SOCAL SWORDFIGHT 2025
EVENT IMPACT
SoCal Swordfight 2025, scheduled for March 14-16 at the Sheraton Fairplex in Pomona, demonstrates the rising popularity of historical martial arts as a competitive sport. The event features:
- Over 1,700 high-intensity matches
- 110+ hours of expert instruction
- 70 international instructors
- 25,000+ sq ft of competition space
Since 2015, the event has experienced remarkable growth, with attendance increasing by 360.8%. This expansion reflects the growing interest in historical European martial arts as both a competitive sport and a form of historical preservation
SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY
Why Partner With SoCal Swordfight?
Historical martial arts represents a unique intersection of athletic performance, educational development, and cultural preservation. Our event offers sponsors:
- Access to a dedicated community of athletes and martial arts enthusiasts
- Connection with a rapidly growing sport
- Engagement with a predominantly young, active demographic
- Integration opportunities across multiple platforms
- Support for youth athletic development and education
- Alignment with both athletic excellence and historical preservation
SOCAL SWORDFIGHT
Ready to
MEET THE HEMA PRACTITIONER
UNVEILING THE MODERN MARTIAL HISTORIAN
The Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) practitioner stands at the intersection of diverse affinity categories, embodying a unique blend of passion, discipline, and historical curiosity.
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Attendance Growth
Since its inception in 2012, SoCal Swordfight has grown into a major event in the HEMA community. While comprehensive data is available from 2015 onwards, the event's growth has been remarkable. From 2015 to 2024, attendance increased significantly, rising from 250 attendees in 2015 to 1,152 total attendees in 2024. This represents a growth of 360.8% over this nine-year period, showcasing the event's expanding popularity and commitment to the HEMA community.
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Attendance by Age
The majority of our attendees, regardless of gender, fall within the 25-54 age range, with the largest segment between 25-44. This trend reflects the relatively young nature of competitive HEMA in the United States and highlights this age group's passion for the sport. To foster future growth, we are expanding our U18 categories to encourage younger competitors to join the HEMA community. As our current practitioners age, we are also considering the development of a seniors category to ensure inclusivity and sustain our vibrant community.
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Attendance by Gender
Our event demographics consistently show a male majority, with 68-75% male attendance across various channels. At-event participation maintains this trend, with over 65% male attendees. We've observed a 7% increase in female participation, which can be attributed to our recent expansion of tournament categories. These new categories have provided additional opportunities for competition, attracting more female practitioners to actively engage in the event. We continue to monitor these trends and adjust our event structure to accommodate the evolving interests of our diverse HEMA community.ShareRewrite
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Followers & Subscribers
Our dedicated HEMA community continues to grow across multiple channels. Our email list remains our strongest connection, with 2,800 subscribers. Facebook engagement remains high with 1,900 followers, while Instagram has seen significant growth to 15,70 followers. We've made substantial progress on emerging platforms, with TikTok showing impressive growth to 477 followers. Our presence on Twitter and YouTube is steadily increasing, now at 80 and 176 followers respectively. These numbers reflect our expanding reach and the growing interest in Historical European Martial Arts.
Sponsorship Benefits and Tax Implications
As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Swordfight USA offers unique advantages to our sponsors. Your sponsorship may be tax-deductible as a charitable contribution, providing significant tax benefits while supporting our mission to promote Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA). SoCal Swordfight operates as a DBA (Doing Business As) of Swordfight USA, ensuring that all donations and sponsorships for SoCal Swordfight are eligible for tax benefits under Swordfight USA's non-profit status. By partnering with us, you're directly contributing to educational and cultural preservation efforts, enhancing your brand's image through alignment with our non-profit mission. We recommend consulting with your tax advisor to understand the specific implications for your organization. For more detailed information about Swordfight USA and our initiatives, please visit our main organization page.