Food festival seeks sponsors for long-term survival

While the first Reepham Food Festival in May was an undoubted success, the event is seeking the support of local businesses to ensure its long-term future.
 

Visitors to the Reepham Food Festival 2017 enjoying the stalls in the Market Place

 
Held in May the festival was blessed with fine weather, which helped the stallholders and brought out the crowds, with the Market Place, Bircham Centre garden and primary school full for much of the day. Total visitor numbers were estimated at 1,500.
 
Reepham & District Rotary Club has again agreed to organise the next food festival on 27 May 2018 and, with new ideas, the organisers are looking for sponsors for next year.
 
Around £12,000 is needed to hold the event, with funds raised through local authority grants, stall fees, programme advertising and event tickets. The main areas of expenditure are: marquee and demonstration equipment; logistics, health and safety; and publicity and information.
 
The 2017 food festival was extensively advertised with flyers in tourist information points and local outlets, and posters around the town. A total of 3,000 copies of the festival programme, listing all sponsors and exhibitors, were distributed in local outlets and on the day.
 
New ideas
 
For 2018 the festival organisers will be working with Reepham High School and professional musicians, and also with local farmers and farming organisations to explain more about the business of farming and the connection to the food on the plate. This will include news for young people about careers in food and farming.
 
Reepham Primary School is making a Japanese garden for next year, and there are plans to have more information on vegetable growing with plant sales.
 
Many stallholders have already indicated that they will again participate in 2018 and the aim is to widen the offering to visitors. There will also be more local producer involvement and musical entertainment during the day and at the opening and closing events.
 
Sponsorship opportunities
 
Several levels of sponsorship are available for the Reepham Food Festival 2018:
 
General event sponsorship £200
Businesses who would like to be associated with the festival will be acknowledged with their logo and a listing in the programme, and there will be a listing and link on the festival website and material for display at the business.
 
Premier event sponsor – £2,000
The event will be named for this sponsor, with their name incorporated into all publicity and posters. A full page of advertising will be provided in the festival programme and on the website. Six tickets to all events will be supplied for guests.
 
Cookery demonstrations – £1,000
A full programme of demonstrations will feature local chefs, who will prepare dishes from local ingredients. The sponsor will be credited in all publicity about the demonstrations and will feature prominently on the demonstration stage. A full page of advertising will be provided in the festival programme and on the website.
 
Education and schools – £700
As well as the Junior Masterchef competition at Reepham High School, activities will again focus on the primary school, with more fun science, demonstrations and education about food, as well as information about courses and careers in food and farming. The sponsor will be credited in all publicity and will feature prominently at the location. A full page of advertising will be provided in the festival programme and on the website.
 
Farming and food – £700
The food festival will work with local farmers on displays, exhibits and competitions to explain and promote their work. The sponsor will be credited in all publicity and will feature prominently at the location. A full page of advertising will be provided in the festival programme and on the website.
 
Opening event – £500
The opening cocktails and canapés evening will be held in the Market Place on the Saturday evening. This will be a ticketed event to include supporters and guests. Sponsors will be credited in all publicity, on the festival website, event tickets and in the marquee. A half page of advertising will be provided in the festival programme and reference on the website. Four tickets will be supplied for guests.
 
Closing supper – £500
The closing supper will be held in the Market Place on the Sunday evening. This will be a ticketed event aimed at local residents and festival supporters. Sponsors will be credited in all publicity, on the festival website, event tickets and in the marquee. A half page of advertising will be provided in the festival programme and reference on the website. Four tickets will be supplied for guests.
 

  • To discuss sponsorship opportunities for the Reepham Food Festival 2018, contact: Andrew Egerton-Smith 01362 850979 or Richard Cooke n 07889 036852 or email: sponsorship@reephamfoodfestival.org.uk

 
See our earlier stories:

 

Reepham High School’s allotment project team spreading their message in the Market Place

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