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Post by schlager7 on Aug 20, 2010 0:18:40 GMT -6
from Tim Morehouse's blog...
Dear Fencing Community, - In about 10 days I will be launching a project that I’ve been working on with a number of great people. The project will be the product of two-years of work spent building a marketing/branding infrastructure and key relationships with people who can help give us a leg up. All this is done with the aim of providing fencing wtih a real powerful product for the public that we can use to garner sponsorships, new fans, new fencers etc.
We’ll also be raising money for many of our Olympic hopefuls to help support their training for London 2012.
- I’m going to need all the help and energy of everyone to make it successful. If we do, it will be showing an awful lot of people just the tip of the iceberg of the value that we know is contained within the fencing community. Our fencing community united is a serious force to be reckoned with!
- We won’t be able to succeed without you…more to come…but to give you a little hint we’re going to selling 2,000 seats for a fencing tournament (we aim to sell out) and this will be the first televised fencing tournament of a goal I’m driving towards to get fencing on TV 4 times a year.(hopefully by 2014…(And don’t forget 1 million members by 2020!)
- Thanks for all your support so far…let’s rally around something super positive!
Go FENCING!
Tim
In the initial days, I would love for you to utilize your FB statuses, twitter statuses, profiles etc. to generate a strong social media launch.
Then of course, we’ll need you to buy tickets/help us sell tickets to the tournament!
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Post by schlager7 on Aug 25, 2010 11:59:18 GMT -6
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Post by vraptor on Aug 25, 2010 15:50:21 GMT -6
I'm going to try and stay open-minded about this. We do need exposure on national media and a general increase of awareness is never a bad idea.
But...
The USFA has tried things like this before and it generally came to naught. I hope Tim pulls it off but I'm not sanguine. And I have always believed that the USFA is putting the cart before the horse by not setting up a large grass-roots effort to promote the sport around the country, preferring instead to make the Olympics the set-piece promotional vehicle. The only reason it's worked as well as it has is Mariel Zagunis.
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Post by schlager7 on Aug 27, 2010 23:13:19 GMT -6
from Tim Morehouse: (cross-posted to the rogue site)
FENCING CLUBS: HELP US RAISE MONEY FOR OLYMPIC HOPEFULS
Have your club represented at Fencing Masters NYC and your fencers can win a chance to fence Olympic Champions Aldo Montano or Nicholas Lopez! - Here’s how it works: (and we could really use your support!) - As a local tournament organizer, you’d designate a local event a Fencing Masters qualifying event (In Sept or Oct), and charge an extra $40 per person. - For this $40, entrants get: * a ticket to the Fencing Masters NYC A tournament with top fencers in men’s saber (Montano, Lopez, * the top 8 of this qualifying event get a NY FM t-shirt * the winner of this qualifier gets to fence in the Club Champion’s Tournament on Nov. 17, in New York during the Expo leading up to the round of 8 finals for the FM NY (Competitors in the 8: Montano, Lopez, Marti, O’connell, Homer, Morehouse, Igoe and THE QUALIFIER) * supporting clubs are listed on the FMNYC web site and can have a booth at the FMNYC event * local winners will also be recognized on stage and on television at the event - The FMNY is looking to donate close to 25grand to TEAM USA Olympic hopefuls pending our ability to raise the money with ticket sales and donations! List of supported athletes will be posted in the near future on our website when it launches. - The FM NY will be held at the Hammerstein Ballroom (2,000 spectators) on Nov. 17th and we’re looking to air it on national television on Versus. We already have an offer to air it pending our ability to fund TV Production costs. This tournament is a promotional event for fencing where we will also look to help support our US Olympic Team. - We need your help and my goal is that this event will be the start of taking fencing to a new place! - Tim
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Post by schlager7 on Aug 27, 2010 23:34:41 GMT -6
I would add this snippet, also from Tim:
"Zagunis will fence Kharlan also."
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Post by dilbert on Aug 27, 2010 23:40:09 GMT -6
September or October? Not much warning & the calendar only really shows Hamza & Lepie with "opens." They might get involved, but since there is little profit for them I doubt it.
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Post by Constant Comment on Aug 28, 2010 0:16:01 GMT -6
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Post by fox on Aug 28, 2010 8:05:33 GMT -6
They are not up on FRED yet, but the forum calendar lists a vague Salle Mauro tournamen on 9/18 & 9/19, a BCFA tournament on 10/2 & 10/3 and a Rice University tournament on 10/9 & 10/10. I've not seen or heard any specifics yet, so it is just possible one of them could morph to accommodate the NYC FM "qualifiers."
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Post by schlager7 on Aug 28, 2010 8:57:14 GMT -6
While I'd like to hear more details, at the risk of playing into Constant Comment's post, I do see this as an "opportunity."
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nemo
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Post by nemo on Aug 28, 2010 22:36:16 GMT -6
My first thought (and I surprise myself with this) is that you should try to bring Dan Gorman into the mix. He's a sabre coach/ref and Salle Mauro/Rice has upcoming tournaments that the Fencing Masters qualifier could be folded into.
I think it would rock for local sabre fencers to qualify for this.
Then too, I will refer back to "Constant Comment."
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Post by schlager7 on Aug 28, 2010 23:01:32 GMT -6
Actually, nemo, my wife suggested to me that Dan Gorman would be the most likely person for a project like this just last night. We are in agreement.
I want to hear exactly what the requirements are for such a "qualifier," but I think it would be a great opportunity for our local sabreurs.
BTW, for those not following this story elsewhere, the featured Olympic sabre fencers slated for this event include:
Olga Kharlan Mariel Zagunis Tim Morehouse Daryl Homer Nicholas Lopez Aldo Montano
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Post by schlager7 on Aug 29, 2010 8:08:45 GMT -6
I'm expecting a call from Tim this afternoon and hope to have more details then.
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Post by Barton Springs on Aug 29, 2010 11:51:53 GMT -6
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Post by schlager7 on Aug 29, 2010 16:47:07 GMT -6
I must admit, SabreCave WOULD be a natural fit.
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nemo
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Post by nemo on Aug 30, 2010 11:18:41 GMT -6
Somehow, I can just hear the US Fencing powers that be kvetching about this project. It's so outside the box.
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Post by schlager7 on Sept 1, 2010 23:03:18 GMT -6
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nemo
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Post by nemo on Sept 2, 2010 9:01:43 GMT -6
Is the website running & current, now?
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Post by fox on Sept 8, 2010 7:18:45 GMT -6
The link is active now. I didn't try it over the weekend so I don't know when it happened.
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Post by schlager7 on Sept 8, 2010 8:26:28 GMT -6
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nemo
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Post by nemo on Sept 8, 2010 17:44:52 GMT -6
What about Houston?
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Post by schlager7 on Sept 9, 2010 8:29:16 GMT -6
I've heard nothing locally.
Of the two clubs I belong to:
Galveston Fencing Club could not work in a viable date in the fall.
The Clear Lake Fencing Club has a tournament coming up on October 23rd, our traditional autumn E & Under (CLUE).
I will be talking with others at CLFC tonight and see if everyone is good with attaching a NYC Fencing Masters qualifier as an event (separate from the E & Under events).
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Post by schlager7 on Sept 11, 2010 22:29:09 GMT -6
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Post by schlager7 on Oct 6, 2010 0:20:06 GMT -6
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Post by Snick and Snee on Oct 27, 2010 11:15:29 GMT -6
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nemo
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Post by nemo on Oct 28, 2010 8:42:07 GMT -6
Nice press release. Really.
Now if the mainstream media were to pick it up and run with it...
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