Art Menius
Sponsorship and Marketing Coordinator, MerleFest
2069 Andrews Store Rd.
Pittsboro, NC 27312
919-542-3997; Fax: 240-250-7229
artmenius@mindspring.com
Montgomery Burns
Springfield Nuclear Power
22 Old Fishing Hole Path
Springfield USA
September 3, 2003
Dear Monty:
"Festivals of Americana music have exploded in popularity, with the largest, North Carolina's Merlefest, attracting 81,000 fans and participants this year," wrote The Wall Street Journal on September 18, 2002. Springfield Nuclear Power, according to IEG Sponsorship Report, wants to boost its image as a responsible, caring member of the community with consumers between ages 18 and 45 in Maryland and Virginia. MerleFest will likely prove the perfect event marketing partner for Springfield Nuclear Power, since we attract an audience from households with an annual income exceeding $50,000 and aged from childhood to 50. Two-thirds, more or less, of MerleFest attendees reside in the Carolinas, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, and DC. Besides its international impact on the roots music community, MerleFest serves, the Greensboro/Winston-Salem, Charlotte, Asheville, and Raleigh Durham markets of North Carolina, while exerting a significant impact in the lower mid-west, the southeast, and mid-atlantic states. MerleFest attracts the upscale, but price consious customers in a number of critical markets from Atlanta to Baltimore. Three-quarters (73%) of the participants traveled fifty miles or more to attend MerleFest. Three quarters of participants drive to the festival, while not quite a tenth fly. A third stay in motels, while two fifths camp.
Current strategic marketing partners of MerleFest 2004 include Tyson Foods, Charter Communications, Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouses, Gibson USA, Sprint, Burger King, Hardees, Pepsi, Curtis Media, WBRF & WPAQ Radio, WKVS Radio, and WNCW Public Radio. I am here to help each MerleFest sponsor benefit from, activate, evaluate, and enjoy your partnership with MerleFest. I am here to work with you year round on a mutually successful partnership. I welcome your communications to discuss ideas to make our partnership work even better including through cross-promotions involving other partners.
MerleFest commands the attention of the roots music media. Eighty-two radio stations in 16 states and Canada participated in MerleFest 2003 promotions, giving away $47,750 worth of tickets to their listeners. Including media sponsorships with that total, MerleFest 2003 bartered for more than $70,000 worth of radio airtime and cable TV advertising. MerleFest 2003 enjoyed media partnerships with the major publications and web sites in our field, with regional TV and cable, and with XM Satellite Radio that brought MerleFest 2002 and 2003 live to its subscribers. Both CMT and BBC Radio 2 covered MerleFest 2002 extensively, while the Sundance Channel was on site filming a documentary. We have tracked more than 300 articles printed about MerleFest 2003 in publications whose aggregate circulations exceed 34,000,000.
Established as an ongoing memorial to Merle Watson, the exceptionally talented son of acclaimed Appalachian guitarist and singer Doc Watson, MerleFest has brought worldwide attention to Wilkes Community College. Over its first 16 years, MerleFest has become the best-known annual outdoor festival in northwestern North Carolina, while drawing many folks back year after year. The direct economic impact on Wilkes County alone from the festival is estimated at $6.5 million, according to the MerleFest 2003 Economic Impact Report and Financial Statement. Some fifty non-profit civic and college organizations earned $308,513 in net revenue. These figures represent a significant source of funding for the many important projects sponsored by the community organizations, while fulfilling the festival’s mission to exert a positive economic impact on Wilkes County.
Over its 16-year history, MerleFest has contributed more than $4.4 million to the college. At MerleFest 2003 3,113 volunteers contributed some 37,429 hours.We believe that the following partnership with MerleFest will effectively advance the goals of Springfield Nuclear Power. Springfield Nuclear Power will align itself strongly with a beloved instruction that projects authenticity and traditional Americana. Participants will see Springfield Nuclear Power doing good as MerleFest educates them about how the company’s support enhances their festival experience. Springfield Nuclear Power receives the Sound & Lighting Sponsorship for MerleFest 2004 in return for a sponsorship fee of $12,500, due by March 1, 2004. In consideration of this support of MerleFest, Springfield Nuclear Power would receive the following:
I. Credentials & Tickets
a) Sponsor (all access) passes for 4 (four) representatives/guests.
b) One (1) on campus parking permit
c) Those with all access wristbands may obtain access to special Midnight Jam
seating on a space available basis only.
d) Right to purchase assigned seats at the Watson Stage. Sponsor may acquire up
to 4 reserved seats at a discounted rate of $40 per seat. Sponsor must exercise
this option during a special window of opportunity, October 7 through October
15, 2003. This comes after renewing Patrons and seat holders have made their
selections, but before the reserved seats are offered to the general public.
