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GULF SHORES AND ORANGE BEACH, ALA. – The SEC Women’s Soccer Championship returns to the Gulf Coast for another year of exciting soccer.
“As the newest SEC Corporate Sponsor, we are tremendously excited to welcome the return of these collegiate student-athletes to the area,” said Beth Gendler, vice-president of sales for Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism and Sports Commission. “This sponsorship is an exciting partnership for the area and continues to provide additional access points to potential guests.”
The championship will start play on Nov. 2 as eight teams compete for a spot in the semifinals, which is scheduled for Nov. 4. A championship team will be determined on Sunday, November 6 following the final game scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m.
The SEC Women’s Soccer Championship game will be televised live, but if you don’t want to miss any of the action then admission at the gate is $5 for adults and $2 for children per day and all games will be played at the Orange Beach Sportsplex.
To see the complete schedule of SEC games, go to www.secdigitalnetwork.com/SECSPORTS/CHAMPIONSHIPS/2011SoccerChampionship.aspx.
Also new to the event this year is the addition of the 2011 Alabama Soccer Festival, which is set for November 4 through 6 at the Orange Beach Sportsplex. This team-based event is for U6 through U12 boys and girls teams. All proceeds will benefit the Alabama Youth Soccer Association to support our youth and stars of tomorrow. For complete information, visit www.alabamasoccerfestival.com.
This championship represents the eighth consecutive year that the SEC has chosen Orange Beach as the location for the women’s soccer championship.
For information on these or other athletic events on Alabama’s Gulf Coast, please visit www.gulfshoresorangebeachsports.com, or call 1-800-745-SAND.
(Orange Beach)
Once again the SEC Womens Soccer Conference Championships will be held at the Sportsplex in Orange Beach from Wednesday November 2nd until Sunday the 6th. Here is the schedule for Wednesday:
| WSOC | Auburn at Tennessee | 6:00 PM | ||||
| WSOC | Alabama at Florida | 8:30 PM |
ATLANTA—Through the years, Southeastern Conference football fans traditionally have spent their summers on the white-sand beaches along Alabama’s Gulf Coast and their falls cheering on their favorite college teams in stadiums around the Southeast. This season, the SEC and new corporate sponsor Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism are combining the two favorite pastimes via an advertising campaign—featuring some of the league’s most legendary football coaches—that will air during game-day television broadcasts this fall.
Launched August 27 during the SEC Network’s college football pre-game shows and airing on regional game broadcasts throughout the 2011 college football season, the 30-second spots will showcase the destination beaches of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach, Ala., as well as some of the attractions along Alabama’s scenic Gulf Coast. The television ad campaign is one of the premier components of the SEC sponsorship that was negotiated by SEC multimedia rights holder IMG College, sports marketing consultant Fishbait Marketing, Shaul Zislin, a prominent local business leader in Gulf Shores, and Atlanta-based sports and entertainment marketing agency MELT, in collaboration with Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism.
Former SEC head football coaches Gene Stallings (Alabama), Frank Broyles (Arkansas), Pat Dye (Auburn), Jerry Stovall (LSU) and Phil Fulmer (Tennessee) serve as celebrity tour guides in the lineup of commercials, incorporating their former occupations into the mix to point out just some of reasons why fans should plan a getaway to the 32 miles of sugar-white sand and sparkling emerald waters along Alabama’s Gulf Coast region. The commercials will incorporate the tagline: “Gulf Shores and Orange Beach … Where SEC Families Come to Play.”
“The partnership of our destination and the SEC has resulted in a multifaceted activation and marketing plan that will allow us to reach millions of potential guests throughout the Southeast,” said Herb Malone, president/CEO of Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism. “Perfectly complementing our existing marketing efforts, this campaign utilizes legendary coaches on our beach, and we are very grateful that they took time out of their busy schedules to lend their support to our destination.”
Conceptualized, produced and distributed by MELT (Marketing Entertainment Lifestyle and Trends), the multi-spot TV campaign was filmed during two production shoots over the summer at popular locales such as Craft Farms Golf Course and The Hangout in Gulf Shores, Orange Beach’s Cobalt restaurant, the Gulf State Pier and area beaches. Viewers will be treated to scenes that include a couple of the SEC’s all-time greatest football coaches buried up to their necks in the sand, as well as other conference legends participating in some of the numerous activities the region has to offer.
According to MELT CEO Vince Thompson, the partnership reportedly is the first time a destination has used a conference sponsorship to promote a tourism strategy.
