from us.”

A lineup of guest speakers provided insight from the sponsor, league and team perspective.

• Nic Corbett from Nike shared his company’s approach to partnering with the NFL.

• Tiffany Montgomery, the NFL’s consumer products manager, fielded questions about league policies regarding merchandise and royalties.

• Gina Martinez Todd, director of partnership development with the Seattle Seahawks, led a discussion about developing creative sponsor-driven premiums and how teams can best deliver value to partners.

• Seattle Sounders FC executives Gary Wright and Bill Chapin explained how defining a brand persona helps you identify productive opportunities for sponsors and creates a roadmap for promotional efforts.

The BDA ProActivation™ division is already planning next year’s Football Think Tank, with a target date of late February or early March.

“These events have proven to drive product innovation and create new sponsorship activation opportunities,” Deutsch said. “Together, we’re redefining what makes successful sports premiums.”