II. Signage
a) Logo included on a banner as part of the signage display facing the Watson
Stage audience. MerleFest will make signage for display there using your logo.
b) As a major sponsor, Springfield Nuclear Power’s logo will appear on the
festival entrance display.
III. Recognition & Advertising
a) MC acknowledgments
b) Springfield Nuclear Power will be credited on the Radio Free MerleFest radio
broadcasts, which as a non-commercial college station does not sell advertising.
c) Sponsor may use the words "MerleFest 2004 Official Sponsor" and, in that
context only, the MerleFest raccoon logo in advertising from October 1, 2003
through June 30, 2004.
d) MerleFest will also donate two pages to all of our sponsors’ logos together
in the program book. We’ll be printing 20,000 copies of the program to
distribute free to ticket buyers.
e) One (1) full page (7.75" horizontal x 9.5" vertical) 4-color ad in the
program book, all of this at no additional charge.*
f) As a significant sponsor ($2500 value and above), Springfield Nuclear Power’s
name appeared in the MerleFest brochure mailed to more than 60,000 households.
g) As a major sponsor ($5000 value and above), Sponsor will be listed in at
least five MerleFest 2004 press releases, each distributed to a minimum of 1200
media outlets.
IV. Web Presence
a) Impressive Internet exposure –During just seven weeks leading up to MerleFest 2001, our site received more than 1,000,000 hits from in excess of 62,000 users. The MerleFest site demonstrates superior "stickiness" with the average user viewing nearly 20 different pages per visit. As a major sponsor ($5000 value and above), Springfield Nuclear Power’s logo will be included on the MerleFest web site home page.
V. Additional Considerations
a) Springfield Nuclear Power has right of first refusal on this sponsorship
for MerleFest 2005 until July 5, 2004.
b) Sponsors may take advantage of limited side stage seating at the Watson
Stage.
c) MerleFest can assist, on a limited basis, with reserving motel rooms for
representatives of certain sponsors. This is the only way to obtain a motel room
in Wilkes County during MerleFest.
d) Exhibit space (approx. 10’ x 8’) in the Expo Center
Sponsors may now obtain one day backstage credentials and will have a window of opportunity to acquire two reserved seats at the Watson Stage before these go on sale to the general public for MerleFest 2004. Please call or email me with any questions you may have. I shall contact you by September 22nd to discuss your feedback on this proposal.
Sincerely,
Art Menius
Sponsorship and Marketing Coordinator
MerleFest 2004 Fact Sheet
Dates: April 29-May 2, 2004
Location: Wilkes Community College, Wilkesboro, NC
Event Began: 1988
MerleFest 2003 attendance: 77,359 from 47 states and 10 foreign countries. 73% come from more than 50 miles from Wilkesboro. Paid attendance: 36,414.
MerleFest 2003 print media impressions: 34,681,249
Tax Status: 501(c)3 non-profit
Copies distributed of MerleFest 2003 programs: 20,000
Copies distributed of MerleFest 2003 Schedules: 25,000
Estimated Regional Economic Impact; $12,286,799
Annual household income: Almost three-fifths (58%) of MerleFest attendees report an annual household income in excess of $50,000, including 20% exceeding $100,000 and 37% surpassing $75,000.
College graduates: 60%
Ages: A third (32.1%) range in age from 25 to 50 years old, while 29.48% are under 18 and 11.98% from 18 through 24. Two-thirds (65%) of the adults are homeowners, while 50% are married and a quarter (23%) have children under 18 living in their home.
Community Involvement: Some 50 civic and campus non-profit organizations netted more than $308,513 at MerleFest 2003.
MerleFest 2004 Sponsorships – Background Information
This is your opportunity to share in the success of MerleFest by becoming a sponsor of MerleFest 2004, April 29 – May 2
. Never before has Americana music enjoyed the popularity it does today following the success of such popular movies as "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" and "Songcatcher," along with their soundtrack albums. The "O Brother" soundtrack, for example, has sold more than six million copies and spent weeks at the top of the country album charts. Together with MerleFest 2002 artists Alison Krauss and Earl Scruggs, "O Brother" dominated the 2002 Grammy Awards. With more than one-fifth of American adults now attending festivals while on vacation and music festivals the most popular choice, the timing has never been better. Three-quarters (73%) of MerleFest 2003 attendees came from more than 50 miles away. By taking advantage of MerleFest sponsorships, you can gain enormous reach and exposure.Thanks in part to the support provided by our sponsors, MerleFest has continued to evolve, grow, and improve since 1988, becoming the most important annual ticketed event in northwest North Carolina and the world’s foremost Americana music festival. In so doing MerleFest has defined and lead the way for the emerging field called Americana music. MerleFest offers a generation and genre crossing mix of traditional and contemporary roots music, bringing together the very best of bluegrass, contemporary acoustic, blues, folk, old-time, Cajun, jazz, and singer-songwriter musics.
