Foreword
I have to add this piece as I am a little different from the rest of the class since I do not hold any current position in my club. Therefore, I am unable to effectively execute my thoughts or ideas in the club after the completion of the course. I am a past president of the club, just retired from full time employment, attending this course for personal satisfaction and self development. It was agreed with our course directors that I could use my own experience in managing the club from 1998 to 2005 for the case study and add on whatever observation I may have about the progress of the club after I left the Committee.

It is hope that this practical cum academic exercise would benefit the current Committee since I have been endorsed by the club to attend this course. I would also share excerpts (in bite size) from my papers over the 6 chapters in the club's magazine the Footloose and my own website, www.runnersmalaysia.com.my as a reference point for better club management. As a new retiree, this course has given me the pleasure and commitment towards self development and also meeting a number of new friends.

History of Club
In early 1984, Kris Lee Siu Heng, a sales executive with Nike and Alex Moh Chean Seng, a keen distance runner mooted the idea of forming a distance running club, while preparing for the inaugural Kuala Lumpur International Marathon. Their dream gained momentum when they roped in Raymond Teoh, then general manager of the company promoting Nike products, Marina Chin our national sprint queen, Dr. Ronnie Yeo, a medical doctor with the National Sports Council and Dato' Professor Khairuddin Yusof . They had their first meeting on 23 January 1984 at Raymond's office and decided on the name of the club "Pacesetters" from a word in a runner magazine. The logo was adopted from running legend, Frank Shorter's product logo with some variation. The constitution was based on one from the Lights Athletic Club.

Kris Lee then approached Datuk Shahrir Abdul, the then Minister of Federal Territory Kuala Lumpur to be patron. Datuk Shahrir suggested that the club add the words Athletic Club to the name so that it can be affiliated with the Federal Territory Amateur Athletic Association (FTAAA), hence the name Pacesetters Athletic Club. He also consented to be the patron of the club.

The club was unofficially launched during the Kuala Lumpur Marathon with about 10 runners wearing the club's vest sponsored by Raymond's company, Roberston, Wilson, Jamil (M) Sdn Bhd. Later the Pro-tem Committee decided to organize a charity run on the launch date to create an impact. Dr Ronnie came out with the concept paper and the date of the run was fixed on 20 May 1984. The run would start at Lake Garden and end at Petaling Jaya Hilton car-park. The run attracted about 500 runners and the club was born.

However, when the founder batch of the committee left the club, we lost this event management skill. During the 1990s under Retired Colonel Mustapha, the club was more focused on philanthropic event like charity runs and not on competitive runs. Charity runs are quite a different from competitive runs as the focus is on fund raising. There is very little technicality in charity runs. The club came back as a co-organizer in 2001, partnering FTAAA in the New Balance FTAAA Pacesetters 4 x 2km. It was two years later in 2003 that the club own our first event, the Nike Pacesetters 15km. This assignment is written principally on our experience in the Pacesetters 15km from 2003 to 2009 and then a sponsorship proposal to take this event to the next plateau.

Vision Statement : We aspire to be the role model running club in the country.

I recall when I was first elected president in March 2000, the Star Reporter, Stuart Michael asked me what I want the club to be. I did not say we want to be the biggest club but instead as a role model club for others to follow. At that time the local running clubs were in a weak position, the few famous clubs like SWIFT, LIGHT and JETS had sort of closed down due to problems of their own. The national association, Malaysian Amateur Athletic Union (MAAU) was having problems of their own and the local athletic fraternity got into the news for all the wrong reasons. I wanted PACM to be a breath of fresh air in the athletic arena.

Mission Statement

1. We promote running as a sustainable recreational activity among the grass root, catering for individuals of all ages and capability
2. Act as an internal and external event organizer to support the above.

I was very clear in my mind that our club is not going to be an elitists' club, (unlike MR 25 in Singapore), it will cater for individuals of all ages and capability. It is a very inclusive club, so long you are keen run, you are welcomed. You can be as young as 4 years old or as old as 75, this is the club for you. In supporting our Vision Mission Statement, we will organize events for our members, families and the public who are interested to run. In this regards I always remember the 3 generation relay team formed up by our former treasurer, Chen Kok Siong during the Fathers' Day Breakfast Run when his father, his son and him formed the 3 generation relay team.

MR 25 is an exclusive club for elite runners in Singapore. To join as a member, each individual must be able to run the McRitchie Reservoir route within 25 minutes. (4.8km for ladies) www.mr25.org.sg

The objectives of the club as stated in the constitution drafted in 1984 and revised once before I took over also clearly state what we are to achieve.

Objectives

1. to promote, develop and encourage the sport of running in the country
2. to foster mutual goodwill, understanding and friendship between its members
3. to promote and / or participate in sports and social activities related to running both locally and internationally
4. to develop and promote running programs for the benefit of the community
5. to develop and promote other form of outdoor sports activities amongst its members.

