Where do women gather on Super Bowl Sunday if not in front of the television set? In snowy environs, they head to ski and snowshoe trails for the largest women’s winter sporting event in the lower 48, the National Women’s Winter Tour.

Sponsors use sampling, signage and product demonstrations to promote their brands.

To find out how to get your client’s message out on the trails with women on the go, read on.

This is one in a Media Life series on buying the new out-of-home venues. They appear weekly.

Fast Facts 

What
Sponsorship of the annual National Women’s Winter Tour, an alternative event on Super Bowl Sunday.

Who
Women’s Winter Tour, headquartered in Traverse City, Mich.

How it works
Advertisers can sponsor events around the country on Super Bowl Sunday.

Participants choose cross country skiing, snowshoeing, or snow hiking and also choose what time they want to start the course. Stations along the course feature refreshments with a focus on gourmet and chocolate. The event is non-competitive, says executive director Kaye Krapohl.

“We cross pollinate,” Krapohl says. “For example, in the past, participants could test-drive a car from our Subaru sponsor and get a chance to win a pair of Fischer skis, or buy a pair of Tubbs snowshoes and get a hat from Isis clothing.”

Events leading up to the tour that involve sponsors include health expos and winter sportswear fashion shows.

Markets
This year’s events will take place in Traverse City, Lake Tahoe, Minneapolis, Champion, Pa., and Tamarack, Idaho.

Numbers
Last year’s attendance was 4,000 women, Krapohl says.

How it is measured
Event registrations are used as a basis for determining impressions.

Research
In post-event surveys, 87 percent of participants were able to identify sponsors, Krapohl says.

What product categories do well
Sports apparel, sports equipment, health products, automobiles, chocolate and other food, coffee and cosmetics are top categories.

Demographics
A survey conducted during the 2006 Tour by event organizers found that participants:
-span a full range of ages, 4 percent under 18, 10 percent ages 18-29, 34 percent 30-45, 41 percent 46-60, and 11 percent age 60 and older
-In terms of education, 16 percent have some college, 37 percent have an associate or bachelor’s degree, 33 percent have a graduate degree, and 6 percent possess a doctoral degree
-Annual expenditures on sports equipment range from $250 to $500 (33 percent), $500 to $1,000 (23 percent) and $1,000 and over (14 percent)
-More than half participate in warm-weather sports or other athletic activities five or more times per week

Making the buy
Lead time for major sponsors is three months.

Who’s already sponsoring the winter tour:
Tubbs Snowshoes, Merrell Shoes, Isis clothing, Stonyfield Yogurt, Chocolove, Choice Hotels and Fischer Skis are sponsoring the network of events or a single event.

What they’re saying
“Working with 1,500 participants at a single event versus 5,000 at something like a marathon provides more of an opportunity to interact with people. Since this event is non-competitive, participants have a chance to wander around the exhibits and try things at their own speed.” – Karen Strough, representative for Merrell Shoes and previously for Tubbs Snowshoes

Web site info
Women’s Winter Tour at www.womenswintertour.com