MerleFest 2003, the 16th annual festival in celebration of the music of the late Merle Watson and his father Doc Watson presented on April 24 – 27 by Wilkes Community College on its campus in Wilkesboro, NC nearly set a new record for o
verall festival participation. Despite two days of rain, total attendance, including ticketed participants, artists, volunteers, children admitted free and community outreach, reached 77,337. Ticket sales and special guests indicate attendance from 47 states, the District of Columbia and at least 10 foreign countries. The regional economic impact of MerleFest 2003 reached an estimated $12 million. We distributed 20,000 copies printed of the 4-color MerleFest program and 25,000 copies of the Pocket Schedule.MERLEFEST OFFERS ITS PARTNERS
Image: Association with the world’s foremost Americana music festival, presented by the 501(c)3 non-profit Wilkes Community College Endowment Corporation, connotes an appreciation for excellence, tradition, family, and attention to detail. MerleFest ranks as a top brand in the world of outdoor music festivals defining the best music being made today. MerleFest stands for excellence – the best music in an environment where the entire family can enjoy themselves and feel safe. MerleFest’s credibility and prestige cannot be challenged; it combines the best aspects of both cause and entertainment marketing.
Audience:
Entertainment & Reward opportunities for clients, employees, and associates abound at MerleFest. MerleFest sponsors receive a limited number of full access backstage passes, the rights to purchase a few more, plus the chance to purchase additional regular festival tickets at a discount. Seeing the stars up close at MerleFest is an experience few will forget.
Recognition: We offer on site signage, web presence, emcee announcements, and, in many cases, vendor space and advertising in our extensive program book. Advertising in the program and exposure on the web site is now offered exclusively to MerleFest sponsors. MerleFest does everything reasonable for its sponsors to ensure that everyone knows your name.
Web presence: Sponsors receive logo links on our acclaimed and constantly evolving updated web site. During just seven weeks leading up to MerleFest 2001, our site received more than 1,000,000 hits from in excess of 62,000 users. During the eight-month period leading up to MerleFest 1999, our site received more than 2.6 million hits from more than 108,000 users. The MerleFest site demonstrates exceptional "stickiness" with the average user viewing nearly 20 different pages per visit.
Visibility: MerleFest commands the attention of the roots music media, including direct promotion from more than 80 radio stations, mostly in the eastern USA. MerleFest 2003 enjoyed media partnerships with the major publications and web sites in our field, with regional TV and cable, and with XM Satellite Radio that brought MerleFest 2002 and 2003 live to its subscribers. Both CMT and BBC Radio 2 covered MerleFest 2002 extensively, while the Sundance Channel was on site filming a documentary. We have tracked more than 300 articles printed about MerleFest 2003 in publications whose aggregate circulations exceed 34,000,000. Attendees have included reporters and producers from such diverse outlets as Newsweek, Elle Magazine, Rolling Stone, New York Post, Associated Press, VH-1, TNN, CMT, Sonicnet, the Chicago Sun-Times, CNBC, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Southern Living, and the New Yorker.
Reach: The reach of MerleFest extends far beyond the nearly 80,000 folks participating in the event. Depending on the level of sponsorship, MerleFest can reciprocate in many ways that build impressions for you throughout the year.
Community Impact: The direct economic impact on Wilkes County alone from the festival is estimated at $6.5 million, according to the MerleFest 2003 Economic Impact Report and Financial Statement. Some fifty non-profit civic and college organizations earned $308,513 in net revenue on gross receipts of $489,458 through their participation in this year's festival. These figures represent a significant source of funding for the many important projects sponsored by the community organizations, while fulfilling the festival’s mission to exert a positive economic impact on Wilkes County.
The event delivers the audience every year. Our job consists of assisting sponsors in finding the most effective means of reaching this audience. MerleFest proves a diverse, multi-faceted operation. Sponsorship opportunities range from sponsoring stages to high caliber contests to raffles. As such we do not offer cookie-cutter sponsorships, instead putting together custom tailored packages that serve the needs of both the sponsors and the festival. MerleFest is a proven winner among the world’s musical events, and we are committed to making MerleFest sponsorship a win-win proposition for all involved.
