Surfest is one of premium events on Newcastle’s event calendar generating significant national and international exposure via traditional, digital and social media. Last year Surfest’s Facebook page alone achieved close to 1 million impressions from 286,675 users!
Colin Law from the Commonwealth Bank approached Surfest after this years event to develop a plan to raise the funds necessary to bring the women’s event back to a QS6,000 rating.
The project is being driven by a group of passionate business people keen to see the cream of women’s surfing talent return Newcastle. The intention to ensure that the Surfest 2016 Women’s Event, is brought back to a QS6,000 Women’s Event! The QS6,000 event would attract the cream of the world women’s surfing circuit to Newcastle!
The plan is becoming a reality, driven by the support of up to 73 local businesses through a historic crowd-funding project!
Now is the time for interested businesses to secure a sponsorship. It is these businesses who will collectively make this event happen!
The simple mechanics of the crowd-funding model allow businesses to purchase a sponsorship share at $1,500 (plus GST) each. There is no restriction on the number of shares each company can buy!
Not only will the sponsorship allow the event to be restored to the QS6,000 level, and support this 30+ year iconic surfing event, but it will include the following benefits;
- One of the 73 sponsors will be drawn to be naming rights for the event
- An exclusive invite only business networking event, to be held in early October for two representatives of each company, during which the naming rights draw (item 1 above) will occur
- A ballot will be held on the eve of the event, and each sponsor will be drawn and allocated a surfer competing in the event. A minimum cash pool of $10,000 will be made available, to be allocated to the businesses who drew the top three surfers from the event (note: the sponsor who won the naming rights prize is excluded from the surfer ballot)
- An exclusive invite only cocktail event, to be held on the eve of the Surfest Women’s event, for two representatives of each company, during which the ballot (item 3 above) will occur
Sponsors can confirm their willingness to become a sponsor by visiting www.surfest.com/events and completing the form.
This effort to “crowd fund” the Women’s 2016 event to a QS6,000 level is being done on a volunteer basis. Other than the funds required to run the event (including prize money), all other monies raised will be returned to the sponsors via the four benefits listed previously. All funds collected will be held until such time as it is confirmed that all 73 sponsorship opportunities have been paid for, and the event will proceed. If for some reason efforts are unsuccessful, funds will be returned in full.
Surfest Organiser Warren Smith said, “I look forward to the support of businesses big and small. Some of these businesses have been the backbone of Surfest over our 30 year history. I really appreciate their support and conviction for this iconic event.”
