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Looking For Suggestions and Sponsorship For An Off-beat Road-trip

By Divya Rai on 26 Comments / 4776 views


Hi!

I am a travel-blogger and I am looking to participate in an off-beat adventure event.

What am I looking for? Sponsorship ideas.

For? An event called the great Auto-Rickshaw Run. I want to participate in the August edition, which means, I will travel from Shillong to Kochi in an autorickshaw, within 2 weeks. It is a team event. We take turns to drive the autorickshaw. 

Sponsorship Amount? The entry fee is £1595. Another £1600 (which includes £1000 refundable deposit) as miscellaneous. Here is the link for this.

Why am I posting it on this forum? 
 Because I need the forum to help me with the following:
a) Figuring out what can I offer as a Travel-blogger and photographer, that a company wouldn’t mind sponsoring my participation. Something that makes a lot of sense to them, and the give-and-take doesn’t pinch.
I have been the official blogger for event like MTB Shimla 2014 (mountain-biking). I write a travel blog called A Borrowed Backpack.

b) Companies that would happily sponsor it. I was thinking of approaching Piaggio (since they manufacture the autorickshaws, but then, my thought process ends right there.)

Limitations: While we are at it, I want to clarify that somethings are practically impossible for me to commit or to do justice to. 
Because of the unpredictable nature of the event, it would be stupid if I say that I shall be posting minute-by-minute update of the event. I have done adventure events before too, and it is near-impossible to write a blog-post each day, or write at least something that portrays the whole experience honestly.
I can:
Offer to photo-blog.
Offer to write about my experience as a participant to the event.
What else? You suggest please. 

My participation depends solely on the sponsorship. If I get it, there won’t be anyone happier.

I am tweetable at: @raidivya27
Email: raidivya@hotmail.com

The images have been taken from https://www.theadventurists.com/rickshaw-run/

Thank you for reading.

🙂

Edit 1:

Met fellow comrades at the Rodinhood Delhi Unmeet last evening. Here is the update:
1) Akshay and Blaze suggested that I focus on crowd-funding. (Only road-block being that Wishberry does not have ‘Travel’ segment on its website. So a dead-end of sorts there.)

2) Looking for media-tie ups from both print and digital arena.

Edit 2:

Here is the elevator-pitch:

https://aborrowedbackpack.com/elevator-pitch/

and this is the crowd-funding link:

https://igg.me/at/mlf4WE8AEJs/x/10883913

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26 Comments

  1. divya,

    this is so awesome. i’m totally jealous that i never did this stuff in my 20s!!

    i) i need you to add your twitter handle at the end so i can mention you while promoting this.

    ii) photo blogs and actually travel blogs work perfectly. a diary would be awesome, but yes, i realise sometimes you can’t blog every single day.

    iii) i’m sharing this with akshay (indian backpacker) and all the other travel ventures i know. we have LOTS of rodinhooders in the travel space who – so let’s see who can help you (use the search feature). will share with sudeepta of blueberry trails in case she can give you some leads as well.

    iv) START TWEETING. twitter is super effective. start tweeting this post to every travel venture you know of including fox traveller, TLC kinda people! you never know who could help you out!

    v) pitch it to the bajaj company that makes autos? they do, right?

    will keep more ideas coming through. let’s make this post of yours viral first!!

  2. divya, since you’re based in delhi – be sure to attend the unmeetup next sunday. 

    we all will bounce ideas for you!

    https://www.therodinhoods.com/events/the-rodinhoods-delhi-unmeetup-19th-april

  3. Think of brands that might possibly have a pan India appeal. E.g. Olacabs, Housing.

  4. tsk tsk abhik – look up karte karte takkar lag sakti hai :)))))))))

  5. amazing divya, seems like a very interesting trip..

    you could think of making a short movie after the whole trip with a day to day recount and then ask cos like makemytrip, airbnb for sponsorship.

    hope you have a memorable adventure..

  6. Sure Asha ji,
    will attend if I am in town. 

    🙂

  7. Thank you for the tips.
    I will tweet it to everyone who it can make sense to.  

  8. Abhik: 
    This is going to go through the really remote parts of the country. I doubt if if Ola or Housing would make any sense to the people. Or the people to these brands. I was thinking of more grass-root brands like IFFCO or KRIBHCO (fertilizers).

