Ping Pong

Pink Pong Foundation USA
28-15 47 Street
Astoria, NY 11103
WolfgangBusch@earthlink.net
dKing@voa.com

Ping Pong consideration proposal for the
Gay Games Federation and the Cleveland, Ohio Host Committee
by Wolfgang Busch and Doug King, May 2011

Proposal Outline

Objectives:
We intend to produce for the Gay Games IX in Cleveland, Ohio, a successful and exciting LGBT International Table Tennis tournament for all level players.

We are providing a professional and social atmosphere for the athletes to meet and greet, play, network, and socialize, and give them a taste of the Gay Games "Unity Spirit" that lasts a lifetime.

We would like to use this opportunity to create an international LGBT ping pong organization called "Pink Pong Foundation USA", providing professional leadership and a save competitive environment for all the participants from around the world. We are expecting many recreational players from the US and pro- and semi professionals from Europe and Latin America.

In addition to the tournament, we are thinking of providing a Table Tennis workshop with a professional teacher for an additional minimal fee, and we are also thinking of providing a free social "Beer/Soda Pong" event, to bring all players together for fun and socializing, and the opportunity to trade your last team pin for that special one.

Benefiting from this project are the Table Tennis Association with new member ship, Corporate sponsors have direct access to the national and international Table Tennis community, and
the LGBT community will benefit from an International Annual Table Tennis Tournament and Table Tennis clinics. The Games in Cleveland will be the kick off for an annual tournament every year after that, starting in New York City in 2015 and Chicago in 2016, to continue and maintain the growth of this very exciting and healthy sport.

Vision:
On the larger picture we want to focus on a 5 year business plan to develop grass-root ping pong in the United States, which requires a commitment from the US Table Tennis Association, LGBT community, and selected Educational and Cultural institutions across the country.

To get started, we sign up a spokes person and contact local LGBT community centers and not for profit organizations across the country, and encourage them to help to promote Ping Pong. During this outreach and awareness campaign, we will be able to sign up local players and community members, who are interested in becoming a representative and the point person(s) from that city. Those representatives will be serving on a board of directors, who will be responsible in producing the International LGBT Table Tennis tournament in Cleveland, Ohio.

We intend to provide an opportunity for corporate sponsorship to underwrite costs or make in-kind donations. We create partnerships with local sports, cultural and educational institutions, and the media, to help us to find the necessary volunteers and administration needed to get this project off the ground and running.

Goal:
We believe we can mobilize about 100 participants for the Games in Cleveland, and we expect this number to increase each year, because of the infrastructure and the natural progression of the program.

The Tournament:
For Cleveland we recommend the same 5 day tournament concept from Cologne, providing A, B, C and Recreational categories and scale it from there. Participants can enter Singles, Doubles, Mixed Doubles, Team and over 40 categories, giving the athletes several opportunities to win a medal.

We have several options to make this happen. We work with a local Table Tennis club and use their facilities, which may or may not meet our needs, or rent a gym that can accommodate about 10 to 15 tables, in this case we are considering sponsorship from a table tennis manufacturer or work with the local community and rent the tables from them.

We intend to work with local organizers and clubs in Cleveland, to help us run this tournament, so we have a professional and fun tournament.

In 2013, Cleveland is hosting the Senior National Ping Pong Tournament; we intend to contact the organizers for information and possible recourses. We are also planning to participate in it to meet the organizers and the locals in person.

In Closing:
While we are still looking for an openly LGBT professional table tennis player for a spokes person, we are also considering celebrities to become our spokes person, to help to promote this project. Adding a celebrity adds more excitement within the community and is likely to get more media coverage and will be more successful in reaching potential players across the country and internationally. This campaign will also promote the games in general, because of local, national and international press coverage.

Support:
We have the support from the US Table Tennis association and the president Michael Cavanaugh; USA Table Tennis Hall of Famer and former board member, George Brathwait; and Pilipino Champion and Runner Up at the US Open 2011, in Las Vegas, Ernesto Ebuen.

Volunteer Positions:
The heart beat of any organization

Administrative positions:

Founders/Chairs:
Wolfgang Busch, Doug King

Available Positions:
Board of Directors
Board of Advisors
Tournament Committee
City Point Persons
Cleveland Table Tennis reps
LGBT Community Centers representative
Non Profit representative
High School representative
HIV non profit representative
Official Spokes person
Secretary
Volunteer coordinator
Graphic Designer
Website Designer
Facebook designer
Blogger
Political Liaison
Publicist
Media Clips collector/analyst
Social Committee
Club promoters

Sponsorships:
Media sponsors
- Print
- Internet
- Radio
- TV
Corporate sponsors
- Table Tennis Equipment Manufacturers
- Soft Drink
- Liquor
- Shipping company
- Water
- Beer

Timeline

Immediate Action:
- International media campaign to announce Table Tennis at the IX Gay Games in Cleveland.
- Search for and contract a Spokes Person for Table Tennis
- Start the second media campaign to recruit players and volunteers
- Contact venues for availability and pricing
- Partnership with the US Table Tennis Association
- Contact sponsors
- Build a website
- Build a Facebook site
- Start a Blog

2012
- Ongoing promotion and publicity events with spokes person
- Announce advisory board

2013
- Secure venue
- Secure sponsorship
- Ongoing promotion and publicity events
- Announce the Tournament committee
- Contact the registrants with up-dates
- Announce a board of directors

2014
- Ongoing promotion and publicity events
- Tournament Outline
- Contact the registrants with up-dates

(c) Art From The Heart 2011

For donations and volunteers please contact:
Wolfgang Busch
28-15 47 Street
Astoria, NY 11103
USA
WolfgangBusch@earthlink.net
718-623-2926