OTHER SPONSOR BENEFITS
Only sponsors may place advertising in the MerleFest program book.
Special promotions on the heavily trafficked MerleFest web site can be arranged for negotiable increases in sponsorship fees
Sponsors at the $5000 level and above are defined as "major sponsors" and are included on the home page of the MerleFest web site and on the entrance display for the festival.
Sponsors at the $2500 level and above are listed in the MerleFest brochure if the commitment is received by August 25
Sponsors committed at the $3000 level and above by September 15 will receive the opportunity to purchase up to four reserved seats at a special rate.
Stage sponsors may obtain a small product display (no sales) table & tent near the stage sponsored for an additional $2500.
In certain cases product category exclusivity can be negotiated for an additional annual fee of at least $5000.
Sponsors may obtain a limited number of additional full sponsor credentials at special rate. Sponsors may also obtain a limited number of additional 4-Day festival passes (no special access) at a special rate.
Sponsor hospitality tents can be arranged for an additional, negotiable sponsor fee.
To become a MerleFest sponsor or just learn more about sponsorships, please contact:
Art Menius
Sponsorship & Marketing Coordinator, MerleFest 2004
2069 Andrews Store Rd.
Pittsboro, NC 27312
919-542-3997; Fax: 240-250-7229; artmenius@mindspring.com
MerleFest Mission Statement
Presented on its campus by Wilkes Community College, MerleFest is committed to producing a high quality diversified American roots based musical experience for its guests, supporters, and performers. The festival is held in a setting that compliments the experience and fosters an interest in a variety of musical forms representative of the repertoire of Doc and Merle Watson. Through Outreach, MerleFest takes the experience to the young people of the area in an effort to further educate and cultivate an interest in the music.
The Festival is committed to new ideas in music and associated cultural experiences, including arts and crafts representative of the heritage of western North Carolina. MerleFest supports the Eddy Merle Watson Memorial Garden for the Senses and provides funds for the Garden’s upkeep. The garden provides an interpretive, educational, artistic, and cultural experience for the visually impaired, as well as the sighted.
The Festival serves as an economic catalyst for the surrounding community and has a significant impact each year. MerleFest remains committed to promoting the work and efforts of non-profit community organizations and the Mission of Wilkes Community College.
Through its World Wide Web presence, the Festival provides an opportunity for a deeper appreciation of the event and as a vehicle for year round communication. Through its organization, MerleFest strives to present the best possible "Americana" music experience.
The 84 sponsors of MerleFest 2003 were: AccuCopy;
Acoustic Guitar Magazine; Addison Inn; ASCAP; Blue Ridge Music Trail; Bluegrass Unlimited; BluegrassMart; BMG Heritage; Brushy Mountain Water; Burger King; C&J LP Gas Company; Cedar Creek Custom Case Shoppe/TKL; CF Martin; Charter Communications; Collings Guitars; County Sales/Rebel Records; Deering Banjo Company; Del McCoury Band, The; Doobie Shea Records; Elixir Strings By Gore; ESP Magazine; Eubanks Engineering, PC; First Quality Musical Supplies; Fishman Transducers; Flatpicking Guitar; Fleetwood Homes; G&B Energy; Gallagher Guitars; Gibson USA; GoAmericana.com; Gritz Magazine; Hampton Inn; Hardees/Dermox; Homespun Tapes Ltd.; Huss and Dalton Guitar Co; iBluegrass & The Acoustic Network; In Memory of Bruce Sanders; J D'Addario & Co; JBL; Jerry & Lynn Mullis; John Pearse Strings; Kitchen Media; Kogut Violins; Krispy Kreme; Larrivee Guitars; Larry O'Briant; Lonesome Pine; Lowe and Son Land Company; Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouses; LR Baggs Co.; Martha White; Nechville Musical Products; No Depression; Ome Banjos; Pepsi Bottling Ventures LLC; Pick-n-Glider; RG Abernethy; Rigel Mandolins; Royal Cake; Schertler North America; Sing Out! Corporation; Singer Magazine; Spanish Moon Entertainment/Home Team Productions; Sprint; Stelling Banjo Works; Sugar Hill Records; SWR Sound Corporation; Taylor Guitars; This Week In Americana; Thomas Fisher, Morgan Keegan & Co; TicketWeb; Twangzine; Tyson Foods, Inc.; Waverly Tuning Machines; WBRF Radio; Western Beat Entertainment; Wickles Pickles; WKVS Kicks 103.3; WNCW Public Radio; WPAQ AM 740; XM Satellite Radio; Yadkin Valley Bank; Z-Ware Engineering Inc
