Michael Lang is president of Lang & Associates, a Toronto-based international event marketing agency with offices in Vancouver, Montreal and Atlanta.

Kirsten Armitage is an account executive with Lang & Associates, and co-ordinator for the Event Marketing column. Contributions, ideas, media releases and feedback should be directed to Kirsten at (416) 229-0060 or fax (416) 229-1210.

Touted as one of the hottest sports properties of the 1990s, beach volleyball has yet to be fully embraced by corporate Canada as a marketing vehicle despite the tremendous growth of the sport at the grass-roots.

In contrast, sponsorship of beach volleyball has grown at a phenomenal rate in the United States, Europe, Asia and South America.

In the United States especially, the sport has achieved remarkable success as a result of two primary factors: an image that has caught the imagination of a lifestyle- and fashion-conscious public and the support of a small group of committed long-term sponsors at the elite level.

Two sponsors in particular, the Miller Brewing Company and Jose Cuervo (a brand of tequila), have been instrumental in the development of the sport through their support of the professional AVP (Association of Volleyball Professionals) Tour. As a result of their support, the AVP Tour has grown from its modest beginnings on the beaches of California to a national phenomenon with over 25 major tournaments, 10 hours of national coverage on nbc, a total prize purse of over $4 million and a host of sponsors.

The world-wide popularity of the sport has also increased rapidly in recent years as a result of the inclusion of beach volleyball as a full medal sport in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. The Olympic qualifying tour, created by the international governing body of the sport, the fivb (Federation Internationale Volleyball), and funded by sponsorship, features over 15 events, in 10 countries with hundreds of teams (including Canada) attempting to qualify for next year’s Summer Games.

Beyond the premiere fivb, avp and wpva (Women’s Professional Volleyball Association) Tours, many countries, including Canada, have a host of professional, amateur and recreational tours, leagues and tournaments.

In Canada, there is a tremendous number of competitive and participatory events put on by a variety of organizations and private interests. Very few, however, are high profile, heavily sponsored or well marketed, in part due to the fragmented nature of the sport and in part due to the conservative nature of Canadian marketers reluctant to get involved in an ‘unproven’ sport.

At the ‘professional’ level, Jose Cuervo sponsors and operates two of the highest profile events in the country (in Toronto and Vancouver) under the sanction of the Canadian BVP (Beach Volleyball Professionals). Both events will be televised nationally in 1995 on tsn.

At the amateur level, Volleyball Canada has expanded its focus beyond the indoor version of the game and now operates amateur national and provincial beach volleyball championships with the support of their member provincial associations. In addition, many of the provincial associations host their own provincial tours, tournaments and leagues.

Beyond the competitive aspect of the sport, volleyball appears to be catching on as a mass participation charity fund-raising tool. Perhaps encouraged by the tremendous success of the HOPE Charity event in Ottawa (over 10,000 participants raise tens of thousands of dollars annually for a variety of charities) an increasing number of hospitals, foundations and not-for-profits are using volleyball as an alternative to walking, running and cycling events.

From a sponsorship perspective, beach volleyball in Canada appears to have some unique benefits and quite a bit of untapped potential for corporations or brands looking to break through the clutter and reach 16- to 29-year-old males and females in new and impactful fashion.

In order to succeed in this country, beach volleyball needs the equivalent of a Miller Brewing Company or Jose Cuervo to generate awareness, guide the development of the sport, and convince the major networks to carry programming.

For sponsors willing to weed through the variety of options available, many existing regional and local events can provide strong exposure for sponsors and offer unique opportunities to sample not only participants but the greater public on high traffic beaches across the country.

For a sponsor prepared to take a risk and invest the time and effort in helping to build the sport, the opportunity remains to take a leadership position and make a noticeable impact in a unique sport with a broad-based grass-roots appeal.