Future of Edmonton Indy could depend on title sponsorship

The corporate boxes were full, and the stands were packed with race fans Sunday, but still, the future of the Edmonton Indy hangs in the balance.

Octane Motorsports president Francois Dumontier says more people should be attending the Indy in Edmonton.

Dumontier says in an email bulletin that the event should attract more people over the three days "especially with the quality of the spectacle offered."

He says he’s committed to holding the race next year in Edmonton, but adds attendance is key. Public support isn’t the only factor; the long-term success of the event also depends heavily on corporate sponsorship, and securing a large title sponsor.

“It’s tricky because the audience that the race appeals to is both local, and across Canada and into the US,” explains Adam Finn, Chair of the Marketing Department at the University of Alberta. “So, you need a company that’s interested in all three elements, otherwise they’re not getting good value for their money.”

“That means, optimistically, you would need a company that’s Alberta-oriented, but also markets across Canada and into the United States, a consumer goods company, and we don’t have really, any of those headquartered in Alberta.”

Race Week Edmonton is compiling numbers and will release them in the next few days as efforts to secure a long term future for the Edmonton Indy are beginning.

The group says the community support and the local partnerships connected to the Edmonton Indy this year were great.

“There wasn’t a rental car to be had,” says Dean Heuman, Vice President of Race Week Edmonton.

“It was fantastic! I think we actually found better partnerships and a better groove. We had a little more time this year, still not as much time as we’d like.”

Heuman says he’s glad talks are already going on about next year’s event, which he’s positive will be sponsored, and will be a success.

“I absolutely believe it can happen for next year,” he says. “I don’t doubt for a second it can happen for next year. I think there are lots of possibilities.”

Heuman reveals there are new companies becoming involved in IndyCar racing that may be interested in a sponsorship role. In addition, he says there were companies that wanted to play a bigger support role this year and weren’t able to. He says those companies may come forward for next year’s event.

Finn says finding a title sponsor could be a bit difficult.

“They’d have to be someone who’s marketing across all those areas, but happens to be weak in Alberta, and therefore needs a big boost to their business in Alberta.”

While challenging, finding a title sponsor – or at the very least, increasing the number of smaller corporate sponsorship partnerships – isn’t impossible.

“This was a problem for the Oilers at one stage,” recalls Finn, “but when the business community rallied around the Oilers, it turns out there is enough business in Edmonton, in Northern Alberta to buy boxes, and to support a sports team and a sports event.”

Finn says it could be hard for the Indy to increase that type of sponsorship since a lot of companies are already supporting sports teams like the Oilers and Eskimos in this market.

“It’s not a guaranteed audience big event, the same way let’s say Nascar would be, or the Oilers are, so it’s gone through some downs, so the question is looking ahead, can you see it becoming as popular as it ever was in the past again?”

“That’s a judgment that businesses are reluctant to make.”

Race fans, however, were not holding back their support of the event this year. Dale Berg tweeted “only disappointment is that we waited so long to take in the #edmontonindy. First time attendees and had a great weekend.”

Sandi Anderson tweeted “@EdmontonIndy Had a wonderful experience at our first #edmontonindy. Very well organized! Hope to return next year!”

Heuman is thrilled with the public reception, saying “this is by far our most successful year… the buzz, the excitement of the race and the events around the race this year was, to me, probably number two after the first year, which I credit to an enormous amount of curiosity that happened in year one.”

“It can only go up from here,” he adds. “We know how to do this; this is the footprint that Edmonton loves… we need that kind of participation matched with a great event.”

He hopes that excitement will spread to the sponsorship level, to ensure the Indy stays in Edmonton long-term.

“I think there could be an Edmonton solution, but it has to be the kind of corporate sponsor that sees value in having their name attached to Edmonton and being broadcast all over North America and possible all over the world,” explains Heuman.

“Maybe one of the answers is towards the whole idea of recruitment. And getting people to move here to work here to fill some of the positions we have available, that’s the company, maybe from an Edmonton perspective.”

Heuman says the two big hurdles that need to be cleared are finding a title sponsor, and finding a new permanent home for the race track, since the City of Edmonton plans to build housing on the airport site where the race is now held.

“I think we can solve it… we can make sure that the answer is yes.”