You can see that our objectives tie in nicely to our Vision Mission Statement. We also need to carry out a SWOT Analysis to determine what are the strength and weaknesses of the club in event management at a micro level and then also to examine the macro environment we are operating in and determine the opportunities / threats. Admittedly, this is something I did not do while I was the president and looking back now, it is an essential exercise that should be carried out each year by the Committee. This is my SWOT Analysis based on current situation I can see from outside the Committee;

The SWOT Analysis on Event Management

Pacesetters 15km 2010 - Event Information (incorporating a 7km fun run & kids dash)

The club has been organizing the Pacesetters 15km for the past 7 years and the event has grown organically from 600 registrations in 2003 to 2,000 registrations in 2009, it was a 3 fold increase over the 7 years. We believe if we continue with this same approach, focusing on the serious runners in the market place, we would probably only grow marginally to about 3,000 runners. We feel we ought to take a big leap forward to build the event into a much larger event, more inclusive and draw in more individuals who are not regular runners. Having this vision in mind, we have revamped the whole approach to the event and take this big leap forward.

Statistics of Finishers from 2003 to 2009

The average turnout rate is between 81 to 88% and we have probably the highest turnout rate in local road races. The turnout rate of the women categories has been encouraging as 15km is considered a long event for Malaysian women. In the past, women usually compete in events up to 10km while the 21km and 42km attract very low participation. Perhaps the 15km will spur them to attempt the 21km in due course.

Venue
Our present venue at Taman Tasik Perdana is getting too congested for this event and is unable to accommodate the growth that we are targeting. We have already booked the new venue at Dataran Merdeka for 16 May 2010. This venue has historical significance fronting the Sultan Abdul Samad Building and the Royal Selangor Club. It is a site that has been used for numerous National Day celebrations.

Features of the Event
This event has been catering for the more serious runners for the past 7 years, offering only one distance; 15km. We now propose to on the 7km fun run and 800metre kids' dash to make it more complete to appeal to the whole family. Our target entries over the next 3 years are as follows;

(The Kids Dash at a distance 800m is for kids under 12 where parents can accompany their kids in the event. Only the kid is the registered runner.)

Use of Timing Chips System
The 15km event will be using a timing chips system that the club has invested in. The use of a chips system will enable us to register more runners and have accurate timing for each and every runner. We have been using the chips system for this year and last year and it has been working well. We only need to buys more chips to cater for the expected increase in the number of runners.

Program

7.00am - Flag off 15km event
7.30am - Flag off 7km event
9.00am - Flag off the Kids Dash
10.00am - Prize Giving

After 7.30am, there will be a carnival at the venue for families and friends with many participating companies with their respective tents promoting their products and services. There will also be a fun fair style morning to entertain the families and friends. The carnival will provide opportunities to sponsors to participate in. The theme of the carnival is "Healthy Living".

Exhibition at hotel (Friday & Saturday)
The two days prior to the event will be made used of fully by the sponsors in promoting their products and services. Experts will be invited to talk on subjects of relevance to running and health. We expect the runners as well as members of the public to visit the exhibition and attend the talks.

Sponsorship

Category of Sponsorship
We have five categories of sponsorship; one title sponsor, gold, silver and bronze and their contribution on a per annum basis are as follows;

• Title Sponsor - RM75,000 cash and / or kinds
• Gold Sponsor - RM25,000 cash and / or kinds
• Silver Sponsor - RM15,000 cash and /or kinds
• Bronze Sponsor - RM10,000 cash and / or kinds
• Co-Sponsor - RM5,000 cash and / or kinds

We are approaching this revamp sponsorship program with a 3 years term instead of yearly bid. A 3 years commitment allows both the sponsors and the event owner to plan properly for the event, will have less disruption and allow sponsors to know their fixed cost in participating in the event over a medium term of 3 years. The sponsors will be able to leverage on the event and plan their own promotional events on a longer term basis on a known fixed cost. The actual payments will only be paid on a yearly basis but the contractual commitment is over the duration of three years. After three years, fresh bidding would be carried out based revised terms and conditions. Most of the successful events overseas are conducted in this manner.

Sponsorship Requirements
The event specifically needs the following products and services;

1. Event Vests for 15km and 7km runners
2. Event T-shirts for Kids Dash
3. Event T-shirts for volunteers and officials
4. Finisher Medals for 15km and 7km runners
5. Trophies for top three winners in each category
6. Breakfast for runners and volunteers
7. Isotonic drinks, mineral water and cups
8. PA System, tents, tables and chairs rental on event day.
9. Hotel room and refreshment for event media launch
10. Hotel Hall for Exhibition and distribution of bibs for two days before event
11. Hosting 50 tables dinner for Charity Run donation presentation
12. 100 event A-Boards and 100 event bunting
13. Finisher Gate structure, start/finish banner
14. Feeder buses to send runners to the venue from key transportation hubs or LRT Stations.

We will be happy to discuss individually with each product or service provider on how their sponsorship could fit in and can leverage from the event. The benefit listed below is a guide to distinguish the different level of sponsorship. We are opened to some variation, tailored to the current sponsorship campaign of specific sponsors, provided the integrity of the event is not compromised.

