Rookie & The Vet: Notes from Coachella Activations for Sponsorships Artwork

The Inches: A Podcast About Sports Sponsorship

Welcome to The Inches, a podcast that looks at how digital is changing the sports sponsorship & marketing game. Each week we dive into the struggles and issues we face in the sports and event sponsorship space.Hosted by Nick Lawson & Rich Franklin.Nick is the co-founder of SQWAD, a digital sponsorship activation company that works with some of the biggest sports teams in the world to help them bring ROI & engagement to their in-stadium activations.Rich is the Sr. Director of corporate partnerships for the Oakview Group, Acrisure Arena, and AHL Coachella Valley Firebirds. He has over 30 years of sponsorship sales experience in the sports and radio broadcast industry.Jump in and take a listen as we navigate through some of the toughest and most challenging aspects of the sponsorship business!

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The Inches: A Podcast About Sports Sponsorship

Rookie & The Vet: Notes from Coachella Activations for Sponsorships

April 13, 2026

0:00 | 49:04

Coachella & Stagecoach, 2 concerts that consume the city of Indio in the Coachella Valley. The city almost doubles in size across 2 weekends.

Brands notice...and they put their creative hats on to stand out and activate.

So what can we learn in sponsorships from these activations?

Luckily we have boots on the ground with Rich Franklin, and on this episode of the Inches we dive into what he's noticing around the event and how it can help you rethink your sponsorships.

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The Inches Podcast is a podcast that looks at sports & event sponsorship and how digital is affecting the industry and landscape. Hosted by Rich Franklin, VP of Partnerships at the Coachella Valley Firebirds and Nick Lawson, Co-founder of SQWAD.