EDUCATION intangible, lost income while at a class. All of these things together make attending a class or multiple classes, difficult and expensive for a struggling single person or small shop opera- tion. Even though the training enhances their ability to earn and make up the lost income, it’s human nature to look at the present rather than the potential of something. So, here’s where fundraising comes in. I know that every manufacturer and vendor in our industry gets hit from every angle for donations and money for various reasons and causes. I have done that myself and I thank those who have donated products for our classes. I assure you I’m not going to stop asking for products and materials for the classes, as we need those items to help keep costs down. However, what I’d love to see some vendors and manufacturers do (and I know some of you read these articles) is donate funds to sponsor a class or classes. For example, let’s say a Chapter wants to do a three-day class. The cost, with every- thing associated as stated above, is going be $3,000. If the Chapter anticipates 20 at- tendees, they’d have to charge each attendee at least $150 to break even. If there were a $1,000 sponsor, then that same scenario would allow the total cost to drop to $2,000, thus allowing the break even point to be $100 per student, a much more palatable number. Sponsorship Is a Win/Win No fuzzy math, no whatever-nomics, it’s pretty straightforward. An entity could do- nate a one-time sponsorship, a yearly spon- sorship or a larger amount to be divided over multiple class locations. So, what would be in it for the donor? Well, most obvious is the advertising. What better way to get your name in front of new Security Professionals or people that use your competitor than to have your name attached to a class or train- ing weekend as the sponsor. We can also up the ante and say that if you sponsor a train- ing, you can send whatever marketing ma- terials you want from catalogs to sell sheets WWW.ALOA.ORG “In 2014, I’d love to see at least one of my favorite guilty pleasures from my youth make a comeback — a little fundraising for a good cause.” to credit applications to the class and the instructors and hosts will make sure it gets into the hands of every attendee in their class. You can sponsor the class or genre of classes that benefit your company the most. Do you sell automotive-related hardware and tools? Then sponsor one or some of the plethora of automotive locksmithing classes we of- fer and target your prime audience. Sell safe locks and safe opening tools? Between ALOA and SAVTA, there are plenty of opportuni- ties during the year to sponsor safe and safe lock-related training. And don’t forget about our two newest divisions, the international association of investigative locksmiths (IAIL) and the ALOA institutional locksmiths (AIL). This could be an opportunity to reach out to a new potential customer base. As the sponsor of the class, your name would be in all advertisements used by ALOA promoting the class, Keynotes, the online calendar for education and the reg- istration forms. We can put your name in the handout materials and on the visual presentation materials. If it’s for a Chapter or local association, I’d assume they’d ad- vertise and sing your praises in whatever manner they use to promote the training. It’s a simple concept to understand and it’s easy to see the advantages to all concerned. The hardest part is writing that first check and seeing it all come together. But just like the Jerry Lewis Telethon and it’s talent, you might be assisting a seasoned veteran that has been in the business for years while also helping to showcase the future of the indus- try in a new generation of up-and-coming security professionals. If you’re interested in sponsoring classes, contact me at [email protected] to find out how to match your sponsorship with the right class or location. Now for another guilty pleasure, what if ALOA started producing movies of its own like those from back in the day? Jim Meets the Skunk Ape, Joey vs. Mothra-in-Law or Jessica starring in The Matrix (of Master Keying) … hmm. ancock, CML, CMST, A’s education manager, n his locksmithing ca- r at the age of eight in his dfather’s lock shop in ort, Mississippi. He has ed in every aspect of usiness, from shop tech bile tech to operations gement. In 2003 and , he was presented with ructor of the Year. You g or (214) 819-9733. JANUARY 2014 KEYNOTES 55
