FREEDOM COMMUNITY FESTIVAL 2018 SPONSORSHIP PROPOSAL
Every year, thousands of people from across Plymouth come together at Freedom Fields Park for one of the city’s most popular free community events.
Our goal? To raise funds and awareness for festival and enable us to continue to deliver and develop this popular event.
About the Festival
The Freedom Community Festival, now in its 18th year, has built a positive reputation within the city, establishing itself as a key event in the community calendar. The main draw of this fun-filled family event is the fantastic music performances by talented local artists.
We champion local music and artistic talent from Plymouth and neighbouring areas, serving to promote established acts and aid in nurturing and developing younger promising artists. All the musicians are volunteers and give their time for free as are the event staff. This year we have Haunt The Woods, Chay Snowden, Moriaty, The Trees, and much more. All these popular acts have a big following and are on the verge of breaking through.
As well as the music, variety acts also perform, rides and activities entertain children, colourful market stalls sell their wares, the bar provides alcoholic refreshments and food is on offer from a diverse selection of vendors.
The festival attracts as many as 8000 visitors and is staffed by over 50 local people who give their time for free to make this amazing event possible by working as entertainers, first aiders, stewards, activity providers, roadies, technical support, stall construction managers and more.
Our volunteers are drawn from people as young as 13 and as mature as 70 working together on a project that they feel is important to them.
Not only do we engage community volunteers, each year we collaborate with local colleges who use our events to give students the vital real-life experience of their courses. This includes live sound, professional lighting, project planning, publicity and social media, and stage management.
It is important to us that we both draw on local talent and kindness and through our project give opportunity as well.
We are proud of the fact that our free event brings together people from a range of backgrounds and social classes across the city and beyond to embrace the community spirit. All this helps to break down barriers, promote community cohesion, understanding and harmony.
Repeatedly, the festival has proven to be very successful, and it gets better each year! Last year was our biggest and best yet, and we aim to build on that success this year and beyond.
The Challenges
Naturally, the festival isn’t without its challenges, the shoestring budget means that it is an ‘interesting’ challenge to find the finances, but it always falls into place. This is thanks to the many volunteers who get involved and generously give their time and energy to make it all happen. It is fantastic.
Although the plan to take the festival to the next level was always to garner sponsorship from respected local businesses this year, it has now become a vital part of our planning. Around ninety percent of our budget in previous years has come from Lottery funding. However this year our application was unsuccessful, so it is even more critical that financing from alternative sources can be obtained to ensure this year’s event goes ahead.
The festival is planned by a group of people who fit their voluntary efforts in around busy lives. That said, the rewards are great, and the team takes great pride in being involved in something that is celebrated across Plymouth,
The benefits to your business
Sponsorship of an event or product is a fantastic, proven way to reach a target audience, increase brand awareness and drive sales. Take the opportunity to sponsor us, and it could entitle your company to unparalleled in-person access to attendees as well as exclusive branding opportunities.
Depending on your level of funding these include:
Your brand and message displayed throughout the festival, operate a pop-up store on site, advertise on our website, feature in blog posts and social media articles, press releases.
CONNECT WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS
Customers are increasingly discerning about which companies they do business with so what better way to communicate your values than by sponsoring an event that matches theirs?
SOCIAL MEDIA EXPOSURE
Receive regular mentions during our various social media channels and press releases during the build-up to the event as well as on the day. We’re highly skilled at engaging with and leveraging those connections for your benefit.
GIVE YOUR STAFF SOMETHING TO SMILE ABOUT
The weekend following the festival there will be a special “thank you” night for all the festival participants. You and your staff, will be invited to attend and enjoy the VIP treatment as well as other ticketed fundraiser events.
As a sponsor, you’ll also get added value throughout our marketing campaigns. Plus obtain contact information from the public at the event plus when we run our email sign up campaigns, we’ll give our subscribers a chance to opt-in for third-party promotions, and those that do will be passed along to you.
The Future of the Event
Despite the challenges, the future of The Freedom Community Festival is very bright. The planning team is evolving, awareness of the event is also spreading, and the general feeling is that the festival has vast potential to become very special and vital to the City as a whole. Interest from bands from outside Plymouth and even Devon has increased, and grander plans are afoot for the coming years.
With your help The Freedom Community Festival has the potential to grow and become Plymouth’s most prominent and best community event, giving you an opportunity not only to reach potential customers on mass but also build a closer relationship with the local community and enrich their lives.
How your sponsorship will look and feel
Whatever support you choose to provide, your branding will appear on all print material, advertising, and digital media associated with the event. Your sponsorship level will determine the size and placement of your brand’s presence. You’ll also get invited to become an integral part of the Festival activities and set up a booth/stall at the park. We recommend a pop-up boutique featuring your unique products and services.
We think your market and our audience are a perfect match. Ensure the loyalty of your existing customers and resonate with new ones – all while you help us help your community smile that little bit wider.
If you would like to sponsor The Freedom Community Festival, please contact Rich Silverwood on the information provided below to discuss and arrange your level of sponsorship. We can’t wait to work with you.
Email: info@freedomcommuntiyfestival.org
Phone: 07476874017