4 Compelling Reasons to Sponsor the 2019 Tour de Fresh

Cycling for salad bars—it may seem like an unlikely combination, but this is a duo that has brought fresh produce industry professionals together in an unprecedented way for going on six years! The annual Tour de Fresh event will take place this October 12–16th with a 300+ mile ride starting in Monterey, CA, and ending in Anaheim just before PMA Fresh Summit. The 2019 route along the coast through Big Sur is sure to be on any avid cyclist’s bucket list—but the real benefit of the event is that the sponsors and participants will work to raise the funds to place 50 salad bars in schools across the country.

If you haven’t yet heard about Tour de Fresh from a colleague, friend or the trade media, allow us to share more about why you should add this event to your 2019 sponsorship plans.

Why Brands Should Sponsor the Tour de Fresh

4 Compelling Reasons to Sponsor Tour de Fresh-DMA Solutions-1As a TdF sponsor, you’ll give thousands of children access to fresh food.

The Tour de Fresh sets a goal to raise funds to donate at least 50 salad bars to schools through the United Fresh Start Foundation, which benefits initiatives including Salad Bars to Schools. Every salad bar makes a big impact: according to United Fresh, each set of 50 salad bars will benefit at least 25,000 students with increased access to fresh produce at school lunch. Each year, the Tour has been able to either meet this lofty goal or come within 1-2 salad bars of it! Tour de Fresh sponsors provide the vital support needed to make this goal a reality.

 

 

 

As a TdF sponsor, you’ll directly contribute to the generation of $1.6 million+ in additional fresh produce sales.

4 Compelling Reasons to Sponsor Tour de Fresh-DMA Solutions-3

If the previous reason to get involved in the Tour de Fresh hasn’t convinced you, here’s another that we hope will. With more salad bars in schools, more school foodservice directors will be able to fill them up with fresh and nutritious fruits and vegetables to feed their students. United Fresh estimates that adding 50 salad bars to districts on the waiting list will generate $273,000 in additional produce sales for that year alone. This means that Tour de Fresh sponsors have had a direct impact in creating more than one million dollars in additional produce sales from the past 5 years, and this is a figure that will only continue to grow. An investment in a Tour de Fresh sponsorship is an investment in not only our country’s children, but in your company’s bottom line.

 

By becoming a TdF sponsor, you’ll gain a year-round promotional opportunity for your brand.4 Compelling Reasons to Sponsor Tour de Fresh-DMA Solutions-2

The sky is the limit when it comes to promoting your Tour de Fresh sponsorship and the cause! In 2018, sponsors and riders received 117,825,589 total impressions for their companies/brands and press releases that listed participating companies were picked up on 250 websites, generating exposure equivalent to a $48,000 advertising investment. Past sponsors have even gone as far as incorporating Tour de Fresh into their consumer marketing and outreach, bringing attention to the cause and giving consumers an incentive to donate.

As a TdF sponsor, you’ll have new opportunities to bond and form new alliances with industry colleagues.

The process of cycling with industry colleagues across hundreds of miles and through intense climbs results in bonds that are stronger than mere friendship… they’re a little more like family! In 2018, Cindy Jewell, VP of Marketing for California Giant Berry Farms, stated that this event has created a “Tour de Family” in the industry, and participants have numerous stories about the relationships formed as a result of the ride. Riders and sponsors have gone on to foster personal relationships that consist of providing support during times of great hardship, dropping everything to help get a fellow rider’s sponsor vehicle to the shop, and even developing new products and brand partnerships together! If you are looking to create stronger relationships in the fresh produce industry, Tour de Fresh would love to welcome you as a part of the Tour de Family.

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There are still several sponsorship opportunities available for the 2019 Tour, including opportunities to have your logo featured on the riders’ jerseys, be part of the finish line celebration outside the Anaheim Convention Center the day prior to Fresh Summit, and to sponsor a dinner that will include branded signage and a short presentation about your company to riders. And hey, the closing party sponsorship may already be taken, but we happen to know that all sponsors will be invited to one of the most fabulous events at Fresh Summit…if we do say so ourselves. 😉 If you can’t wait to become a part of the Tour de Family, please reach out to tdf@calgiant.com to request additional information today!

 

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