APTA Annual Meeting focuses on sponsorship challenges

The University Club hosted the meeting on October 27th with close to 200 in attendance.

In a summary of the year’s developments, President Mike North stressed that transition was taking place, both in the internal organization of the APTA, and in its relationships with other organizations. Platform tennis was transitioning from game to sport to business. The responsibility of the APTA was be to ensure that the organization could handle the transition smoothly, while protecting the traditions, the essential character of the game, and the informal quality which made it attractive to players in the first place.

The highlight of the proceedings was APTA Chairman of Commercial Development Bob Kingsbury’s presentation of the relationship between the APTA and Coca-Cola Bottling Company of New York. From an Igloo Cooler, he pulled product after product, from Tribuno Vermouth, through Rumbles cocktail mixes, to Dr Pepper and other sodas, to demonstrate the wide variety of products distributed and marketed by the company. He showed that one more product was to be added to this list—paddle tennis.

Mr. Kingsbury described the development of the relationship and welcomed members of CCBNY and the Jack Cantwell Agency to the meeting. He concluded by introducing Mr. Bill Sullivan, Executive Vice President of CCBNY, who acted as the company’s representative since Mr. Millard was unable to attend. Sullivan expressed the pleasure of the company at their involvement both with the sport of paddle tennis, and with the people in the game. He said that the aims of the company were to help platform tennis grow in popularity as well as developing a long-term relationship with the APTA.

Source: Paddle Talk, No.2