The Bahamas Bowl in Nassau, Bahamas has a new title sponsor that's making history. Elk Grove Village, home to the largest contiguous industrial park in the United States, is using its business slogan, "Makers Wanted," to become the first non-tourist municipality to sponsor a bowl game.

Elk Grove Village is a community located adjacent to O'Hare International Airport and the City of Chicago. Served by all major Illinois interstates and freight rail, it is home to over 5,614 businesses, including 300 manufacturers that specialize in plastic, rubber and food manufacturing and two million square feet of data centers. "Makers Wanted" is its call-to-action for its thriving community of businesses.

So, how would a place like that come to be the title sponsor of a bowl in the Bahamas?

Mayor Craig Johnson, who was born and raised in Elk Grove Village and whose family owns the oldest business in town, chalks it up to being a college football fan who's always thinking outside the box.



https://www.forbes.com/sites/kristidosh/...4d589e47ea

Being adjacent to O’hare, Elk Grove Village’s large business park has international implications. Don’t know that sponsoring the Bahamas Bowl would expand its influence, but not in marketing.

I still anticipate political action committees dipping their toes into the bowl sponsorship pool before the 2020 Election. It’s unchartered waters for superpac’s and a LGBT Pride Bowl (San Francisco), Greenpeace Bowl (new Seattle bowl), Confederate Memorial Bowl (new South Carolina bowl), & NRA Bowl (Mobile) would hit target markets.

(07-31-2018 08:48 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  I still anticipate political action committees dipping their toes into the bowl sponsorship pool before the 2020 Election. It’s unchartered waters for superpac’s and a LGBT Pride Bowl (San Francisco), Greenpeace Bowl (new Seattle bowl), Confederate Memorial Bowl (new South Carolina bowl), & NRA Bowl (Mobile) would hit target markets.

Affixing polarizing political ideas on bowl games is a recipe for disaster.

(07-31-2018 08:17 PM)NoDak Wrote:  Being adjacent to O’hare, Elk Grove Village’s large business park has international implications. Don’t know that sponsoring the Bahamas Bowl would expand its influence, but not in marketing.

This is an example of a sponsorship that’s not targeted for the normal consumer, but rather people like CIOs (who need to find data centers) and supply chain managers (who need to manage logistics of moving and storing products and equipment). Elk Grove Village is a very large logistics and data center hub because of its location next to O’Hare. It actually captures as much or even more of those O’Hare-centric businesses than the City of Chicago itself. Elk Grove Village was also the home of the world headquarters of United Airlines up until a few years ago (which moved to the Chicago Loop) and United still has its main operations center there. So, this is totally a B2B-type sponsorship.

(08-01-2018 08:01 AM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  

(07-31-2018 08:17 PM)NoDak Wrote:  Being adjacent to O’hare, Elk Grove Village’s large business park has international implications. Don’t know that sponsoring the Bahamas Bowl would expand its influence, but not in marketing.

This is an example of a sponsorship that’s not targeted for the normal consumer, but rather people like CIOs (who need to find data centers) and supply chain managers (who need to manage logistics of moving and storing products and equipment). Elk Grove Village is a very large logistics and data center hub because of its location next to O’Hare. It actually captures as much or even more of those O’Hare-centric businesses than the City of Chicago itself. Elk Grove Village was also the home of the world headquarters of United Airlines up until a few years ago (which moved to the Chicago Loop) and United still has its main operations center there. So, this is totally a B2B-type sponsorship.

Past Armed Forces Bowl sponsors Lockheed Martin and Bell Helicopter weren't looking for customers to run down to the store and buy same for Northrop Grumman and the Military Bowl. Now of course they were wagering that a select group of generals and admirals and maybe some senators and congressmen would be showing up.

(07-31-2018 08:48 PM)IWokeUpLikeThis Wrote:  I still anticipate political action committees dipping their toes into the bowl sponsorship pool before the 2020 Election. It’s unchartered waters for superpac’s and a LGBT Pride Bowl (San Francisco), Greenpeace Bowl (new Seattle bowl), Confederate Memorial Bowl (new South Carolina bowl), & NRA Bowl (Mobile) would hit target markets.

SC Bowl would have been Medal of Honor Bowl if The Citadel hadn't needed to tear down one side of the stadium.