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I designed the high profile Match Made in Heaven Business event on behalf of my client Birmingham City Council. The main objectives of the event being to encourage understanding and best practice in arts sponsorship, increase the number of first time art sponsors and encouraging successful sponsorships between arts and business in the region.

Having dedicated much of my career to generating arts sponsorship this project was both rewarding and challenging, enabling me to optimise on sharing my expertise whilst also implementing ongoing research and expertise from partners.

The Event

Four of the city’s best arts sponsorship proposals come alive from the page as they are pitched live to a panel of business leaders and media experts in this ‘Dragons Den’ style event. A cash award of £1000 and an in-kind media and marketing deal is awarded to the best arts sponsorship pitch by the panel. Following the live presentations the art organisation undergo Q&A sessions with both the panel and the audience.
Potential sponsorship deals are then initiated over networking and hospitality.

This business event was designed for marketing and PR professionals with budget control and vision and is the ideal opportunity to discover current art sponsorship opportunities, the benefits of arts involvement and how to maximise the value of the opportunities.

The first Match Made in Heaven event in March 2007 saw an investment of over £65000 across five arts organisations and a second event took place on 10 October 2007.

The event blue print is now fully developed for Birmingham City Council and its partners to optimise on for  future benefits.

Photography by Steve Gerrard.