Tankboy starts a new series of teaching one pattern a week. This week he teaches a 3/4 Polyrhythmic Hybrid.

                          

Compilation of the best Polish poi videos from YouTube 2006-2009. In film starring 16 poi spinners from all over the country, the Polish County.

                          

Very Awesome Use Of Projected Visuals With Spinning Twist. You Will Likey… We Do…. ;]
-Ase

                          

Thomas and  Yuta at EJC 2010 Throwing It Down At Fire Gala.  Pretty Cool Idea of only using one poi per person..  insphyring.

                          

Chalk full of awesome poi sauce!

                          

Details:
Sept 17-19th 2010
Web Launch June 20th
Tickets on Sale: July 27th
http://www.pacificfiregathering.com

                          

Light gives of itself freely, filling all available space. It does not seek anything in return; it asks not whether you are friend or foe. It gives of itself and is not thereby diminished. ~Michael Strassfeld

                          

The Facts
So you want to get your fire troupe sponsored, huh? Well before I even continue with this article I’m going to say something quite bluntly; and that is does your team rock?? Is your team a group of local friends you’ve decided to gang up together and start a team?

If you earnestly want to get your team sponsored even partially, you’ll need to put yourself in the shoes of the sponsor and ask yourself, Is it worth investing my time and money into this performance team? . Do not expect any response from sponsors without having any reputation in the spinning community.

Now, don’t get me wrong, there are cases where friends get together and end up fully committing themselves to their teams, but this usually ends up with those few stragglers not willing to put forth enough effort to help their team.

Your Team
Please, please, please ¦ PRACTICE! Now hopefully I don’t need to spend too much time stressing on this area because it should make sense to you. Your team + Practice = Good. So let’s say you’re writing a recently developed performance store a letter asking them for sponsorship. Which sounds better?

Dear Performance Store, My team has been around for three years. We have most of our gigs during the summer since we have school between August and June but we keep in shape so we’ll perform well.

OR

Dear Performance Store, My troupe has been around of a little under a year now. We made the necessary precautions before entertaining by practicing three times a week for the first three months. After doing our first show we saw that more practice was needed and ended up working out a practice schedule and logging our performances in the events we participate in.

Now please do not write your letters as corny as that, I was just trying to prove a point. My point is that when sponsors are looking for troupes to promote their company, they find teams that are coordinated, well-disciplined, and responsible much more attractive than those who blow off practicing and just play by free styling.

A Leader
With every fire perfomance troupe comes a captain. A leader; someone willing to take extra time out of their schedule and commit themselves to furthering their team’s skills and reputation. Please do not take on this responsibility if you can’t uphold the position and responsibilities. You will either fail or be humiliated. Do not tell your teammates that you will try your best to get sponsored and then go home, shoot a few emails to the largest fire performance companies, and go back to playing Halo. Pick up the phone and call some local performance shops, random local stores downtown, or some online websites. A captain is much more honorable if he/she is not afraid to pick up the phone and start looking for sponsors.

Seeking Performance Sponsors
So now you’ve got a well-established performance team, with pretty good skills, but no sponsor ¦ What’s next? GETTING THE SPONSORS! Yes, there is no secret formula in asking a company for sponsorship just as long as your team is decent and willing to commit.

First setup a team portfolio; something to give the companies you’re contacting that includes you team’s background, team players (age, school, experience), wins and losses (Do not be afraid to reveal your losses, especially if you’re practicing), and pictures. A small video portfolio can only help you. Make the portfolio very easy to read and appealing. Have a nice layout with easy to read text (keep the text professional using Arial or Times New Roman fonts).

Make a list of established performance and dance companies or stores. Also look around your town for shops that would seem interested in promoting their name through other sport teams. Many stores will do this to seem more active in the community and just look like œnice guys , but they’re just thinking sales.

Whether it’s by email, physical letter, or telephone be sure to be precise in who you are and represent. Be proud of your team but not arrogant. Don’t sound like you’re the best fire troupe in the world, but be confident. Be completely honest and kind towards whomever you are speaking with.

* State your name
* Where you’re from
* Why you’re contacting
* How the sponsorship benefits them
* What you would like in return
* Answer any of their questions

PATIENCE!
Lastly, I’d like to mention that you will do nothing but harm yourself if you expect a response from your contacts within a few days. Expect a reply from the possible sponsor within a few weeks, depending on the company. Usually major brand sponsors will take weeks to reply to sponsorship inquiries. Some may not reply at all. This leads me to my last point regarding patience ¦ Do not beat yourself up if you do not get a sponsorship reply even if no one contacts you. It doesn’t mean your performance team is terrible. It may mean you just need more practice, but hey, at least it gives you even more motivation to practice and gain skills. Or maybe you just need to do a little more research on the companies you’re trying to get sponsored by. Are you contacting HOP or Fire Toys to sponsor your events? That may be a reason why they aren’t getting back to you. Be realistic in finding your sponsors. Never put too much stress on finding your sponsor(s), you will end up sounding desperate and making it seem that outdoing everyone isn’t your prime focus.

The Formula
As you finish reading this article, all you really need to remember to have a successful and sponsored team is to follow the following formula: Practice + Dedication + Patience = Successful Fire Performance Teams. Get it pounded into your head and watch your team soar to the top