Thank you for your interest in what looks set to become a major event in the international sea fishing calendar while also generating a lasting legacy for the sport and the industry.
Launching in July 2021 with the first full-scale competition featuring 400 boats, initially running out of three harbours on the south coast of England, this is planned an annual venture around the coastline of the whole of the UK with already identified opportunities for growth across Europe over the coming years.
The Sea Angling Classic will be the start of a unique and global concept, which will benefit the environment, introduce fishing to a whole new generation, deliver key data on the sport and species and secure the future of sea fishing.
The vastly experienced organising team will generate quantifiable returns for industry partners as well as providing massive stimulus to the trade while working with key stakeholders across the sector.
The Angling Trades Association will be the industry’s link to this unique initiative, offering its members exclusive access to the first round of partner opportunities to put your brand front and centre at what will develop over the next few years into the largest such event of its type.
It will initially be staged on the south coast of England in 2022 – with a media launch event set for THIS summer from July 23rd to 25th – before expanding around the UK and, eventually, across Europe.
The unique partnership opportunities will not only generate unrivalled brand exposure but also bring newcomers into fishing, gather crucial scientific data and benefit the environment.
What’s on offer?
Unique partnership opportunities include:
- Be part of a lasting legacy in angling.
- Extensive media coverage in specialist fishing magazines, local and national newspapers, local, national and international radio and TV, including Amazon Prime potentially reaching millions of anglers.
- Full social media coverage across all major platforms including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
- Involvement in children’s fishing academies and coaching to introduce the next generation of sea anglers.
- Beach clean-ups and a focus on environmental responsibility and sustainable fishing (the events are ‘catch and release’ only).
- Access to fishing data as part of a major scientific study undertaken at the same time.
- Inclusion of brand ambassadors in the lead-up to and throughout the event.
- Dedicated app for each event with real-time, state-of-the-art coverage including live leader board, fish catches and geo location of participants.
- Live, professionally produced shows broadcast through social networks and YouTube.
- Dedicated, professionally produced promotional videos.
- Professional photograph library production covering all aspects of the event.
- Access to a full dedicated on-site media team and media suite to deliver high-quality exposure for your band and products.
- A hard copy WBAC event magazine.
- Coverage across all the major national and international trade publications, reaching an estimated 30,000 industry professionals in 125 countries.
- Banner and logo placement potential on boats, festival infrastructure, media / VIP / hospitality areas and more.
- Prize sponsorship.
- Access to a vast list of angling participants and event spectators across the world through the app and the developing Angling Spirit Club.
Who is running the Sea Angling Classic
The event is being organised by Angling Spirit, the team behind the hugely popular World Carp Classic, World Predator Classic and World Street Fishing Classic.
Angling Spirit is renowned for delivering high-quality activities and competitions with global reach, while also creating a platform for the next generation of anglers, sustainable fishing and helping the environment.
A statement from the organiser
Event founder and Angling Spirit’s managing director Ross Honey explained: “The above is an outline of the event and its scope. I am really looking forward to establishing this event as there is huge potential to provide sea anglers with a world-class competition.
“The UK’s south coast is the perfect location to stage such an event, given the tremendous infrastructure and immediate access to fishing areas. Angling Spirit has always been at the forefront of pioneering high-profile angling initiatives and this will be right at the top of them.
“I can see that there is an opportunity of helping positively promoting best practice angling and creating a platform to help encourage and educate the next generation of anglers. It is extremely important to keep the waters and shorelines clean and also highlight the positive benefits of being out on the water in fresh air.
“Safety on the water is another part of what we will be making sure is promoted through this event. All in all, there is a lot to do but, with the years of experience and the benefit of technology we have developed in-house, we are certain this is going to be a huge success for everybody involved.”
Event Structure
The event itself will mirror the boat-based predator fishing event run in The Netherlands – The World Predator Classic – with the key points being:
• Professional, experienced, successfully proven team to run and manage the event.
• Catch, photograph and release.
• Information access via the dedicated Angling Spirit Live App and the live leader board that the organisation has developed and owns.
• Multi-species competition
• An allocated number of each species will count towards the overall score.
• Staged over the days on a points basis.
• Full engagement of local community where the event is being staged.
• An environmental clean-up operation linked directly to the event.
• Schools / academies engagement.
