CPAC is an annual conference that brings together the who’s who of American conservatives – activists, radio/TV personalities, and elected officials. Other than plenty of speeches, CPAC is known for its straw poll which is thought by some to represent the overarching mood of the party (though some fail to place such a high significance on it). Last year’s straw poll winner was Ron Paul. The conference was founded in 1973.

Google is one of nine listed sponsors. The others include the American Center for Law & Justice, the American Principles Project, CitizenLink, Human Events, the National Rifle Association, The heritage FOundation, The Leadership Institute, and the Young America’s Foundation. The event has dozens more co-sponsors and specialty sponsors, and is being co-hosted by the Tea Party.

One of the main reasons that this is big news involves Google’s perceived political leanings. Google’s executive chairman Eric Schmidt is a proud supporter of President Obama, and Google’s workforce is number three on the list of biggest sources of campaign funding for the President.

According to Bloomberg, Google says that they will have a presence at events from both sides of the aisle this campaign season. The CPAC was particularly attractive to Google because a large percentage of the attendees are young, technology users, they said.

Google also said that CPAC is a perfect chance to promote Google Politics & Elections. Google Politics & Elections is a dashboard they unveiled in January that allows users to track primary results, on-the-ground reporting, as well as find the most current news about all the candidates and issues. Google also plans to incorporate Google+ Hangouts into CPAC.

This year’s CPAC will take place on February 9-11 in Washington D.C. The confirmed speaker list is filled with nearly everyone important in conservative politics these days – Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, Grover Norquist, Mitch McConnell, Paul Ryan, Rick Santorum and Scott Walker. There are some interesting oddities as well, like actor Stephen Baldwin and TLC reality show star Michelle Duggar (the one with all the kids).

Well, if you are a Twitter member in the United Kingdom, you hang a clown suit on the announcement, while making fun of what we Americans call “beer.” Before the Twitter breakdown, some information about the partnership.

Budweiser and the Football Association have agreed to a three-year deal that sees Budweiser as one of the primary sponsors of FA Cup. In fact, while the agreement stands, the event will now be called The FA Cup with Budweiser. Is that anything like the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim? Considering Budweiser has sponsored the World Cup for the past 25 years, such a relationship shouldn’t be so surprising, but then again, the World Cup is just that: teams from all over the world. Meanwhile, the FA Cup is an England-only tournament, making Budweiser’s primary sponsorship — over brands like Bass or, hell, even Guinness — ripe for humorous reactions.

Naturally, Twitter is the place for these gems, and with “Budweiser” trending in United Kingdom, there’s plenty of reaction to share, although, it should be said the first tweet I noticed captured the mood perfectly:

For some reason, I dig Nad Star’s Twitter background. Well, the right side of it, anyway. The Twitter assault on Budweiser continues:

A voice of reason shows up, but it’s doubtful the contribution will salve these reactions:

Whatever the case, there’s little doubt the Football Association enjoys the influx of Anheuser-Busch money, and there’s even less doubt the FA Cup’s viewership will suffer because of the partnership. With that in mind, maybe next time, the FA can court some German beer brands. It’s not like the history between these two countries was that bad, right? Who knows, maybe Budweiser can make use of Arianny Celeste, much like they did with the Bud Light Lime commercial:

And that’ll run you about $3000 a pop. It raises to $5000 after September.

Baron also has set up a Rocketboom channel on YouTube, where you can make yourself with all that Joanne (and maybe some Amanda, too, but I didn’t look that far.)

What was most interesting about Baron’s blog post was a short history detailing how much the site struggled in the beginning and about how difficult it was to keep the show afloat.

He writes:

Just over a year ago, we ran out money for Rocketboom. We were not mature enough to consider investments and so I decided Rocketboom had to go forward with an E-bay auction….

I’ll never forget the fear of failure that buit up to 5 seconds before the auction ended a loser, followed by a final refresh click with just 2 seconds to go that suddenly showed a $40,000 winner. To this day, I had never publicized that $40,000 was actually our reserve, helping to set the high market value.

AdSense Debuts Video Pilot

With the new offering, publishers not only can choose when their ads play, but also can choose which videos they appear in.

AdSense Product Marketing Manager Christine Lee (not to be confused with Bob and Tom’s Kristi Lee) says Google will be gathering information through the pilot to gain a better understanding of what works best in video ads.

