Be a part of the Pursat River Run!

Over the past five years we’ve delivered successful Pursat River Runs through relying mainly on private donations. To continue to achieve growth and to ensure sustainability for future years, we’re now seeking corporate partners.

Why partner with the Pursat River Run?

Here are three reasons why we believe that working with us to deliver the Pursat River Run is a potentially successful venture for your enterprise:

1. Reaching social responsibility goals

The Pursat River Run contributes to socio-economic development in Cambodia in many ways, which may fit in with your company’s social responsibility strategy:

• Sport development: sport is under-resourced in Cambodia as it’s low down on the Government’s list of development priorities
• Health: promoting healthy lifestyles among all sectors of the population
• Youth development: providing positive role-models and diverting youth from anti-social behaviour such as drug abuse
• Gender: increasing the participation of girls in sport
• Disability: increasing social participation and dignity of disabled people, and raising community awareness of disability
• Economic development: promoting local crafts, culture and tourism.

2. Exploiting its marketing potential

Sports sponsorship is becoming increasingly important in Cambodia in companies’ strategies in marketing and building brand equity. Through the Pursat River Run, a company can enhance its brands through association with healthy lifestyles and positive role-models such as Cambodian elite athletes, who are particularly appealing for a youth audience. Cambodia’s athletics stars are gaining increasing media exposure, which will increase in the run-up to the London Olympics in 2012.

Companies can exploit the market potential of the Pursat River Run through:

• Event naming rights
• Publicity – eg. corporate visability via logos on T-shirts, hats, public banners, etc. As well as the 1,000 runners, an audience of thousands of people watch the races along the race routes. The race also attracts extensive media coverage every year on TV (CTN, TVK), radio and newspapers (both English and Khmer) and is publicised through its own website plus other social network websites and forums, including Facebook, Youtube, BongThom.com and Expat Advisory Services,
• Direct selling – the event can be used to make direct sales or to launch promotions to runners and spectators, especially at the final prize-giving ceremony which attracts over 1,000 people.

3. A reliable, cost-effective partner

The Pursat River Run organisers have a track record of four years’ reliable event management. Each event has been evaluated and improvements made, so that it gets bigger and more successful every year. The Pursat River Run is organised with full support from the local authorities, including the Provincial Governor and the Department of Education, Youth and Sports. Collaboration with local medical services and the police ensure a safe, accident-free event. At national level, the event is recognised and endorsed by the Khmer Amateur Athletics Federation and the National Olympic Committee.

The event is cost-effective since it takes place in a provincial town, where costs are considerably lower than in Phnom Penh. Also, costs are minimised by sourcing materials locally where possible, and employing local officials (who are paid work allowances at the official rate) and volunteers rather than recruiting staff.