sponsorship opportunities - whistler writers...

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Sponsorship Opportunities


2016 will mark the 15th annual Writers FestivalThe Festival is planned, organized and carried out by volunteers from the Whistler Writers Group, led by Stella Harvey, and is held in October each year in the magnificent mountain resort setting in Whistler, B.C.

Commenting on the Festival, novelist Nancy Lee writes, “The festival was amazing — the events, the coordination, the venues, and most importantly, the connection between the visiting writers and the participating writers — made for a fantastic experience for everyone involved. The level of professionalism, communication and regard for the visiting writers was the highest we’ve experienced at any out-of-town festival — and that includes ones we’ve done in the UK and Paris.”

The Whistler Writers Festival is offering a unique sponsorship opportunity at various levels of sponsorship, to:

• Continue offering such a quality event• Attract well-known and established Canadian and international author

presenters, and in turn, attract more attendees• Expand youth workshops and Festival offerings• Support a unique ‘turn-key’, established event that has a track record of

success, made possible by dedicated volunteers

Your support will:• Help fund and draw well-known and established authors to participate as

presenters• Assist in funding programs, workshops and presentations for youth and

high school students• Keep Festival tickets affordable, and thereby inclusive

By the Numbers

Attendance (2015): 1552 participants 9% increase in attendance over 2014

Attendance (2014): 1450 participants 23% increase in attendance over 2013

Demographic: Workshops: mostly women, 40+Evening Events: couples, 40+Spoken Word Events: 20-35+

Where they come from: 63% come from outside the Sea to Sky Corridor and include people from as far away as the Interior and Washington State.

A Unique Opportunity


Sponsorship Details

Festival Patron • $10,000 1st year

$20,000 2nd year $30,000 3rd year

• seeking a 3 year commitment

• title ‘sponsor’ with company name associated with the Festival

• introduced at opening gala as the Festival title sponsor

• if desired, can make a branded Festival support presentation for mutual use on social media and aligned web sites

• while individual event/workshops are open to sponsorship, the title sponsor will also be recognized in each

• name/logo included on all collateral, on social media, etc.

• has the opportunity to present a sponsors tribute at the Festival

• given 6 tickets to all socials and 4 tickets to workshop events

Festival Sponsor • $1000

• seeking an annual commitment

• 4 sponsorships available – one per event

• sponsor can host one of four major festival events

• first-come-first-choice event

• considered ‘title’ sponsor for their selected event

• if desired, can make a branded support presentation of sponsored event for mutual use on social media and aligned web sites

• name/logo included in program, posters, web site, etc.

• 4 tickets to all social events and 2 tickets to your sponsored event

• logo placement at major events

• if desired, can make a brief sponsor presentation at your sponsored event

Festival Supporter • $500

• 18 workshops and reading events available

• first-come-first-choice event/workshop selection

• considered ‘title’ sponsor for their selected event/workshop

• workshop/event will be promoted individually with sponsor company’s logo

• annual commitment - or more

• name/logo included on web site, in program & posters

• given 2 tickets to keynote social

• supporters introduced as a group at the opening gala


Our Background

Who We AreThe Whistler Writers Group was founded in 2001, became a non-profit organization in 2005, and includes over 150 writers living in the Sea to Sky Corridor. From its inception, the group has promoted the literary arts, provided a forum for local writers to develop their craft within the community, and sponsored literary events. A small crew of volunteers within the Whistler Writers Group started the Whistler Writers Festival, which showcases local, regional and internationally known Canadian writers.

The mission of the Whistler Writers Festival is to leverage the allure of the resort of Whistler and the role of mountains as a place of creative inspiration, to draw the best Canadian authors to town, and to be a catalyst for up-and-coming writers to develop their craft, market-orient their work, and connect with other Canadian and international writers for inspiration, encouragement, and professional development.

What We DoProduce the Whistler Writers Festival, to bring the very best Canadian and international authors to Whistler for a three-day event packed with readings, seminars and workshops.

Present the Author in the Schools program, in partnership with Sea to Sky Corridor high schools, which provides 800+ students from Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton and Mt. Currie with books by award-winning authors to study prior to presentations in Whistler. The program has featured CC Humphreys (The Fetch), Sarah Selecky (This Cake is For the Party), Richard Wagamese (Indian Horse), Joseph Boyden (Three Day Road, The Orenda), and Katherena Vermette (North End Love Songs). We have received feedback from teachers and principals indicating that some non-readers finished a complete book for the first time. As well, several of the students formed a book club focused on First Nations authors.

Organize and produce the annual Writer-in-Residence program: (Paulette Bourgeois (2007), Candas Jane Dorsey (2008), Merilyn Simonds and Wayne Grady (2009), Brian Brett (2010), Sarah Selecky (2011), Fred Stenson (2012), Ania Szado (2013), Genni Gunn (2014), Michael Winter (2015) and Susan Juby (2016).

Support First Nations writers, through Scholarships and Mentorship, since 2007.

Deliver six-week Workshops throughout the year on various aspects of the literary craft in Whistler, Pemberton and Squamish.

Assist writers in the Corridor to connect and set up ongoing Writing Critique Groups, including three in Whistler, one in Pemberton and one in Squamish.

Deliver Reading Events throughout the year that showcase local writers as well as other professional Canadian writers.


Festival Program Guide

RATESBack Cover: $1,350

Inside Front Cover: $1,000

Inside Back Cover: $1,000

Full Page: $800

1/2 Page Horizontal: $525

1/2 Page Vertical: $525

1/4 Page: $295

All ads include full colour. Above prices do not include GST.

Rates above are only available to festival sponsors. Limited space available.

Preferred format for all print ads is PDF-X1A with fonts converted to outlines.

Inside Front &Back Covers

Trim size8.25” x 8.25”

Safe Area 8” x 8”

Please include 0.125” bleed & no crop marks

Full Page7.75” x 7.75”

1/2 Page Horizontal

3.75” x 7.75”1/4 Page

3.75” x 3.75”

1/2 Page Horizontal7.75” x 3.75”

Get extra value out of your sponsorship by adding a festival program ad to your package at discounted rates, available only for sponsors.

THE PROGRAM GUIDE FEATURES:• High quality, full colour print festival program guide.• Distribution of guide running up to and throughout the festival.• Distribution area includes Whistler and the Lower Mainland.• Online version will also be available on whistlerwritersfest.com

PRINT ADVERTISING SPECS & SUBMISSION DETAILS• Preferred format is PDF-X1A. Please convert all fonts to outlines.• All photos require 300 dpi resolution at the appropriate size.

Please convert RGB and spot colours to CMYK.• Please include a bleed with no crop marks on inside front and

back cover ads. No bleed or crop marks required on other ads sizes.

• Please e-mail files to [email protected]

AD DESIGN & PRODUCTION• Ad design & production is included in the ad price and available

through Whistler Creative. Please mention this at time of booking.• The closing date for requests and material for ads requiring

production is June 24, 2016.

DEADLINES• Booking Deadline: June 24, 2016 • Artwork Deadline: July 4, 2016

sponsorship opportunities - whistler writers...

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