EricBoyd

I would also like to invite you to follow your favorite team at USPAnationals.com There you will find lots of information about this years Nationals including scores, blogs, event partners and photos. Now what we are really excited about is the ability to webcast LIVE video feeds of the event. We want to share this great competition with all skydivers and bring this National Championship to you, right in the convenience of your office/home. You will be able to view most of the events and follow your favorite teams progression on their quest to be the best. We even plan on showing the venue layout, award ceremonies and interviews with industry ICONS. C-ya there. www.skydivespaceland.com www.swooppark.com www.uspanationals.com www.newstepmarketing.com

In an effort to improve skydiving events within the skydiving industry, Skydive Spaceland has built a professional sponsorship program like successful events outside our industry. Spaceland has spent the 2009 season consulting with experienced professionals inside the sponsorship industry to help improve our events and assist our industry by forming a new company called "New Step Marketing™”. The use of a proven and professional sponsorship program for our events inside the skydiving industry is long overdue and will only help our industry grow in a more positive way. Just take a look at how other major sporting events handle sponsorships or how America's largest airshows implement and manage effective sponsorship programs to grow and strengthen their show. The skydiving industry has been driving down the wrong sponsorship road for years and it’s slowly spiraling out of control. There are fewer skydiving sponsorships being offered now than ever before. Without a clear understanding of the sponsorship process, the host (DZs) cannot effectively implement and manage successful sponsorship programs, or worse, they don't implement one at all. Creating and implementing an effective sponsorship program is an important job but managing that sponsorship is equally as important. The lack of management in the sponsorship process (during the event) is one of the leading causes in the decline of sponsorships at many skydiving events. Sponsorship is declining within the industry because these companies fail to see the value of the relationship at the event, also know as "ROI" (Return On Investment). Companies within our industry are accustomed to spending sponsorship dollars to be a partner of the event only to show up to see their rival company's sponsored athletes (who didn't spend any money on supporting the event) setting up branded tents with big company logos, handing out sponsored products, literature or other promotional items. As a result of this, these companies spend less money supporting the event and choose to have their sponsored athletes/teams use guerrilla marketing onsite. Without proper management during the event athletes/competitors can (with or without knowing it) ambush the event sponsors with the promotion of their personal sponsors. Any athlete, organization, company or brand that creates the impression that they are an event sponsor have conducted "ambush marketing." This type of activity raises the cost of the event which translates into higher costs for the host (and you) which then translates into fewer bids for the event and fewer choices in location for these events . Think about it for a minute, the cost for the participant will skyrocket if there are only a few bidders because the host can monopolize and charge whatever inflated price they want. Event sponsorship has got so bad in our industry that many companies will only sponsor if they control how much they spend for the sponsorship (if any) and how they get to spend it. This is a dream for most sponsors but not possible in almost every industry but ours. This is NOT in the best interest of the host, the event or the sanctioning body. Establishing and enforcing sponsorship guidelines to protect the sponsor's investment is not new. Imagine how much money an event and an industry would lose and how many companies would stop sponsoring mainstream events if there were no sponsorship guidelines to protect them? How would an event handle a participating team that is sponsored by Pepsi when the event itself is sponsored by Coke? Without the enforcement of sponsorship guidelines during the event, the team sponsored by Pepsi would be allowed to ambush Coke at the event. This would confuse everyone watching the event as to who the event sponsors actually are. If this type of marketing continued it would cause a breach of contract with Coke and they would never sponsor the event again. This would have a negative effect on the event, the host and the sanctioning body. Most all sporting events allow sponsored teams to wear sponsored clothing and use sponsored gear but any promotion outside of this personal "fair use" is not allowed. NASCAR (America's fastest growing spectator sport with the highest level of sponsorship in the country) allows drivers to wear their sponsor IDs on the uniform and use their vehicle (race car) as a billboard to promote their team sponsors during the race. This is considered "fair use" in promotion of their personal sponsors at the event which extends to wearing sponsored clothing or uniforms on stage during award ceremonies. Skydive Spaceland wants the very best for our sport and has set up a professional sponsorship program for this years event that will be managed just like other successful events outside our industry. For clarification here is a quick overview of Skydive Spaceland's sponsorship guidelines that will be managed by New Step Marketing™ during the 2009 USPA National Skydiving Championships. WHAT "WILL BE" ALLOWED 1) Athletes WILL BE ALLOWED to wear any sponsorship clothing bearing logos, slogans or brands to promote their personal sponsors. 2) Athletes WILL BE ALLOWED to wear and use any sponsored gear from a sponsoring company including all skydiving equipment like containers, jumpsuits, helmets, instruments or "Parachutes". Just as the race car is a promotion "vehicle" in NASCAR the parachute is considered a promotion "vehicle" in skydiving and WILL BE ALLOWED to be branded with logos, slogans or brands from personal sponsors. 3) Athletes WILL BE ALLOWED to wear all their sponsored clothing and gear on the award stage during any ceremony at the event. WHAT "WILL NOT" BE ALLOWED 1) Athletes WILL NOT BE ALLOWED to pass out any sponsor products, literature or other promotional items at the event. 2) Athletes WILL NOT BE ALLOWED to set up tents with sponsor logos, banners, flags, airblades or any other device that promotes their personal sponsors at the event. *If you have a tent you want to use with your sponsor's logo you must cover it up from both sides unless it happens to be one of our event sponsors. If in doubt, have your tent approved in advance by our staff. As you can see Skydive Spaceland has allowed "fair use" in the promotion of personal/team sponsors at the event. To protect the event sponsors, we must enforce any UNFAIR USE and promotion of personal/team sponsors at the event. Again, all of this is to protect the event sponsors who support the event and make the whole thing possible. Happy event sponsors create bigger and better events which in turn create a better competition for you and me. We look forward to seeing you all at this year's big event! Skydive Spaceland & New Step Marketing™