Benefits of Sponsorship

Marketing Strategies

Running Clinics & Peers Support Program
Starting four months prior to the event, the club will be organizing a series of running clinics at four different locations in Kuala Lumpur; namely Taman Tasik Perdana, Taman Lembah Kiara, KLCC Park and Taman Tasik Permaisuri. There will also be a peer support programs led by club members to help beginner runners to start their running program. Experts from the running fraternity will be invited to conduct the running clinics to impart knowledge on running. All these programs will have media support to reach out to more runners and generate exposure for the sponsors.

Blue Ocean Strategy
We are reaching out to a new group of individuals that may not be running as yet. We will approach the corporate via their sports clubs to encourage their employees to take up running, participating in this event. This is the key to our great leap forward in generating the high growth in the participation for 2010 and the 2 coming years. At the moment, many sports club of large companies do not have many mass sport events for their employees. We feel if properly marketed, we could fill this niche by providing an event that satisfy 3 categories; the serious runners, the fun runners and the kids with their parents.

In the run up to the event, we conduct beginners sessions as four designated parks in Kuala Lumpur; Taman Tasik Perdana, KLCC Park, Taman Lembah Kiara and Taman Tasik Permaisuri. Our area groups will be conducting these beginners' sessions. This program would allow beginners to build up their running capability gradually and properly.

Running Series & Stories in local media
We are working with a few newspapers, radio and TV Stations to run stories on ordinary individuals training for the event and the charity runs. There would be talk shows on the healthy benefits of running. In addition, we would be inviting well known celebrities to join the event and share their stories during talk shows.

Stories will also be written on the charity beneficiaries once we confirm their inclusion. We believe these charities will provide good stories for the media and reach a win-win situation for the event, the sponsors and the charitable organizations.

Corporate Tents
Corporate can ride on this event as their company outing for their sports club. They could rent a tent from us and serve breakfast and refreshment to their staff after the event. This saves them the trouble of organizing their own event. During the 2004 Sydney Marathon, I have seen a strong participation by ING with more than 400 of their staff running and they were not even a sponsor. They have used the Sydney Marathon is their company's day out to promote healthy living. More companies in Kuala Lumpur should be encouraged to participate in this manner.

Charity Donation
On the part of the club, we have decided to donate RM5 per registered entry to selected charitable organizations to be announced shortly. We are in the midst of discussing with them and doing the due diligence on their credibility and contribution to society.

We will market this charitable course with the large corporate organization as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) that has been encouraged by the government. Employees from companies participating in the event are encouraged to carry out donation drive in support of the event with a dollar for dollar contribution from their companies. We anticipate that the charity part of the event will generate substantial publicity. The top marathons around the world such as the London Marathon has a very successful charitable cause and have raised more than 450 million pounds since 1981.

Sport Tourism
Analysing our own data, we notice our event is quite well received by the foreigners; especially those from Singapore. We have been having slightly over 10% of our entries coming from foreigners. We did not really promote the event in Singapore but there is a selected group of expatriates and the SAFRA Running Club from Singapore that has been supporting our event. Looking at the development in overseas event, it was reported that more than 20,000 of the 38,000 finishers at the 2008 New York City Marathon came from outside United States. Similar success was noted in the Honolulu Marathon in Hawaii as plane loads of Japanese runners come to Honolulu each year.

We are working with Tourism Malaysia to include this event as a sports tourism project for 2010 onwards. We will do some joint promotion on this event, working out some tour packages with tour operators and market the event and tour overseas. There is a huge untapped potential out there!

Online Registration
To support a wider reach to participants from overseas, we have invested in an online registration system with secured payment via credit card, residing in the event website; This website would go live from 1st December 2001 while registration would start on 1 February 2010 barring any hitches. All sponsors will get their respective exposure in this website and link to their own websites.

Conclusion
We are excited about building this event into a world class event for Malaysia. The past 7 years have been great learning for the club and we have build up a team of individuals that can execute world class standard in event management. Sponsors working with us have continued with us and have earned good mileage through their association with us. We hope you could continue to support us and jointly achieve our vision of building up a world class run event in Kuala Lumpur.

It was a great leap forward by the club and with this experience of the Pacesetters 15km, we added on the Great Eastern Pacesetter 30km in 2006. We have built up a team of individuals able to execute events and have the back office support to generate certificates with photographs. We have since been hired by other event owners to manage their events; namely the Mizuno Wave Run series from 2005 to 2009 and the Malakoff Power Run from 2008. On an ad hoc basis, the club also manage the Orange Run for a petroleum company and the UOB Family Day Fun Run.

We can conclude that we have achieved our objectives since embarking on this journey 7 years ago. The Pacesetters 15km has developed into a valuable franchise, a source of prime of the club. It is hope that this event would go on, each third Sunday of May in the many years ahead. We strongly believe the club will move this event up the next plateau with good leadership, management and sponsors that share our vision.

Wan Yew Leong
11 November 2009
wanyewleong@gmail.com