The 2012 BIG Sporting Opportunities

QHA article: March 2012 Edition 

Title:   The 2012 BIG Sporting Opportunities

Last month I focussed on unusual opportunities to attract customers that your competition has probably never heard of.  Remember? March 5th-Mothers-In-Law Day; March 9th - Kissing Day; April 23rd St George’s Day; 4th May - Secretaries Day; 8th May. Coca Cola Day and 2nd of June - Italian Day.

This month I would like to focus on some of the 2012  REALLY BIG Sporting opportunities and suggest you begin planning to capitalise on them NOW. Too often opportunities, like a State Of Origin match or a Reds v NSW match, rush up on us. And, because we have not done our planning far enough ahead, we miss wonderful opportunities. 

The benefit of capitalising on these BIG events is that someone else is spending the money to promote the event for you.  All you have to do is to ‘hold your bag open‘ to catch the money.  

I call this Slipstream Marketing.  You are getting into someone else’s slipstream and this makes it easier for you. Someone else has done and is doing the hard work promoting the event.  Ask professional bike riders about ‘slipstreaming’. They will tell you they like to get in behind the lead rider. this places them in the ‘slipstream’ and it is much easier to ride there than in the front. 

So let’s look at the sporting opportunities in which you can slipstream behind in 2012.

March 1-5.  Rugby League. NRL Opening Round. (See draw at: http://www.nrl.com/2012-telstra-premiership-draw/tabid/10874/newsid/65393/default.aspx)

March 15-22. Swimming. Australian Olympic Trials in Adelaide.  (Could attract a crowd in this Olympic year.)

March 19. Cricket. One Day International agains West Indies in St Vincent.

March 23. Cricket. One Day International agains West Indies in St Lucia.

March 23-25. Rugby Union. Hong Kong Sevens.

March 24.  AFL. Opening Round.  (See draw at: http://www.afl.com.au/fixtures/tabid/10586/default.aspx)

March 30. Cricket. T20. Australia v West Indies. Barbados.

April 2-4.  Diving. Olympic Trial in Adelaide. 

April 5-8. Golf. USA Masters. Georgia.

April 7. Horse racing. Golden Slipper. Rosehill. Sydney.

April 7-11. Cricket. 1st Test. Australia v West Indies in Trinidad.

April 20. A-League Grand Final.

April 21. Horse Racing. Doncaster. Randwick. Sydney.

April 28th. Horse Racing. Sydney Cup. Randwick. 

May 5. Football. FA Cup Final. Wembley.

May 12. Horse Racing. BTC Brisbane Cup. 

May 19. Horse Racing. Doomben Cup. 

May 23. Rugby League. Game 1 QLD v NSW. Ethiad Stadium. Melbourne.

May 27 - June 10. Tennis. French Open.

June 5. Rugby Union. Australia v Scotland. Ausgrid Stadium. Newcastle.

June 5. Horse Racing. Stradbroke. Brisbane.

June 9. Rugby Union. Australia v Wales. Suncorp Stadium. Brisbane.

June 13. Rugby League. QLD v NSW. Game 2  State of Origin. ANZ Stadium. Sydney. 

June 16. Rugby Union. Australia v Wales. Ethiad Stadium. Melbourne. 

June 23. Rugby Union. Australia v Wales. ANZ Stadium. Sydney.

June 23. Cricket. One Day International. Australia v Ireland. Belfast.

June 25 - July 6. Tennis Wimbledon. London.

June 29. One Day International. Australia v England. Lords. London.

June 30 - July 22. Tour de France

July 1. One Day International. Australia v England. The Oval. London.

July 4. Rugby League. QLD v NSW. Game 3. State of Origin. Suncorp Stadium.

July 7. One Day International. Australia v England. Durham.

July 27-28. Rugby Union. Super Rugby Semi Finals.

July 27 - August 12. Olympic Games. London.

August 4. Rugby Union. Super Rugby Grand Final. 

August 18. Rugby Union. Australia v New Zealand. ANZ Stadium. Sydney. 

August 25. Rugby Union. Australia v New Zealand. Eden Park. Auckland.

August 27. Tennis.  US Open. New York.

August 29-September 9. Paralympics. London.

September 4-9. Rugby League. Finals. Week one.

September 4-9. AFL.  Finals. Week one.

September 8. Rugby Union. Australia v South Africa. Perth.

September 4-9. Rugby League. Finals. Week two.

September 14-15. AFL.  Finals. Week two.

September 15. Rugby Union. Australia v Argentina. Gold Coast.

September 21-22. Rugby League. Finals. Preliminary Finals.

September 21-22. AFL.  Finals. Preliminary Finals.

September 29. AFL Grand Final.

September 29. Rugby Union. Australia v South Africa. Pretoria. 

September 30.  Rugby League. NRL Grand Final.

October 6. Rugby Union. Australia v Argentina.  Buenos Aires.

October 6. Horse Racing. Epsom Handicap. Randwick. Sydney. 

October 20. Horse Racing. Caulfield Cup.  Melbourne.

October 27. Horse Racing. Cox Plate. Moonee Valley. Melbourne.  

November 3. Horse Racing. Victoria Derby. Flemington. Melbourne.

November 6. Horse Racing. Melbourne Cup. Flemington. Melbourne.

November 8. Horse racing. Ladies Day. VRC Oaks. Flemington. Melbourne.

November 25. Horse Racing. Japan Cup. 

December 26-30. Australia v Sri Lanka. 

No doubt the biggest event of the year will be the London Olympics.  You can check out http://www.london2012.com/ for all details.  Prior to the Games I will be producing an eBook and a FREE iPhone App on the Olympic.  Tell you more about that in another article.

My most inspiring Olympic athlete, Derek Redmond, never won a medal at the Olympics.  But he did perform an amazing feat, in 1992, that you will probably remember. I invite you to meet Derek at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04sLWNj3MkE. Or simply search Google for: Derek Redmond - Max Hitchins.

Final thought: 

“When written in Chinese the word ‘crisis’ is composed of two characters - one represents danger and the other represents opportunity.”  John F. Kennedy

In 2011 Max Hitchins was voted the #1 most influential hospitality industry educator in the world. Check out the complete list at www.HospitalityDoctor.com. He is known as the Hospitality Doctor and specialises in Internet Marketing. QHA members are invited to register at  to receive his regular e-mails with Secrets, Tips and Tonics to fill your Bars, Bistro’s and Beds. E: max@hitchins.com.au  Tel: 0419 53 63 73.