Round Rock Parks and Recreation Department Revised February 4, 2014

Marketing/Communications/Media Relations

Sponsorship Policy

I. PURPOSE

The City of Round Rock Parks and Recreation Department is faced, more frequently as time passes, with the need for additional funds for assistance with enhancement, maintenance and operations of facilities and programs. It is pragmatic in a time of shrinking public dollars to seek outside funding through sponsorships in order to maintain valuable and important programs and facilities, within specific boundaries and with built-in safeguards against misuse of this tool. The Department delivers positive and meaningful experiences that produce economic, health, and social benefits for the entire community. This translates into exceptional visibility for sponsors and supporters. In turn, it is in the best interest of the Parks and Recreation Department to create and enhance relationship-based sponsorships in an effort to utilize and maximize the community’s resources. The Department has designed a sponsorship program that will enhance RRPARD’s ability to deliver parks and recreation services as long as the services and products of those businesses are consistent with and appropriate to the RRPARD mission and business plan. This may be accomplished by providing local, regional, and national commercial businesses, non-profit groups, and individuals a method for becoming involved with the many opportunities provided by the Parks and Recreation Department. This policy sets out guidelines for entering into sponsorship agreements. Sponsorships are not to be confused with corporate donations or gifts for which there is no recognition or compensation. This policy is not applicable to gifts, grants or unsolicited donations in which no benefits are granted to the corporation and where no business relationship exists. This policy seeks to provide a benefit to everyone in our community, without diminishing the public image of RRPARD facilities and programs. The purposes of this policy are to: (1) Clearly state that these sponsorships do not constitute a public forum for communication and debate. The rights granted by the sponsorships are established and retained at RRPARD discretion. The Department reserves the right to amend these policies and standards at any time. Any revisions or amendments to this policy will be in writing and supplied to all advertising contractors.

(2) Outline the guidelines and procedures for entering into sponsorship agreements consistent with RRPARD’s mission. (3) Recognize that sponsorships provide an effective means of generating new revenues and alternative resources to support RRPARD facilities and programs. II. POLICY

A. Guidelines for Acceptable Sponsorships

1. Relationship of Sponsorship to Mission Sponsors should be businesses, non-profit groups, or individuals that promote mutually beneficial relationships for the Parks and Recreation Department. All potentially sponsored properties (facilities, events or programs) should be reviewed in terms of creating synergistic working relationships with regards to benefits, community contributions, knowledge and political sensitivity. All sponsored properties should promote the mission and vision of the Parks and Recreation Department as follows:

Round Rock Parks and Recreation Department Mission Statement “People dedicated and empowered to create a positive and meaningful experience in people’s lives.”

Round Rock Parks and Recreation Department Vision Statement “Our vision is an active, vibrant, and beautiful city with a diversified and quality parks and recreation system that produces economic, health, and social benefits for the entire community.”

2. Sponsorship Restrictions, Standards and Guidelines In addition to the terms and conditions set forth in each Sponsorship Package, the following criterion shall apply:

a. Prohibited Industries and Products The first major criterion is the appropriate relationship of a sponsorship to the Department of Parks and Recreation’s mission and vision. In general, the following industries and products are not eligible for sponsorships with RRPARD:

i. Sponsors that promote environmental or work practices that, if they took

place in the Round Rock community, would violate US or Texas law or that constitute violations of law;

ii. Companies whose business is substantially derived from the sale of alcohol, tobacco, firearms, or pornography;

iii. Sponsors that do not portray a PG or G rated image; iv. Sponsors that duplicate or mimic the identity or programs of the Parks

and Recreation Department or any of its divisions; v. Sponsors that exploit participants or staff members of the Department;

and vi. Sponsors that offer benefits which may violate other accepted policies.

b. Permissible Message Content

The second major criterion deals with the commercial character of a sponsorship message. The City intends to create a limited forum, focused on advertisements incidental to commercial sponsorships of the Parks and Recreation Department’s facilities and programs. No non-commercial speech is permitted in the limited forum created by this policy.

