Tournament tents: generating revenue through corporate sponsorship.

A familiar site at CMAA's National Club Championship last fall, the Mastertent product available from Britten, Inc. illustrates the opportunity available for clubs to tap into a strong source of revenue at their golf tournament events--the use of high quality, logoed tents in attracting corporate sponsorship. While the use of banners and other hanging signage is nothing new, today's generation of event tents offer more design and display options than ever before.

"Britten is one of the leading large format, digital, and screen print printers in the country, with specialization in event sponsorship and branding," said Dave Taylor, director of new business development for Britten. The Mastertent, a product manufactured by the Italian company Zingerlemetal, is distributed exclusively in the North American market by Britten. "Our top golf-related clients have been the Tavistock Cup, the Deutsche Bank Championships, and the Tiger Woods Foundation," he added. "We have also worked with a number of smaller events across the country."

The basic structure of the Master-tent comes with a roof available in nine different colors, a durable carrying case, and a stake kit that includes stakes, strap, and a hammer. To meet a variety of uses, the tent is configurable in a variety of sizes:

* 10'x10'

* 10'x15'

* 10'x20'

* 13'x13'

* 13'x20'

* 13'x26'

The graphical reproduction capabilities of the Britten Mastertent are coordinated through the company's in-house design studio, which can work with the sponsors to ensure crisp, accurate reproduction on the display areas of the tent. "The Mastertent is ideal for a variety of different tournament-related uses," Taylor said. "Starter tents, results tents, food and beverage." Unifying the design of several different tents at various spots around the course is an effective way to give maximum exposure to the sponsor, he added.

RES (Rental Event Structures, Inc.) offers a brand of "Event Line" structures that feature a clear-span aerodynamic design that not only gives a sleek and modern look, but also allows the units to withstand unusually high winds. All units have what RES refers to as "no guys, no poles, no stakes exposed" features that help to minimize their customers' accident liability. Each product line minimizes setup and take-down labor with all slip-fit design and interchangeable frame pieces.

The Canopae line from RES--a larger and heftier version of their Canopy line--provides a large advertising space to be adorned with prominent company logos. Available in sizes of 12'x12', 16'x16', and 20'x20', the Canopae line of tents come with 21/2-inch galvanized steel or aluminum frames.

The display areas of the Mastertent are customizable with various add-ons that can be made to the basic tent. "Full walls, half walls, and window walls can all be specified on the tent," Taylor said. Other stylized options including counter tops, rain gutters, and peak mounted flags are also available. "No matter what the order is, we can usually have the unit delivered unassembled to the club in under two weeks of lead time," he said. "The units can be easily assembled by one or two people at the club with no special training."

Similarly, the Marquee tent from Tentnology comes in four shapes and 17 sizes in a modular system that allows lows clubs to create an unlimited variety of spaces and configurations. Each Marquee unit utilizes free span interiors for maximum unobstructed, usable area. Like the others, colored tops and custom logos can be added to the Marquee for your corporate-sponsored event, making it a highly functional billboard.

Rent vs. Buy?

When deciding which tents and how many will be used in a corporate-sponsored golf tournament, Britten's representatives can guide each club toward the configuration that will best serve their needs. "What we're really emphasizing here is the revenue-generating aspect of using these tents on your golf course," Taylor explained. The presence of a sponsor will also impact the usual considerations of renting versus buying the tent. "The logos on the tents, depending on the style of printing chosen, can be removed from the tents. But the cost factor of whether you want to reuse a tent should be built into the price arrangement with the sponsor," he said.