TTOC Calls on National Sport Organisations to focus on marketing in the face of tough economic times.

4th October Port of Spain.

Yesterday , the Trinidad and Tobago Olympic Committee  (TTOC) in collaboration with the US Olympic Committee (USOC) hosted  a Sports Marketing and High Performance Workshop at Olympic House,121 Abercromby Street.
Presenters were TTOC President Brian Lewis, Michael O'Conor , USOC Managing Director- Business Development and Michelle Brown, Director, Performance Operations & Strategic Planning.
Brown has responsibility for developing the annual and quadrennial plans for the USOC Sports Performance Department while  O'Conor is responsible for marketing revenue.

Lewis, Brown and O'Conor all hold European University confered  Executive Masters Degree in Sport Organisation Management  (MEMOS ) through the International Olympic Committee.
The 29 participants included Jehue Gordon, 2013- 400m Hurdles World Champion  and Paul Voisin, ( National Association of Athletics Administrators of Trinidad and Tobago (NAAATT )Vice President.

Both the TTOC and USOC strategic marketing plans were used as discussion points during the marketing focused morning session.
During the  after noon period Brown presented on Resource Allocation strategy with a focus on decision making.
In his opening remarks Lewis cautioned  national sport organisations that  bullying Corporate Trinidad and Tobago and the traditional dependency on Government funding are not effective marketing  strategies to develop sustainable revenue generation.

"All in Trinidad and Tobago Sport must step up  and place strategic marketing and commercial revenue generation at the forefront of our day to day activities. "
Lewis claimed that the workshop is timely given the reality of hard economic times facing the country.
"Sport must  contribute  to the sacrifice that all of Trinidad and Tobago will be required to make. The dependency on the State can't be the default position. NSOs have to develop their marketing and brand building capacity as the main driver of revenue generation."
At the end of the workshop participants expressed positive views about the  content , delivery and format of the workshop.
"Great. Very informative. Lots to think about. I learned some important practical stuff about marketing." Said Jehue Gordon.
Both USOC presenters agreed it was a day well spent.

"The groups were interactive and enthusiastic to learn about marketing best practice. " said O'Conor.
Brown pointed to the fact that the diversity of experiences and sports allowed for an insightful and thought provoking session on Resource allocation.
"It's our first time to the Caribbean. Sharing the USOC ideas and approaches and having the groups adapt them to the local (T&T) environment  and give presentations on their group work created meaningful interactions and knowledge sharing."

In her closing remarks TTOC Secretary General Annette Knott thanked the participants for taking the time to attend the workshop.
"As volunteers your time is a premium and you have any number of excuses not to attend. But you saw the importance and came."
She also noted the long standing support and guidance the TTOC receives from the USOC.
"We appreciate and treasure our close relations with the USOC. Even though they operate in a huge market and get not an iota of Government funding. Their best practice principles are adaptable to our  T&T  environment. "