After TARP

I had an interesting conversation with someone from a large bank that is paying back their TARP bailout funds. He said that once TARP is paid, they will definitely do more sponsorship deals and events. However, the game has changed. Now his bank will be looking for more creative and innovative partnerships to fully leverage their investments. They got a taste of how flexible (or giving) properties could be and they want to continue with that mindset. In other words, don't expect the dollars to flow back. Expect collaborative partnership where properties extend more benefits for less money. Yes, times have changed.