“MELT is thrilled to be able to showcase these legendary coaches in this beautiful setting,” said Thompson. “Gulf Shores and Orange Beach are two truly pristine beachfront communities, and MELT couldn’t be happier to work with a finer group of legendary coaches to bring this region to life in front of millions of SEC fans each week during the college football season.”
The commercials, as well as the official corporate sponsorship of the SEC, are part of Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism’s ongoing efforts to restore the region to a prominent vacation destination following last year’s oil spill. Authorities from Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism reported a record $54.7 million in lodging revenue in June—reflecting an 8.4 percent increase over the previous record set in June 2007—as well as $82.2 million in retail sales that month.
The Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism ad campaign is targeted toward the SEC’s expansive football fan base. With 6,521,151 fans attending football games in 2010, the SEC once again was the NCAA’s top conference in attendance for the 13th straight season.
Announced during the SEC’s Football Media Days in July, Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism’s sponsorship agreement with the Southeastern Conference will run through June 2014 and will incorporate other activations, such as an interactive presence before the LSU-Oregon football game at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, during Labor Day weekend, the Dr Pepper SEC FanFare during the conference’s annual football championship weekend, the SEC men’s basketball tournament and a football kickoff weekend, set to take place in August 2012.
ATLANTA, Ga., (July 20, 2011) – Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism today announced it has become an official corporate sponsor of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
By entering into this non-exclusive sponsorship with the SEC, Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism will receive official corporate sponsor status including use of conference logos, marketing rights, SEC television and web presence, event signage, and merchandise. Additionally, the company will have an interactive presence at the Dr Pepper SEC FanFare during the Conference’s annual football championship weekend and men’s basketball tournament. These two events, held in conjunction with the respective SEC Championships, draw more than 60,000 SEC fans each year. The sponsorship will also include a football kickoff weekend, which is set to take place in August 2012.
“We are pleased to welcome Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism as a new Conference sponsor,” said Mike Slive, Commissioner, Southeastern Conference. “We are confident in the tourism bureau’s ability to make a positive impact on our fans and anticipate a long and mutually beneficial relationship.”
The unique sponsorship initiative, which was created as a result of the efforts to overcome the 2010 oil spill, will allow the Tourism bureau to use the SEC as vehicle to restore the region to a prominent vacation destination for families across the southeast.
“This Official SEC Corporate Sponsorship is an exciting new avenue for us to begin engaging our core market of potential and repeat guests,” said Herb Malone, President/CEO of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism. “We are extremely grateful and humbled to have our family-oriented beach destination mentioned alongside such a strong and well recognized institution, especially as we continue to make positive steps for our destination. This sponsorship solidifies our position as a vacation and beach destination for SEC fans.”
The agreement, which will run through June 2014, was negotiated by IMG College, the SEC’s multimedia rights partner, in conjunction with Atlanta-based MELT (Marketing Entertainment Lifestyle and Trends), Fishbait Marketing, and Shaul Zislin, a prominent local business leader in Gulf Shores.
“This is a great program for everyone involved and one that will have tremendous impact for a region whose natural beauty has never been in doubt,” said Vince Thompson, President/CEO of MELT. “The opportunity to shoot a groundbreaking ad campaign with SEC football legends and to host the 2012 kickoff weekend, will help bring positive exposure to a truly pristine region.”
“We are grateful for Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism’s decision to join the SEC Sponsorship program in what is a ground-breaking opportunity,” said Ben May, General Manager, IMG-SEC Sports Marketing. “We look forward to working with the bureau to connect SEC fans to the many available recreation options in the Gulf Shores and Orange Beach area.”
Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism’s sponsorship marks the seventh new agreement in nine months for the SEC through its partnership with IMG College.
About the Southeastern Conference (SEC)
The Southeastern Conference was formed in 1933 and consists of 12 member institutions: Alabama, Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, LSU, Ole Miss, Mississippi State, South Carolina, Tennessee and Vanderbilt. The league currently sanctions championship play in nine men's sports and 11 women's sports. Its headquarters has been located in Birmingham, Ala., since 1948. For more on the conference, visit secsports.
About Gulf Shores and Orange Beach Tourism
Gulf Shores & Orange Beach Tourism serves as the official destination marketing organization for the cities of Gulf Shores and Orange Beach in addition to the unincorporated area of Fort Morgan. To learn more about Alabama’s 32 miles of sugar white sand, visit either gulfshores or orangebeach. The convention and visitors bureau is an accredited Destination Marketing Organization, 2008-2012.
