Sponsorship Information

January 6, 2016

To: Rodeo Supporters and Sponsors

Re: International Lineman’s Rodeo Association Sponsorship

On October 14, 2017 the 34th annual International Lineman’s Rodeo will be held in Kansas City. The International Lineman’s Rodeo has become the world premier event for lineman professionals throughout the United States and around the world. The Rodeo has grown to over 200 Journeyman Teams and over 250 Apprentices. Participants and other attendees total over 3,500 people who come together for this exciting event each year. Entire families truly enjoy attending the events together.

In addition to the competition, participants and their guests can review all the latest safety and line work, tools, equipment, and materials at the International Lineman’s Rodeo Expo, one of the largest vendor expos targeted to work of this type in the country. In 2006 we launched a very successful Int’l Lineman’s Rodeo Safety & Training conference. This is another valuable addition for attendees coming to our event. This year we will continue our one and a half day conference with speaker presentations, training demonstrations and roundtable discussions. You can find more information on our event website at www.linemansrodeokc.com.

Although the events at the Rodeo are truly competitive, the long-term benefits are focused on improved safety, enhanced job skills, job knowledge, developing inter-company relationships, and improved teamwork and attitude for participants.

Safety benefits include participants and their sponsoring companies being introduced to new safety techniques, processes, and new tools and equipment that help improve the safe performance of line work. This comes from other participants as well as exposure to vendors. With well over a 100 companies participating, the chance for learning different, safer work procedures is very high. Participants are graded on their safe performance of each event and each year all competitors must complete a closely monitored pole top rescue event. In addition, because the International Lineman’s Rodeo Association has an arrangement with the largest manufacturer of practice dummies, your company can purchase these safety dummies at a more than a $1,000 discount over the normal retail cost and have them shipped to your line training or safety training facility.

Productivity benefits include creation or sometimes identification and sharing of consistent, most efficient work practices. Many of the skills required in the competition are less frequently used currently but still critical line skills like climbing, working off a pole, and task work using hot sticks rather than gloves. These opportunities for your linemen enhance their skills and keep them fresh making them more productive. With some of the very best, most competent linemen in the country in competition at the event, skill sets and work practices can be observed that may not be available at some of the lineman’s home organizations. Linemen are introduced to new small tools and work aides each year that may not be known at their organization or even in their region of the country. Such items and procedures, because they often make certain frequently repeated tasks more efficient, can greatly improve productivity.

Less tangible benefits received include improved morale for participants. The event allows them to exhibit their hard earned skills, network with linemen from their neighboring utilities and all over the world and a greater focus on teamwork and cooperation that the event and the competition fosters. These and other intangible benefits are undoubtedly in line with the strategic directions your organization is working toward and can help with achieving your organization’s goals.

We at the International Lineman’s Rodeo Association (ILRA) understand the tight resource situation that most utility companies face. The various utilities that our volunteers on the association Board of Directors and volunteer Advisory Committee members represent are in similar circumstances. However, we believe that the tangible and intangible benefits to your company of sponsoring the ILRA easily justify that expenditure.

The Rodeo Association is a registered as a not-for-profit corporation in the State of Missouri. The ILRA’s purpose is to plan and host the annual competition and to promote and recognize the safe, efficient practice of the craft of the lineman trade. In addition, the ILRA is strongly involved in the future of the lineman craft and provides scholarships to promising students in vocational technical line work programs at various schools and colleges around the country. Although there are entry fees and meal fees for participants, those fees do not nearly cover the total cost to host the Rodeo. That is why sponsorships are so critical.

Each year we ask utility companies to “sponsor” the Rodeo. By doing this, your company helps support the Rodeo and in turn the profession of line work that all utilities are so dependent on. These memberships allow the Association to hold entry fees down and provide our participants and their companies considerably more value than we could otherwise. In return, your company

  • becomes a member in the International Lineman’s Rodeo Association
  • receives reduced entry fees for their teams and apprentices
  • receives free company advertising in the show program
  • receives special sponsor recognition at the Rodeo event
  • receives reserved seating at the awards banquet

Will you please join many of the most respected IOUs, municipalities, co-ops/REAs, contractor companies and union locals in the country and consider being a member of the International Lineman’s Rodeo Association?

Platinum Member
$5000/year – No entry fees for up to 32 participants, a full page ad in the show program, reserved banquet seating and platinum parking passes at rodeo grounds.

Gold Member
$2500/year – Reduced team entry fees and half page ad in show program

Silver Member
$1500/year – Reduced team entry fees and quarter page ad in show program

Bronze Member
$750/year – Reduced team entry fees and a one sixth page ad in show program

If you need more information on the various levels of sponsorship available or have any questions please contact us at 913-967-1865.

If your company has supported the Rodeo in years past, the Association thanks you on behalf of all the linemen who have benefited and we encourage you to renew your membership this year and in future years. If your company has not participated as a sponsor in recent years, it would be great to have you back.

The Rodeo has been successful over the past several years because of the voluntary support of many people and companies. It truly has become international with regular annual participation by teams from several foreign countries as well as participants each year from almost every state in the Union.

Please continue this support by completing the attached form subscribing to membership in the International Lineman’s Rodeo Association.

Sincerely,

Dale Warman & Dennis Kerr
Co-Chairmen