Sponsors’ Preview 2016
Welcome
The Birmingham Literature Festival runs from 6-15 October 2016. The highlight of Birmingham’s literary calendar since 1999, housed in the iconic new Library of Birmingham, Birmingham Literature Festival is now able to offer a range of ways you and your company can connect with our audiences. From headline event sponsorship to smaller-scale partnerships, there are many opportunities to suit your budget and ambition. We will work with you to help get your brand and product to an audience which is predominantly: • Passionate about arts and culture • Financially comfortable with disposable income
• Well educated • Informed on current affairs
You’ll find more about what we do and how you can be involved in this brochure, but please don’t hesitate to talk to me with any queries. Our thanks for Foyles for their support in hosting our preview event.
Emma Boniwell, Development Manager
Writing West Midlands | Unit 204 | The Custard Factory | Gibb Street | Birmingham | B9 4AA www.birminghamliteraturefestival.org | www.writingwestmidlands.org
Emma Boniwell, Development Manager emma@writingwestmidlands.org / 0121 246 2792
Get Involved In 2015, the University of Birmingham – an event partner for Birmingham Literature Festival for many years – were the headline event sponsor for our event with Rita Dove, the former US Poet Laureate. As part of their sponsorship deal, as well as frequent mentions on social media and in all our marketing, they received: • • • •
Their branding on the BLF website, event pages on The Box (our box office) and on stage at the event A private reception with Rita Dove after the main BLF event An exclusive event with Rita Dove at the University for staff and students An allocation of tickets for their staff and students
Helen Laville, Head of School of English, introducing Rita Dove
Rita Dove at BLF 2015
Meanwhile, Walter Smith Butchers partnered us on the closing event with broadcaster and writer Stuart Maconie, whose new book was The Pie at Night. In exchange for providing the audience with 150 delicious pork pies for free, Walter Smith Butchers received: • • • • •
Extensive mentions on social media, including by Stuart himself Photos of Stuart enjoying one of their pies on stage during the event Branding on stage and throughout our marketing Their Christmas catalogue distributed to the audience after the event, which led to numerous orders over the Christmas period A signed book as a thank you
Emma Boniwell, Development Manager emma@writingwestmidlands.org / 0121 246 2792
Sponsorship Opportunities • Title
Sponsor (Birmingham Literature Festival in association with .....)
• Sponsorship
of a full day or strand of events (from £3,000)
• Sponsorship
of our workshop strand (£3,500)
• Sponsorship
of our Young People’s Takeover Day (£3,000)
• Sponsorship
of our individual events (from £500 - £2,000)
• Media •
Partner
Print Partner
• Subsidised Ticket Discount - we could offer 10 tickets per event at a 50% discount and you make up the difference. We would brand the discount with your name (from £2,500) • Our Volunteers - one of our most visible assets, dressed in brightly coloured t-shirts, our volunteers are in attendance at each event answering questions and signposting our events. Your logo on their t-shirts (£1,000) • Official
Supplier of Goods/Services - credited in brochure as such
For more information about any of these opportunities, please speak to Emma Boniwell.
Children’s author, Allan Ahlberg, BLF 2015
Actor and writer, Meera Syal, BLF 2015
Creator of Peaky Blinders, Steven Knight, BLF 2014
Emma Boniwell, Development Manager emma@writingwestmidlands.org / 0121 246 2792
Bespoke Packages We will work with you to create a bespoke package of sponsorship benefits to suit your organisation. Sample benefits could include: • Allocation of free tickets • Offer of 2-for-1 tickets across the whole Festival • Discounted corporate hospitality packages • Opportunities to meet the writers appearing at the Festival • In-house writing workshops for your staff • Your logo in our brochure - print run 15,000 distributed to arts and tourist venues in the West Midlands • Advert in our brochure • Your logo on the sponsors page of our website - 10,988 unique users in 2015 • Your logo on the event listing on our website, including link to your website • Promotional opportunities at the Festival: your banner on our beautifully dressed stage, your product on stage, your promotional material handed out to audiences, information stand in the foyer of the Library of Birmingham • Your company can access PR and publicity opportunities associated with the Festival Benjamin Zephaniah, BLF 2013
Emma Boniwell, Development Manager emma@writingwestmidlands.org / 0121 246 2792
Birmingham Literature Festival 2015 Sponsors & Partners Sponsors
Venue Partners
Event Partners
Emma Boniwell, Development Manager emma@writingwestmidlands.org / 0121 246 2792