You can always tell when the industry is doing well. What a stupid comment, you say - but let me explain. You see Bathurst, or indeed any major sporting competition in Australia, allows that little bit of extra 'face time, press the flesh time' with your customer base.
Anyone who has been following my column will know I am a great believer in getting up-close and personal with the end user.
But back to the start - there is no doubt that, without any exaggeration, there would have been millions and millions of dollars passed through company credit cards during the past two weeks, what with the grand finals of both AFL and the Rugby League and to top it off, the greatest car race in the world.
Just imagine for a minute where that dollar stream starts. At the airport in some far off distant mining town, the local company rep has sat down with two or three favoured customers. Three rounds of drinks and a sanga (that's a sandwich to all those outside Australia) and the tab rings in at around $100.
Onto the plane and the same again to the major city. So that's airfares, let's say $5000 if we are making the West-to-East trek and return.
Overnight stay and a reasonable meal, plus a few rounds of beers, a couple of cab fares and the tab before bedtime has run up another $3000. Well, it's only a four star hotel.
Pick up the rental car next day (let's not be shabby - make it a big Fairlane or Calais) and off to the hinterland of New South Wales. Morning tea, lunch, and a few more beers - except for the driver, of course - and the tab that day clocks in at around $1500.
Next morning the driver is off the hook so he is in for a big day to catch up with his mates, so more of the same plus the race tickets and the goodnight tab is up by another $2000 or so big ones.
This goes on for another two days but the pace is showing so lets average it back to a grand a day: $2000.
Then there's the chance to buy those tending the office back home something to ease the pain and cold shoulder because "you got to go and I didn't". A couple of hundred each should do the trick so ring it in at $800.
Can't get back home the same day; however the boys have decided they have quenched their thirst but wouldn't mind taking in a show in the big city. Oh heck, there goes another $2000.
So now homeward bound and the rep is chuckling as to how the accountant can possibly see the value of the spend. That'd be $16,500 give or take a few beers.
Now multiply that out by the 5000 suppliers to the mining industry alone who would partake in such an activity and one can get to a cool $8 million in a flash. And I reckon I am being a mite conservative on all counts.
At this time of year, the advertising budgets - let alone the expense accounts - get a solid workout.
If a company has their name or product emblazoned in any shape or form on the cars or athletes or around the track, in any manner large or small, there are squads of people back in small offices around the country sitting in front of monitors scanning continuous television footage and noting each and every time a company's name is sighted. No matter how quickly, even a blur will do.
Such data is compiled into a plethora of charts and graphs and forwarded to the marketing departments of said companies so they can justify to their chief executives (who also had a wonderful weekend at the races) why it is so important to continue the sponsorship.
Meanwhile back at the rep's branch office a phone call or two is followed up.
"Yes, we can deliver in that timeframe, the quote is in the mail. Oh and thanks very much for the commitment to buy. No, there weren't any photos taken at the show in the city. Thirty-five thousand feet amnesia they call it. Hey boss, tell the accountant that we just won that deal in case he whinges about my monthly expenses."
You better believe it readers; I am a great believer in the value of money well spent.
