It is a topic that has been nearly beat to death over the last year — sponsorship for town-owned facilities.
However, even after a number of explanations from Partnership Group, the company in charge of the first phase of the process, and tons of discussion by town council and the recreation board, uncertainty reigns supreme for many.
To be certain, the process is not going to be an easy one. Additionally,  it will not be cheap either.
But a presentation from Partnership Group last week to the recreation board, and town council members who attended, did shed some light on just how complex sponsorship can potentially be.
One would think it would be a fairly simple and quick task to determine just what assets Taber has to sell, and how much they could be worth.
After all, Partnership Group has done this type of work in many other communities.
But when one considers the depth of the data the company is looking to acquire on each potential asset, before a value is determined, then the process does get a lot more complicated.
With that in mind, this data-collection stage will be a very important step, as it will either lay a path toward a full-fledged sponsorship program or scrap the entire initiative.
The hope is Taber does have a lot to offer corporations in terms of sponsorship, and last week’s presentation opened the possibility to avenues many likely never even dreamed would exist.
The trick, according to the experts, will be determining exactly what corporations want, how to best service their needs and being able to continue to fulfill those needs throughout the length of the contract.
Simply finding a company to put their name in lights at the arena or Aquafun Centre will not be enough to make the entire program a success. Due to the money we are putting out, and the potential commission we will pay Sponsorship Group to sell those sponsorships, we must strive to get the biggest bang for our buck.
Money is out there, but as Partnership Group stated, corporate sponsorship is different today. No longer are companies willing to dole out cash simply out of the goodness of their hearts — although that does still happen.
More and more, a tangible return is sought. Corporations and businesses, rightfully so, want to ensure the money they are spending serves their purposes, promotes their brand and ultimately leads to a stronger bottom line.
A stronger bottom line is also what the town desires, as rising costs, aging infrastructure and recreation costs need a remedy.