Brian Kirby Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 20 hours ago, Derek Uzzell said: The CAMC Press releases webpage that Jeremy provides a link to relates to 2022. Clicking on the Read more footnote of each of the two entries mentioned y will display the following comment (motorsport entry) Harvey Alexander, Director of Marketing and Membership Services at the Caravan and Motorhome Club said, "The BTCC enjoys a loyal and passionate fanbase which goes hand in hand with our membership community. Race fans can enjoy every moment of the action while having all of their leisure vehicle home comforts with them. Partnering with ROKiT MB Motorsport, we're excited for another season of thrilling racing and playing a part in one of the most exciting prospects on the grid. We wish Jake Hill all the best for the 2022 season." and (surfing entry) Brian Morgan, Head of Communications and Events at the Caravan and Motorhome Club said, “The Caravan and Motorhome Club’s members are a community of intrepid adventurers who embrace the outdoor lifestyle and all the benefits it brings and we are proud to support Surfing England. We are the No.1 rated touring club in the UK and operate the largest number of top-quality campsites set in beautiful and scenic locations in the UK and work with over 340 campsites in Europe - many close by to some of the best surfing venues.” Interesting. Personal declaration of interest: as of April 2023 no van, and no club memberships! 🙂 However, what I'd say is this. If all CAMC sponsorship deals are/were put, through the agenda, to the membership, at the Club's AGM, with attention properly drawn to their impact on the accounts, and to their expected cost impact on membership fees and/or site charges, and then put to the vote, fair enough. The members would have been told what was proposed, advised of its anticipated cost to them, and could vote whether or not to accept the cost. Those disagreeing could have registered their objections and, if dissatisfied with the outcome of the vote, could then have decided, on an informed basis, whether or not they wished to remain members. The danger of anything less transparent is that it might begin to look as though someone on the Club's management team might (albeit unthinkingly) have let their enthusiasm for their own outside interests rise above the interests of Club members. Given that obvious risk to trust, if this is suspected of having happened it will be for Club members to pursue, and subsequently decide, with the Club's management, how it should be resolved. It seems some on here are members of the CAMC, and are uneasy. Maybe they should ask their Club to clarify, taking account of the Club's Constitution, how, when, and on whose authority, these sponsorship deals came to be adopted by the Club? Perhaps, in the interests of openness, an initial letter to the Club magazine? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 1 hour ago, Brian Kirby said: It seems some on here are members of the CAMC, and are uneasy. Maybe they should ask their Club to clarify, taking account of the Club's Constitution, how, when, and on whose authority, these sponsorship deals came to be adopted by the Club? Perhaps, in the interests of openness, an initial letter to the Club magazine? Brian .... having looked at the link that Derek provided earlier ref the CMC discussions page (https://www.caravanclub.co.uk/club-together/discussions/club-talk/club-membership/sponsorship/?er=P850827) it would appear that the respondents were unaware of any sponsorships. I had considered joining that discussion, to send them the link I had found to their sponsorship deals? I too wondered who in CMC could be a motorsport or Surfing enthusiast? Perhaps that question should be asked? However ..... As already stated I have no intention of renewing my membership this year as for me there is simply no value for money I decided I really couldn't be bothered! Someone else can enlighten the un-enlightened CMC members! Jeremy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 What I find perplexing about this forum discussion, is the premise that the CAMC might be prepared to sponsor a TV programme being shown on any of the TNT Sports channels. I could (perhaps) understand that the CAMC (or the Camping and Caravanning Club) MIGHT provide some 'proud to sponsor' funding for a programme on a commercial TV channel if that programme had some obvious relevance to motorhomes/caravans/camping (say "Million Pound Motorhomes" shown on Channel 5) - but sponsoring a TNT Sports programme, where would the logic be in that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian Kirby Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 4 hours ago, laimeduck said: ............................it would appear that the respondents were unaware of any sponsorships. ..............................................Jeremy Yes, they did. BTW, with apologies, I repeatedly said CAMC above, where I should have said CMC (Caravan and Motorhome Club). However, it would be quite easy to overlook an item in the agenda for the AGM unless it happened to catch one's eye. Maybe people are generally more interested in the sites and their cost, and in any case live too far from East Grinstead for attending the AGM to be a practical proposition, so pay scant attention to AGMs. Who knows? Ditto, to some extent, if announced in the Club mag - unless prominently highlighted. I agree with Derek that it seems a very odd choice of event for a Camping, Caravan, or Motorhome Club to elect to sponsor. Perhaps one of the forum CMC members will contact the Club directly and query the veracity of the link and, if correct, how/why the Club came to sponsor these (and how many other?) unrelated events. Then, if they feel generous, they might tell us the outcome? 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david lloyd Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 I’m not sure of any factual evidence but it would not be implausible for the Management Committee to delegate responsibility to the (paid) management team for making day to day decisions on such things as sponsorship which may not be questioned until or unless something went wrong. Any Msnagement Committee would then likely ask pointed questions. I think this whole issue feeds into the general feeling that the Club is operating as a business rather than a members Club. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocs Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 An interesting topic which covers a number of issues. I am of the view that an organisation's executive must be allowed to manage it and, if they are not doing so to the approval of its stakeholders (I am being very careful not to use the 'business' or 'shareholder' words!), they should be removed. But they cannot be subjected to constant micromanagement so choices such as sponsorship etc must be delegated to them. They can be held to account by some form of non-executive oversight and, ultimately, by its stakeholders at an AGM. I'm not so sure about whether a professional marketing person would view sponsorship of a TV Leisure Vehicle Show as more beneficial than something only indirectly related to caravans/motorhomes. They might argue that the majority of viewers of a TV Leisure Vehicle Show are already in the hobby so are not the target audience. However, viewers of a motorsport show might be a better target audience as they could be persuaded towards a leisure vehicle to use on visits to circuits (as I do for example). The choice of where to advertise or sponsor will be informed by multiple data including demographics, size of audience, propensity to purchase and much more. Just an alternative view. