Sponsorship 4: The CYPRES Code… Code

Skydiving exists in between states of being. We are still very much connected to the earliest days of our sport, when our ideas for what came next were cooked up in the bar after sunset, forged alongside the relationships and connections to get them done. For sure this is still the way of many things, but as things have grown and progressed necessary structures have formed new connective tissue – for helping an increasing number of interested parties keep things organised and get stuff done.

Airtec sponsors a lot of teams and athletes, and due to the lifespan of the CYPRES, this number grows to include new folk much quicker than units expire or people exit the sport. Back in the day, it was possible to informally remember who was sponsored, for what, and why – but with skydiving becoming an increasingly global community, plus the nomadic nature of many of our highly skilled professionals, it has become more and more important to find a way to oversee the comings and goings in a way the works for everyone. 

Structure

Sponsorship programmes all have a slightly different approach, often with a modest discount as a way in, before building from there as trust grows in both directions. The nature of the CYPRES unit (life span, repack cycles, maintenance) means that a tiered approach to sponsorship doesn’t really work – ultimately creating too many admin and logistics issues. We don’t break apart the pricing, instead opting to support the skydiving community by either investing in other ways and awarding our sponsored interests units with no financial obligation. 

Possession

It has always been in our sponsorship contract that CYPRES officially retains ownership of sponsored units, but this has rarely been pursued or enforced. We try to make good choices, and by and large, this has led to productive and long-lasting relationships within which we are not too bothered about asking for units back when a professional team fragments into individual pursuits, or a solo athlete’s situation changes and evolves. That said, as numbers have grown there has been the odd misstep. A team can stumble right out of the blocks and never get going again, injuries or other extraneous circumstances can happen, and athletes can simply vanish sometimes. 

Over recent years, some things have happened enough times for us to become resolute on requiring a method to properly manage many hundreds of connections that helps to motivate things to work better in both directions. When a defunct team cannot tell you where even half of their units now are, it needs fixing. When an athlete asks for a new unit because theirs has expired, but the last activity you can source from them is a full decade ago, it needs fixing. When a team splits and sells all their units rather than asking if they should return them, it needs fixing. These are very much the exceptions, but a system that tracks activity and relationships is what is needed.

Solutions

Much of the old way remains. Along with the more formal online application, it is still possible to pick up a CYPRES sponsorship by talking to the right person in the right dropzone bar – and we still will not ask you for any money. If CYPRES sponsors you, units will arrive that you don’t pay for. We enter into these relationships hoping for a long and happy collaboration, however sponsored units now all exist needing to have a code entered each year for them to function. 

Needing a code for your sponsored CYPRES to start working each year is as much about prompting the correct work on our end as it is about anyone else. Many industry professionals have a good grasp of the ins and outs of sponsorship, but there is also no shortage of those who are ready to apply themselves but ask for a bit of guidance to help point in the right direction. A scheduled interaction prompted by the code requirement is about an opportunity to review plans and refresh ideas, to offer and accept the things we will collectively aim for next. The code is not meant as a stick for CYPRES to hit you with but as a carrot for everyone involved to chase enthusiastically.      

Although

We understand how things work. Functioning as a professional in the skydiving industry can require intense hustle, and while intentions are good, shit happens sometimes. People can pick up injuries. Money can be tight. Teams can be tough to manage. It is a rare thing, but we may end up in a position where it becomes necessary to visit these alternative options if the previous year has not gone to plan. If there has been only silence, we may offer that you…    

1. Do sponsorship stuff. It is possibly not too late and there are many ways to share your value. If your team is not competing this year, why not? Is there a lesson in there for other teams to learn? How could you turn that into a win? Did your plans fall through? Why? The sport always needs more transparency about how things do or don’t get done.
2. Pay for the year. If for some reason you are certain that the coming annual cycle will not contain any of the activity your sponsorship was built upon, but you will be right back at it next time around – you can pay for the year and have no obligation within that time.
3. Buy out the unit/s. If you are definitely done in a professional capacity but will continue skydiving for personal reasons, you can buy out the remaining life of your unit.
4. Return the unit/s. If you are done forever, send your unit or units back to the factory so we can offer them to someone getting started.

Onwards

Maintaining a single sponsorship is but a small (yet serious) part of your overall professional life. The code system serves as much as motivation on our end as it does for anyone else. At CYPRES we aim to do as much as possible to support our skydiving community and the systems that help the professional goals of leaders, competitors and educators. 

The value we create in skydiving takes many forms, and it is up to teams and athletes to find the best way to apply their strengths. At CYPRES we are incredibly lucky to have very loyal and passionate representation across the board, and our goal is to offer regular support so we can all work together to keep things moving forward. 

Thank you all.