Atlanta Business Chronicle | Tour de Georgia may be on financial crash course
The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports the Tour de Georgia has a week to find a title sponsor. If they can't, organizers say they'll have to “ ‘minimize expenses dramatically’ or even ax the popular event altogether.”
United Community Bank, last year's sprint sponsor, Delta Air Lines, GE Energy, and the Georgia state Department of Economic Development all are on board, but the $1.5 million raised so far is about $800,000 short of what's needed.
Organizers chose a race route that brings the race into Atlanta, finishing in Centennial Olympic Park, and expect more spectators as a result, but that change apparently was part of the reason that Ford's North Georgia dealers pulled out of the race.
Some Ford dealers in North Georgia decided it wasn't in their interest to sponsor the event, as the race will not pass through areas they thought would give their dealerships good exposure, [Tour chairman Craig] Lesser said.
Lesser said organizers have approached every major corporation in Georgia, but record losses in the auto industry and changing leadership in local companies have made the search harder.
Lesser stresses that calling the Tour de Georgia a "no-go" is an extreme option. Cutting back on the event is an unsavory task, though. As a result, Lesser says the board could make do with no title sponsor -- just as long as individuals or companies donate enough money to get the race started.
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