    Thank you for the suggestions.

  9. After the trip, the certainty of sell-ability of what I have will be case-specific and extremely narrow, while as of now, the brands can propose their ideas and we can see if it is do-able and good to go ahead with it.

    Thank you, Sunaina. 

  10. hey divya,

    closer to the event pls write to me asha@rodinhood.com – i would love for you to wear a rodinhood tee while you’re riding that auto!!!

  11. divya, pls follow trhs fb page – your post is getting comments!

    Chandrabhan Bidoli try trevolta.com

    Trevolta – Crowd-Funded Travel

    Go places, make memories, inspire people and change the world along the way.

    TREVOLTA.COM

    Unlike · Reply · Remove Preview · 1 · Just now

  12. You said adventure, So why not Thums Up  – Aaj Kuch Toofani Karte Hai?

    2. Samsung Mobile – You could capture a lot of emotions throughout the journey. They are to promote the S6, So this could do good for them. Or maybe even HTC / Microsoft Lumia / ASUS. Am sure this would be interesting to them.

    3. Maybe telcos? You could tell how good is the network in remote areas? 😀

  13. Karthik! 

    Whoaa! Awesome. 

    Thank you! Will do. 

  14. Divya,

    Would you want a team member. I have been wanting to do this event since a long time, had raised funds and sponsorship for this event last year but had to cancel due to some last minute issues at home. Would love to join and help do this if you need someone else along 🙂

    Regards

    Aakanksha

  15. Aakanksha,

    I don’t think I get to decide my team-member, but anyhow that comes later. Moreover, I think we participate as individuals (fee etc), but execute it as a team.
     But you can always apply independently. 

    🙂

  16. Divya,

    The fee is for the team participating. The adventurist company doesnt find you the team members. I am actually aware of this as I had decided to do the same route last year. There are many groups on Facebook which help you find your own team members too. 

    Aakanksha 🙂

  17. Aakanksha,

    In THAT case, you are always welcome if you have something interesting to bring on-board or work on this pitch. I am still to think that ahead in my planning, and I am being honest here. 
    That said, I still wish to clarify that my participation would be depend on the said sponsorship. 🙂
    regards

  18. Divya,

    Sent you a FB friend request. Lets connect and take this forward. I am so excited again 🙂

    Aakanksha

  19. divya,

    i’ve met aakanksha personally when she came to goa and have known her as a rodinhooder for quite a while. she’s an amazing person. 

    i would jump at her offer to partner as a team!!

  20. And you are doing this just to see the world?

  21. Alok sir, there are other ways to see the world which are less dangerous and much less expensive. This is for experience, roughing it out and endurance (minus the worldly comfort). 

    Basically, an interesting story in my kitty to narrate to my grandkids. 😀 

  22. Hi Divya,

    I didn’t read all the comments and am unaware if someone’s already mentioned it or not, you could get in touch with NDTV/ TLC/NDTV Good times to get coverage and sponsorship, I know an acquaintance, Kanika Sood( NIEV Org) who did something similar a while back (she’s from Shimla).

    Alternatively, you could also get in touch with Castrol/Total who make the lubricant oils essential for Autos, Piaggio/Bajaj or Atul Auto are the best things though!

    Goodluck!

  23. Thank you, Prateek. I am still looking out for a media-partner, and I will take your suggestions into consideration. 

    regards

  24. If you ask me you should go by your own Autorickshaw. This event asks you for 250,000 rupees approx. In that money buy your own tuk tuk and travel around and sell it to someone. Then also you will be in profit.

    Shillong to Kochi distance – 3300

    Auto rickshaw average mileage – 25 Km/ Litre

    Total fuel required – 132

    Money required – approx – 8000 rupees

    for a week personal expenses will not come more than 15000 in any way.

    So if you sell your auto rickshaw with a resell value of 30/40K less than your buying price. You can calculate how much it will cost for the whole adventure. It will save a whole lot of money.

    For branding – Put a big hoarding in the autorickshaw saying “I am an Independent traveler, There is no connection with this Rickshaw run contest” 😀

     

  25. Noted, Jubanashwa. Thanks! 😀 

  26. Edit 2 has been added. It has the elevator-pitch, and a crowd funding link. 

    Feedback please? And share on social media too.

    Thanks, much!

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