The company cites challenges publishers face while trying to monetize their content through video inventory, and building a beneficial relationship with users as the driving force behind the offering.

This new announcement comes on the heels of two other video offerings. AdSense already offers Click-to-Play video ads for any publisher opted into image ads that want to try their hand at video.

In January, AdSense debuted its video distribution and sponsorship service pilot that allows publishers to choose short-form video clips bundled with ads for display on their websites. 

"In the past few months, we’ve seen a real upsurge in the number of military families waiting for sponsors," said Terry Gniffke, CEO of Caliber Media Group. "Long deployments can make it extremely hard for families to stay connected. But with the help of new corporate sponsors, our brave service men and women can continue sharing life’s most precious moments through the latest technology on the Web, giving them a little piece of home when they need it most."

WebsitesForHeroes.com was launched in 2006 by two California men. Terry Gniffke of Caliber Media, a former Marine and Vietnam veteran, and Michael Sawtell, CEO of DigitalPost Interactive, a provider of family Web site technology to keep military families connected.

The site was originally created to allow Americans to sponsor families, but the program has broadened to allow corporate America the chance to sponsor families who are still waiting for sites. The new corporate program allows companies to become silver, gold or platinum sponsors by supporting as few as 25 families.

"These sites provide a whole new way for military families to communicate," said Michael Sawtell, CEO, DigitalPost Interactive. "Through our advanced Web 2.0 platform, spouses on both sides of the ocean can now share videos, photos, online diaries, and even message boards where loved ones can post words of support. The result is a rich, warm family experience that bridges the miles in ways ten minute phone calls simply cannot."

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Amanda Congdon Talks Video Syndication

Editor’s Note: Discuss video blogging and the methods of distributing this medium at SyndicationPro.

Video advertising, as other sessions have observed, is really just getting started. Congdon said Rocketboom just put up a sponsorship page with rates for advertising on their episodes.

Unlike most video advertising, Rocketboom’s ad options are post-roll only, while most online videos that carry advertising deliver it pre-roll.

“We are charging on a flat fee basis,” Congdon said. “Our prices are significantly lower to help small businesses advertise.” She said niche ads can probably make the most money for video bloggers.

After video ads, Congdon suggested other options within the self-publishing model. Subscriptions, pay-per-view, merchandising (Rocketboom offers t-shirts for example), and consulting can provide a means to support ongoing production of those video blogs.

Although Congdon is the star of the 3-minute show each weekday, it is Rocketboom’s followers that help program it. About 30 percent of Rocketboom content comes from viewers submitting videos to the site.

Growing Rocketboom means they will likely expand the number of correspondents they have now; currently they have eleven. They may introduce a subscription service for premium content on the site too.

Congdon also noted that the fly-around-the-chair stunts Rocketboom does end up leaving her with a bruise every time.

—

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David Utter is a staff writer for WebProNews covering technology and business.

It’s just a simple matter of money – lots of money. Spend enough, and at some conferences, you can get a seat on the event planning committee.

Is all that cash worth it? How do you know that sponsorship is right for your company? Is there a way to determine if underwriting aspects of a trade show will help your bottom line?

Absolutely.

First, it’s imperative to understand exactly what sponsorship is. Sponsorship is the financial or in-kind support of an activity, used primarily to reach specified business goals. The fact that sponsorship is undertaken to reach specific business goals clearly deliniates it from philanthropy – you won’t be able to write off your trade show participation as a charitable contribution. However, sponsorship is also very different from advertising. Sponsorship is not a solo adventure, the way advertising is. It promotes a company in association with the sponsee.

The next step is to determine why you may want to sponsor an event. Beware of the CEO-trap. This occurs when the CEO is a fan of a particular sport or event, and wants to throw corporate dollars behind his personal passion. Throwing the corporate logo on his favorite NASCAR driver’s car might make the big man happy, but will it help your company?

Instead, you will want to set some clear, measurable goals for your corporate sponsorship. There are six main reasons why companies embrace sponsorship, including image enhancement, driving sales, increasing visibility with positive publicity, to take on a “Good Corporate Citizen” role, to differentiate from one’s competitors, and to enhance business, consumer, and VIP relations.

All of these are valid reasons. Assess the proposed sponsorship opportunity against these goals and them ask yourself if sponsoring an aspect of this event will enhance your corporate image. Many companies value the goodwill generated by sponsoring hospitality suites and special meals at trade shows – goodwill that can influence sales.