The City intends to preserve its right and discretion to exercise full editorial control over the placement, content, appearance, and wording of sponsorship affiliations and messages. The City may make distinctions on the appropriateness of sponsors on the basis of subject matter of a potential sponsorship recognition message. The City will not deny sponsorship opportunities on the basis of the potential sponsor’s viewpoint. c. Additional Guidelines for Implementation

i. Equitable Offerings It is important that all sponsorships of equal levels across divisions within the Parks and Recreation Department yield the same value of benefits for potential sponsors.

ii. Sponsorship Contact Database The Marketing and Events Coordinator will keep an updated list of all current sponsors, sponsored activities, and contacts related to sponsorship. This will limit duplicate solicitations of one sponsor, allow management to make decisions based on most appropriate solicitations and level of benefits offered, keep a current list of all Department supporters and contacts, and help provide leads for new sponsorships. For staff below Management Team level, access to the database will be limited to printouts of listings of names of sponsors and their sponsored events. This limited access will provide information to help limit duplicated solicitations, and will also protect existing sponsor relationships, while allowing the evaluation of future sponsorships to occur at a management level.

If a potential sponsor is already listed, staff should not pursue a sponsorship without researching the sponsor’s history with the most recently sponsored division. If more than one division wishes to pursue sponsorship by the same company, the Management Team shall make a decision based on history of sponsorship, amount of funding available, and best use of funding based on departmental priorities.

B. Sponsorship Selection Criteria At a minimum, the following criteria when evaluating a corporate sponsorship proposal shall be taken into consideration in determining compatibility for a sponsorship. In all cases, the Marketing and Events Coordinator and/or the Director will have the prerogative to accept or reject a proposal:

1. The compatibility of the corporation’s products, customers, and promotional goals with

RRPAD mission;

2. The corporation’s past record of involvement in community and City projects; 3. The desirability of association – the image; 4. The timeliness of readiness of the corporation to enter an agreement; 5. The actual value in cash, or in-kind goods or services, of the proposal in relation to the

benefit to the corporation; 6. Community support for, or opposition to, the proposal; 7. The operating and maintenance costs associated with the proposal; and 8. The corporation’s record of responsible environmental stewardship.

C. Sponsorship Program and Administration

1. Administration The Parks and Recreation Department’s Marketing and Events Coordinator shall be responsible for the daily administration of the RRPARD sponsorship program, in a manner consistent with these guidelines. 2. Procedure The Marketing and Events Coordinator shall review each potential sponsor to determine whether the Sponsor falls within the adopted standards and guidelines. Depending upon the annual value of the sponsorship, the following steps shall then commence:

a. The cost of each Sponsorship Package will be based on the value of the exposure and the amount of the benefits that are received by the potential sponsor for each sponsorship (see sponsorship samples);

b. All details involved with a Sponsorship Package will be approved by the Marketing and Events Coordinator and others as outlined herein;

c. All billing for the sponsorship fees will be processed through the Marketing and Events Coordinator and funds delivered to the General Fund.

III. Sponsorship Packages

A. Levels of Sponsorship and Benefits Each sponsorship will most likely need to be individually negotiated. One purpose for these guidelines is to create equity in exchanges across sponsorship arrangements. While for the sake of ease the examples given for levels are based on amount of sponsorship requested, the level of approval needed from Agency staff is really based on the amount of benefits exchanged for the resources. The levels of approval are necessary because the costs and values for different levels of benefits may vary, depending on the sponsorship. It is important to note that these values may be very different. Sponsors typically will not offer to contribute resources that cost them more than the value of resources that they will gain and, typically, seek at least a two to one return on their investment. Likewise, the Agency should not pursue sponsorships unless the total value the Agency receives is greater than the Agency’s real costs.

The following options are presented as a guideline for types of benefits that may be presented as opportunities for potential sponsors:

1. Company logo featured in Round Rock Leader Newspaper print ads purchased by the city;

2. Company logo featured in Community Impact Newspaper print ads purchased by the city;

3. Company logo featured in PARD E-Newsletter promoting the event (35,000) distribution;

4. Company logo featured in various Facebook posts promoting the event (2,500 likes); 5. Company logo placed on the cities website as sponsor (www.roundrocktexas.gov); 6. Company logo placed in Video TV spots as sponsor. Video loaded to PARD YouTube

channel and featured on the website. If PARD purchases TV advertising, sponsor will be notified about the additional exposure;

7. Title of company mentions on any Radio spots purchased by PARD. Sponsor will be notified about the additional exposure if radio time is purchased;

8. Company name listed as sponsor in all Media Releases associated with the event; 9. Company logo featured in all Digital Display Boards located in the Clay Madsen

Recreation Center and the Baca Center (Total of 5 monitors); 10. Company banners placed throughout the event (banners provided by sponsor); 11. Public address sponsorship mentions during the event; 12. Logo placement on all flyers and print materials to promote the event; 13. Ability to have a 10x10 booth and hand out promotional materials to attendees at event;

or 14. First right or refusal for sponsorship each year.