• Tuition given by qualified angling coaches to children.
• Backing by global brands and event partners.
• Creation of a high-profile media platform.
• Prize table.
Prize Structure
Prizes will be awarded to the top 10 individuals overall.
Further prizes will be awarded for biggest specimen overall of each of the selected species.
A pairs event with the top three teams awarded prizes.
The SAC Sportsmanship Award for the angler considered to have been the best ambassador for the event.
Objectives
SAC’s vision will ensure that the event is sustainable and beneficial to both angling, the industry and the environment on an ongoing basis and be open to:
- All geographical port areas around the UK.
- All sea angling clubs.
- All pleasure sea fishing anglers.
- Supportive of local and national environmental initiatives
- Providing a window for angling-based social and wellbeing initiatives
- Development of diverse angling recruitment initiatives
Location of events
The location for the inaugural media invitational Sea Angling Classic launch event and subsequent finals will be the south coast of the UK.
Initially run out of Chichester, Langston and Portsmouth harbours, with the event headquarters based at the Angling Spirit head offices and marine training facilities in Emsworth and Northney Marina.
Designated start and finish times will be identified using the geo activated element incorporated into the bespoke Angling Spirit event app.
When will it take place?
A media invitational launch is scheduled for July 23rd to 25th, 2021. The full inaugural event will take place in July 2022 and be staged annually thereafter.
Time frames
2021 – Media invitational launch event.
2022 – Inaugural event with up to 400 boats nationwide.
2023 – Angling club qualifying event roll out to all sea angling clubs in the UK.
As the status of the Sea Angling Classic grows, the same event model will be replicated in other countries around the world with the various national winners eventually taking part in other ‘finals’ events.
Outline of itinerary for Media Launch, July 2021
Friday, July 23rd
Registration
Welcome reception
Reveal of event logo
Reveal of event website
Presentation event for partners, official bodies and sponsors
Saturday, July 24th
Captain’s briefing
Start of event
Children’s fishing academy
Shoreline clear up
End of day one
Evening results announcements
Saturday, July 25th
Captain’s briefing
Start of event
Shoreline clear up
Beaches clean up
End of day two
Evening results prizegiving
The Angling Live App
The Angling Spirit Angling Live App (ALA) has been developed to provide real-time, state-of-the-art recording of event proceedings. The ALA app ensures seamless running of Angling Spirit events worldwide and has been custom-made for the events like the Sea Angling Classic. The app provides the following event features:
• A live leader board will be visible globally during the event.
• All fish caught will be photographed (and released) on the measuring boards provided. The photographs will NOT be displayed during the event.
• The app provides exact geo location of participants to the event organisers – this is not visible to the public but will be used for media purposes.
• It will incorporate a free-to-view facility with users registering their name e-mail address for access to the live leader board and free membership of the Angling Spirit Club.
The Angling Spirit Club
This is a huge opportunity for all event partners as the concept develops and unfolds. The amount of information gathered through the event-based marketing platform could generate a lot of data / members very quickly.
During the World Carp Classic, from zero in a nine-day period Angling Spirit saw more than 275,000 unique users interact 4.7 million times.
Media coverage
Previous Angling Spirit events have generated over 4.7 million clicks on the ALA live leader board with responses from over 250,000 unique viewers generating significant marketing possibilities for industry stakeholders and event sponsors. Additional media coverage at Angling Spirit events includes but is not limited to:
- Local TV – BBC South
- National TV BT Sports – BT Sports Europe
- International TV – Amazon Prime
- Full social network platforms, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube.
- Live professionally produced shows broadcast through social network
- Hard copy WBAC event magazine.
- Trade publications.
- Dedicated professionally produced promo videos.
- Professional photograph library produced covering all aspects of the event.
- Full dedicated on-site media team during the event.
Back Up Plan
As you would expect from such a professional team, there is a back-up plan in place for bad weather. The following weekend is on standby and can be used for additional activities in any case.
Historic Angling Spirit Event Media
Here are a few links to give you examples of the standard of the media support we provide and produce for our events and our partners:
World Predator Classic
World Street Fishing
World Carp Classic
Event magazines
https://issuu.com/angspirit/stacks
To discuss this unique opportunity further, e-mail info@anglingspirit.com or call Ross Honey on 07831 690609.