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 12 hours ago, crocs said: An interesting topic which covers a number of issues... Yes, but not whether one of the UK's major caravan/motorhome clubs actually did sponsor a TNT Sports TV programme last Thursday, or if the Clubs have ever sponsored TV programmes. Sounds like Fake News to me, though some people seem prepared to believe almost anything. https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2022/sep/12/facebook-posts/reptilian-conspiracy-theory-continues-after-queens/ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevec176 Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 TNT Sports is the new name of BT Sport. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Den Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Even if the sponsorship of TNT sports was fake. it’s not fake that they are sponsoring Rokit MB motorsport along with Jake Hill and Surfing England. ive not seen anything in the CMC magazine mentioning sponsorship details etc. normaly you’d proudly mention it, mt company certainly did. But it was mt company and my money. Not CLUB money they raise prices to cover costs of sites they say, I would say it’s beyond belief that a club, not a business sponsor any one with other people’s money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
colin Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Sponsorship is a form of advertising, are people saying the CMC shouldn't advertise? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Den Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 In the caravan and motorhome circles the club are extremely well known and I’m sure using motorsport to advertise is strange, specially when it’s not mentioned in any magazine. so many companies sponsor sports like motorsport to gain tickets and take advantage of pit lane walks etc. paid for by the members. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulmold Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Can't find anything about 2024 championship but this was taken from Surfing England's website for the 2023 championship... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 2 hours ago, Den said: Even if the sponsorship of TNT sports was fake. it’s not fake that they are sponsoring Rokit MB motorsport along with Jake Hill and Surfing England. ive not seen anything in the CMC magazine mentioning sponsorship details etc.... In my posting (Monday at 13:43) I quoted the 2022 'rationale' for the CAMC's sponsorship of ROKiT MB/Jake Hill and Surfing England. While this MAY not have been mentioned in the Club's magazine, GOOGLE-searches on caravan and motorhome club "ROKIT MB" and caravan and motorhome club "Surfing England" will retrieve a number of related entries. It looks like the CAMC did not continue sponsorship of ROCKIT MB/Jake Hill after 2022. The Caravan and Motorhome Club English National Surfing Championships has historically been held in May, but Surfing England's own website https://www.surfingengland.org/ has no events showing yet in its 2024 calendar. As the website entry for the English National Surfing Championships says "We are proud of our relationship with Caravan and Motorhome Club who are longstanding headline sponsors of this event" it's reasonable to assume that the CAMC will continue to sponsor the event in 2024. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thai Bry Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 We too have left the club, not for the advertising scenario. We were recently on a site, told by the wardens to drive around and choose a pitch. We chose 1 however there was a car on the pitch that we wanted. When we asked, we were told that they put the car on the pitch as their friends were due in the near future, and they wanted to reserve the pitch for their friends. When I pointed that the warden said we could chose any pitch I was met with total silence. Needless to say we left the site, told the wardens of our reason for leaving, all they could say was that shouldn't be happening, but nothing was done. We now very rarely use the CMC sites. Prefer to stay at independent sites. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocs Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 If I had been the Warden, I would have given a choice to them. Pay for two pitches or vacate one of them. Mind you, would I really want them as neighbours? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grumpyman Posted January 18 Author Share Posted January 18 Further to my earlier post I see that I have set the cat among the pigeons. The CAMC confirmed that they sponsor British canoeing and surfing. Some where on TNT is where i must have seen it. Grumpyman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Derek Uzzell Posted January 18 Share Posted January 18 It was established earlier in this thread that there is (or has been) a connection between the CAMC and Surfing England, and the following link indicates that there's a 'strategic partnership' between the CAMC and British Canoeing. https://www.britishcanoeing.org.uk/news/2020/british-canoeing-partners-with-the-caravan-and-motorhome-club TNT Sports is a rebrand of BT Sport and although it's still possible to see what was being broadcast on the four TNT Sports channels on Thursday 11 January, it would be easier finding the proverbial needle in a haystack than trying to guess at where among those programmes an indication of CAMC sponsorship might have appeared. I can comfortably accept that a link between the CAMC and a sporting activity might appear somewhere in the TPT Sports programming, but your original posting seemed to suggest that the CAMC were sponsoring the programme itself (and, of course, you expressed doubt that what you were saying was correct). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aandy Posted January 19 Share Posted January 19 On 17/01/2024 at 20:01, crocs said: If I had been the Warden, I would have given a choice to them. Pay for two pitches or vacate one of them. Mind you, would I really want them as neighbours? The key point lacking here is how near in the future the friends were due to arrive. If the same day, the pitch would be paid for and it doesn't seem unreasonable that the two groups would want to pitch together. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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