David G. Wilkinson is president of The Wilkinson Group, a Toronto-based international event marketing, education and strategic planning company.

Norm MacNeil is research co-ordinator for the Event Marketing column, which appears in each issue. Contributions, ideas, media releases and feedback should be directed to Norm at (416) 510-1692, or fax (416) 510-1694.

The ninth Hamilton Spectator Indoor Games, the premier track and field meet in Canada, will be held Jan. 13-14 at Copps Coliseum.

The Games, held in Hamilton, just west of Toronto, are regarded as one of the world’s leading track and field competitions by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (iaaf), and is one of only 10 in the world that is given iaaf permit status.

Participants have included Dan O’Brien, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Merlene Ottey, Bruny Surin and Ben Johnson.

This year, world class athletes will be competing for more than $200,000 in prize money as part of the Mobil Grand-Prix circuit.

The meet traditionally draws more than 10,000 spectators, in addition to 3,000 public, high school and college students who compete for their respective school teams.

tv coverage from tsn provides advertisers with the chance to reach a national audience, and the event is promoted in the Hamilton-Wentworth/Burlington area to more than 500,000 people through a print and broadcast campaign.

Sponsorship packages can include tv commercial time, sign boards, vip ticket packages, inclusion in print media campaign, on-site sampling, souvenir program ads, athlete visits to schools and offices, category exclusivity and newspaper ad space to promote corporate involvement.

Presenting, associate and official supplier sponsorships are available.

For more information, contact Paul Gains at (416) 783-4536.

World Cup Bobsleigh

Husky Oil is the title sponsor for the 1993 Husky Oil World Cup Bobsleigh event to be held at the Olympic bobsleigh track in Calgary on Dec. 16-22.

This event, one of six World Cup events, is the last bobsleigh leading up to the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway and will determine the seedings (top 15 sleds) for the Olympic teams.

Teams from 47 nations, including Britain, Germany, Jamaica, Japan, New Zealand and more, will be taking part, with Canada represented by drivers Chris Lori, Pierre Lueders and Dennis Marineau.

The Husky Oil World Cup Bobsleigh will be televised on tsn and Prime Time Sports in the u.s. through the program Winterspeed.

Sponsorship opportunities include a tv spot during this program.

Additional sponsorship packages can include start/finish and trackline banners, advertising in souvenir programs, category exclusivity, vip hospitality and logo recognition on tickets, posters and newspaper advertising.

Current sponsors include: Corel, Visa Canada, Lindt Chocolates & Ricola, FM96 CHFM Radio, The Calgary Sun, Canadian Airlines International, Thrifty Car Rental, Xerox, Athletic Software, Village Park Inn, Alberta Sport Council, City of Calgary and the Calgary Olympic Development Association.

For more information, contact Ben Morin at Bobsleigh Canada at (613) 748-5610.

Southern Comfort Blues

The third annual Southern Comfort Blues Festival is set to roll April 20-23 in Toronto.

Traditionally attracting sold-out crowds, the festival takes place in concert venues and clubs around Toronto, and serves secondary markets in Ontario through blues venues and university campus pubs in London, Ottawa, Kingston, Peterborough, and others.

The Danforth Music Hall and The Concert Hall in Toronto will be the sites of the main stage concerts that open and close the festival.

A free concert will be held in Nathan Phillips Square on April 20, with the mayor on hand to officially declare the April weekend as the ‘Toronto Discovers the Blues Weekend.’

This four-day celebration of the blues has featured legendary names such as Solomon Burke, Buddy Guy, Booker T & the M.G.s, the Holmes Brothers, Eddie Floyd, and many of Canada’s finest blues artists, including Dutch Mason, Morgan Davis, Paul James and Rita Ciarelli.

The festival will be supported with national print and radio promotions and in-store posters through a national record retailer being negotiated.

Other promotions planned include the new Blues Talent Search, a national blues trivia promotion, and a festival program to be distributed through retail locations and more than 200 selected clubs across Canada.

Presenting, official supplier and contra sponsorships are still available.

For more information, contact Peter Donato at Special Assignment at (416) 964-6118.