Jan 31, 2008
Sundance is Sponsoring Local Teams
On January 15, 2008, Sundance Vacations signed a two-year sponsorship agreement with Wachovia Arena in Wilkes-Barre, PA. The arena is managed by SMG, the world leader in entertainment and sports facilities management. Over 600,000 people attend events at the arena annually. Sundance is proud to support the local teams and the sponsorship helps the company to establish a strong community presence. It is important to the Penguins and Pioneers because corporate sponorship helps them to field the most competitive teams as possible.
Are there any teams or events you think we should sponsor? Or, do you have ideas on other ways the company can do business in your community? Let us know.
Kathy komara@vacmail.com
Maybe Sundance can sponsor the local highschools. Getting Sundance’s name out to all the families in the area on a smaller and more personal level might prove to be just a beneficial as sponsoring the big teams in the area. Any parent can agree that they would do anything for their children. If Sundance shows it’s “spirit” towards the local kids in the area, parents are sure to flock through the doors of the new sales office to see what Sundance is really all about!!
I agree with Candy but we can probably even take it to a younger level too. My nephew Malacki, for instance, plays soccer and baseball. Those club teams are always depending on the generosity of the community and they would be ecstatic about a company as community focused as Sundance Vacations to be their sponsor.
I think the baseball idea is great. We have a really nice field here in Hazleton that my son plays at. All the sponsers have the signs in the outfield and they look really nice. Of course all the parents read all the signs every time they attend a game. Other than that, what about performing art centers. We have Montage Mountain, which hosts concerts all summer. Also, smaller venues like the Kirby Center and the Scranton Cultural Center. Don’t forget is is almost time for outdoor festivals. I myself will be attending the Jim Thorpe Earth Day Festival, Brigg’s Farm Blues Festival in Nescopeck, and the Jam Below the Dam in White Haven. They’re not huge festivals but might be worth looking into.
I definitely agree with what everyone else is saying. I think we really need to become more locally active in the communities surrounding our area, and sponsor some smaller teams. Also, anything we can do within the poconos with the concert venues and live music tours would always be a plus. I know tons of people that drive up there for concerts and sporting events, myself included.
I am really excited about opening the Wilkes Barre sales office, especially from a marketing perspective. It will be interesting to see how the marketers do with people locally! I can’t wait!
I know Sundance Vacations did a great job sponsoring my traveling basketball team last year, we were highly successful, the kids enjoyed themselves, I even had a few people at some of the tournaments we were playing at, stop me and inquire about Sundance Vacations, a gentleman from Reading, was talking to me and told me he is a member for the past 7 years, and when he went on his honeymoon, he booked his stay thru Sundance. Last year, our tournaments were mostly in areas where Sundance really didn’t market, howver this year, with more time to plan, I have scheduled a tournament in Scranton (WB office), Lancaster (Harrisburg office), Villanova (KOP Office, just to name a few. I am still waiting to hear back from corp. office as to whether or not Sundance Vacations will be sponsoring our team, but I have faith in John & Tina.
I can not say enough good things about John and Tina Dowd, the owners of Sundance Vacations. As you all may know, last year, I wanted to do something in my community of Shamokin, Pa, for the younger kids, I am a avid basketball fan, and love being around kids, so I decided that I wanted to start a basketball team, that in the spring time would compete in tournaments throughout Pennsylvania. I knew that I would have no problem finding the kids to play, the hardest part would be in finding a company willing to sponsor and help out with the costs, as this team would need some financial backing.
Well all it took was me to ask the question to John and Tina and they jumped at the idea of helping me, the kids, and most importantly, the community. Last year, in our first year, the team was a absolute success. I enjoyed coaching the kids, the parents enjoyed the kids playing, and watching them compete against some very elite teams, and the kids loved the fact of being able to compete against these teams. The team consisted on 6 8th graders, 3 7th graders and 1 6th grader. 3 of the 8th graders now play for the varsity high school team, 2 of the 7th graders started on the 9th grade team, and the lone 6th grader, started on the 8th grade team this year.
This year, as the spring time, rolls around, the kids are anxiously waiting for the tournament season to begin, and sure enough, once again, the Dowd’s stepped up to the plate to help the team.
Thank you John and Tina Dowd for all that you have done, not only for the Sundance Vacations 7th/8th grade basketball team in Shamokin, but for all the communities that you help out with your generosity.
I have started working on a team website, where, I will be posting all the tournaments we will be playing in, the game times when I know them, as well as the results of the games.
Also, I will have player bio’s and photos.
The site will be loaded with lots of other information about the team, feel free to check it out on your own at http://www.leagueline.com/sundancevacations