I know the prices look a little different but in reality the price for the CPC and PST is the same as last year. The CP Nationals are cheaper due to the prices in the bid from 2 years ago when I was trying to get my foot in the door and win the right to host the event. I am now realizing that $13 to 5K making 4 to 5 passes isn't very cost effective for these turbine aircraft, but Im sticking to the bid. Hope to see you at swoop week. ATTENTION: All amatuer swoopers All amatuers who can safely swoop a course and meet the requirements below are invited to the CPC Championships during Swoop Week October 19th-25th. Come out for a chance to win the championship "Eagle trophy" and your "Pro" classification by finishing in the top 10. This will allow you to compete in the PST championships and a chance to win $5,000. Use the CPC Championships as a warm up for the USPA CP Nationals starting the next day. Come play with us at the Nation's best Swoop Park! 500' x 250' with all the infrastructure you need to train and become a champion! Check progress updates online! www.SwoopWeek.com www.SwoopPark.com www.skydivespaceland.com Requirements:Canopy Piloting Advanced Class C License and at least 500 high-performance landings total including a minimum of 100 high-performance landings in the last 12 months. www.skydivespaceland.com www.swooppark.com www.uspanationals.com www.newstepmarketing.com

ATTENTION: All amatuer swoopers All amatuers who can safely swoop a course and meet the requirements below are invited to the CPC Championships during Swoop Week October 19th-25th. Come out for a chance to win the championship "Eagle trophy" and your "Pro" classification by finishing in the top 10. This will allow you to compete in the PST championships and a chance to win $5,000. Use the CPC Championships as a warm up for the USPA CP Nationals starting the next day. Come play with us at the Nation's best Swoop Park! 500' x 250' with all the infrastructure you need to train and become a champion! Check progress updates online! www.SwoopWeek.com www.SwoopPark.com www.skydivespaceland.com Requirements:Canopy Piloting Advanced Class C License and at least 500 high-performance landings total including a minimum of 100 high-performance landings in the last 12 months. www.skydivespaceland.com www.swooppark.com www.uspanationals.com www.newstepmarketing.com