Help me think outside the music box...

April 25, 2017 5:53 AM

I'm in charge of wrangling sponsorships for my school's upcoming "Humanities Hall of Fame" induction ceremony. We've been around for 65 years, so we have some VERY accomplished alumni, and the whole thing promises to be a pretty big deal. Trouble is, I was never really a fine arts person in high school, so I'm afraid my thinking is somewhat limited in terms of which businesses might be interested in contributing to this kind of thing.

So far, I've only been able to come up with the following types of people to approach:

• Music Teachers / Tutors
• Instrument Sales/ Repair
• Dance Studios
• Theaters / Drama Tutors

I honestly want it to be a win-win for all involved, so I'd like to spend my time approaching businesses that would BENEFIT from getting their name out in front of an audience full of musicians / thespians / artists. Any ideas for other types of business owners that I should think about reaching out to?
* I'm in the Atlanta area, (OTP North) for what it's worth.

posted by richmondparker to Media & Arts (8 answers total)

Small community banks, insurance agents, Realtors
posted by Sweetie Darling at 5:57 AM on April 25, 2017

(Hit Post too soon) Offer them category exclusivity, a logo on the program, time at the mic if the donation is large enough.
posted by Sweetie Darling at 5:58 AM on April 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

Local restaurants, florists, art supply stores, etc. Local businesses which want to connect to the community and show that they are part of the community. Thespians do eat and flowers and performance go hand in hand for me. Do you know who the awardees will be? You could consider reaching out to their families, employers, etc. as they may want to put in a supportive "we love you, congrats" piece, as well.
posted by anya32 at 6:04 AM on April 25, 2017

Do you have obvious feeder schools, or are large segments of your alumni in a family-starting phase? Pre- or post- schools would be a good fit. Retirement communities.

Practice spaces. Tax accountants specializing in freelance/self-employment.
posted by cocoagirl at 6:19 AM on April 25, 2017

It might depend on what you're offering as part of the sponsorship (or can offer, as in are you just talking about an ad in a printed program, or would you be able to create a big banner with sponsor's names on it to hang behind the inductees on stage) . . . but pretty much anybody. Car dealerships, big and small banks, one of your local big health care/hospital systems, grocery stores, breweries. Artists are people who need car and home insurance just like everyone else, and a lot of the audience will be the artists' friends and family, who will likely have non-arts-related jobs, and if the whole thing is a fairly big deal, you'll likely get media coverage out of it.

I work a ton of arts and music festivals and events, and I've seen sponsorships from all of the above (including Sweetie Darling and anya32's ideas) and more. Your limitations are in focusing on arts-related businesses, while tons of non-arts-related businesses are willing to sponsor arts events as part of a cheap ad/community engagement & support strategy. "Support for the local arts and education community" is good PR for any business, and very common. Feel free to go wild and call everyone, starting with major Atlanta businesses, whatever they may be.
posted by soundguy99 at 6:34 AM on April 25, 2017

Photographers and graphic designers. Music venues.
posted by irisclara at 6:47 AM on April 25, 2017

Sorry if I'm off the mark, but this whole thing screams affluence to me. Old alums in the arts?

Yoga / Pilates
Boutique fitness
Massage / Bodywork
High-end salons
Boutiques, period
Jewelers
Specialty foods

And of course, florists and restaurants.
posted by batter_my_heart at 8:33 AM on April 25, 2017

Go to your largest bank, and explain, briefly, the purpose of the event and who the attendees will be. The bank should want to be seen as supporters by your attendees more than by your honorees. Then go to your smaller banks and tell them that "First Bank" is making a donation or purchasing a sponsorship. The rest should fall in line.
posted by leafwoman at 10:31 AM on April 25, 2017