If sponsoring an aspect of the trade show will meet one or more of these goals, you may want to participate. It’s a good idea to do some homework first, before you sign on the dotted line.

Check out the show’s image. Is it perceived as a classy, up-scale event? Or does it have a less-than-stellar reputation? You’ll want to know this before you affiliate yourself with the event. Show organizers should be able to provide you with the target audience expected to attend, plans for media coverage of the event, and what your obligations as a sponsor are. You’ll also want to know what kind of support you can expect from the show organizers, and what exactly your sponsorship dollars are buying.

Don’t be afraid to ask the tough questions. You are forming a short term partnership with the trade show organizer. Approach it the same way you’d assess any other potential business relationship. You need to know the event’s operational history. Has the show been around for a while, and growing every year, or is this a brand-new enterprise? Who were the previous sponsors? How much did they pay to be involved? What are the organizer’s backgrounds? Are they affiliated with any non-profit or political organizations?

Check the date of the event, and check to make sure that it does not conflict with any other events your company wishes to have a presence at. You should also be provided with a full and complete list of event attractions, including educational programming and receptions.

Sponsorship works best in the context of a relationship. You will often see the same companies supporting the same events year after year after year. This synergy creates a special, unique ‘brand’ for the duration of the event, a brand that the buying public begins to count on and expect. Make sure you enquire about on-going sponsorship opportunities, as well as cross-promotion opportunities.

Don’t dilute your brand by sponsoring every event that comes along. You can afford to be selective here. Pick the one or two events that most closely mirror your corporate image and philosophy – those are the shows that will help you meet your sponsorship goals.

Once you’ve made up your mind what events you’d like to be affiliated with, contact the event organizers right away. Many sponsorship opportunities are highly competitive, and space is limited. There’s not a lot of time to dawdle if you want one of only two or three premier spots.

Finally, don’t feel limited to what sponsorship opportunities the show organizers offer. If you have a great idea, talk to the organizers about it. Chances are that show organizers will welcome your creativity and they’ll be more than willing to accommodate your plan.

Written by Susan A. Friedmann,CSP, The Tradeshow Coach, Lake
Placid, NY, author: “Meeting & Event Planning for Dummies,”
working with companies to improve their meeting and event
success through coaching, consulting and training. For a
free copy of ExhibitSmart Tips of the Week, e-mail:
susan@thetradeshowcoach.com; website:

http://www.thetradeshowcoach.com

The event will be held at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco, CA.

Always a premiere blogging event, the Blog Business Summit provides a first class opportunity to meet and network with some of the leading bloggers in the blogosphere. Many of the big names, and some up and coming blogging stars will also be in attendance.

As with any conference or trade show, the real value is in meeting the people. Making connections and friendships should be one of your goals, along with learning new information about blogs as a medium of communication.

The event is seeking blogging sponsors. Don’t let that scare you away. The organizers offer opportunities, for the less well funded blogger, to fully participate in cross promotion with the event.

For more information on how you and your blog can participate as sponsors, simply send an email to:

steve -at- blogbusinesssummit -dot- com

There. That was easy, wasn’t it!

If you are planning on attending the event, online Blog Business Summit registration is available. Some special pricing is in effect until July 11, 2005.

Very handy.

Special online hotel rates, for Blog Business Summit attendees staying at the Palace Hotel are also available for online booking.

Details on speakers and sponsors will be available very soon.

Make your plans now to attend this major blogging event.

.

Reader Comments…

Wayne Hurlbert provides insigtful information about marketing, promotions, search engine optimization and public relations for websites and business blogs on the popular Blog Business World.

Check out Blog Business World for yourself.

PR Week: “”Basically, our contract allowed us to begin [and/or] end at any time, and upon content review we thought it best to pull our ads at this time,” Kathie Gonzalez, manager of corporate communications at CheapTickets.com wrote to via e-mail. Gonzalez declined to further discuss the matter.

He continued: “Weblogs are supposed to be unexpected and wincingly frank. That’s an essential part of the appeal to a generation that’s turning away from network television and print media. We had a million visitors to our sites on Tuesday alone.”"

(Via Business Blog Consulting)

Steve Rubel is a PR strategist with nearly 16 years of public relations, marketing, journalism and communications experience. He currently serves as a Senior Vice President with Edelman, the largest independent global PR firm.

He authors the Micro Persuasion weblog, which tracks how blogs and participatory journalism are changing the public relations practice.