Lead story in the Rumblings Section
Crain's Detroit Business
Wanted: Sponsor for Detroit techno festival
May 13, 2002
An event that the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau said brought
1.5 million people and $147 million to Hart Plaza last year still needs a
lead sponsor.
Now in its third year, the Detroit Electronic Music Festival draws people
from around the world to downtown Detroit on Memorial Day weekend. The
Detroit Recreation Department presents the festival, and Detroit-based Pop
Culture Media produces it.
"We are talking with one foreign and one domestic automaker," said Greg
Bowens, Pop Culture's media-relations director.
Ford Motor Co., seeking to market the new Focus to a young audience, paid $1
million last year to sponsor the three-day event. Ford did not renew the
sponsorship this year.
The Ford Focus marketing team is moving away from music-oriented marketing
to programs that highlight the car's actual driving features, said Mark
Schirmer, manager of Ford car public affairs.The festival takes place at
Hart Plaza, underneath the GM sign atop the Renaissance Center. If no U.S.
automaker sponsors the festival, the door is open to foreign competitors,
Bowens said.
"We have to go where the market is," he said. "The music is very big in
Japan and Europe. If we have to go with an offer from Volkswagen in the
shadow of GM, then we'll just have to hope GM understands."
Bowens attributed the lack of a sponsor to the economy but said the festival
will happen with or without a lead sponsor
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