Event Overview
Southwest Maker Fest 2014 will be a pilot event to form the foundation of a major regional festival celebrating makers and innovation. There is tremendous energy and excitement about building an inclusive and highly creative event in the Valley of the Sun that will grow to have a major regional presence and build on our region’s strength as a hotbed of new ideas and entrepreneurial spirit!
We hope you will consider becoming a partner and supporter of Southwest Maker Fest. The event is being driven by the efforts of almost 40 experienced event administrators, makers, event planners, marketing directors and partners from such major institutions at ASU (Tempe and Polytechnic campuses), Mesa Arts Center, Maricopa Community Colleges and Arizona Science Center, as well as grassroots organizations such as HeatSync Labs and the Collaboratory, among many others. The inaugural Southwest Maker Fest will take place on March 22nd, 2013, in downtown Mesa, and will benefit from the significant marketing and promotion being implemented for the concurrent spark! Mesa’s Festival of Creativity, which will be occurring adjacent to the Southwest Maker Fest at Mesa Arts Center.
Started as a dream, as many makings do, the Southwest Maker Fest will become a reality with over dozens of makers from many backgrounds including education, STEM, art, electronics, cooking, woodworking, glass working and so much more. “If they build it, they will come!”
Southwest Maker Fest is a participating event in the Arizona Sci-Tech Festival. The adjacent spark! Mesa’s Festival of Creativity, attracted over 40,000 people to the Mesa Arts Center last March, providing a fertile environment for mounting a pilot festival that will appeal to the same audience. This provides an amazing opportunity to sponsor this inaugural effort and take advantage of a built-in crowd, enabling your business to be in the spotlight, associated with the maker movement, creativity, innovation and the value of stimulating curiosity and ideas in Arizona’s citizenry.
Southwest Maker Fest is an all-volunteer operation, operating under the auspices of the Downtown Mesa Association and its 501(c) 3 non-profit arm, Ultimate Imaginations Inc. (UII). All sponsorships will be through UII, a tax-exempt organization.
Sponsor Levels
Sponsor levels are named for metals used by fine metal smiths to make beautiful objects. We hope you will consider discuss a sponsorship level that is appropriate for you. We are happy to discuss your goals and seek ways to tailor a sponsorship package to your needs.
Bronze Sponsor - $500
- Signage in event area (one banner provided by sponsor)
- Logo inclusion in all print media (posters, flyers)
- Inclusion on website and in social media
- Inclusion in event program
Copper Sponsor - $1000
All of the above PLUS:
- Industry Exclusivity (only sponsor in your specific industry)
- 10x10 Booth Space provided during event
Silver Sponsor- $5000
All of the above PLUS:
- Inclusion in all media press releases
- Corner booth location in event area
- Second banner displayed at festival
- Opportunity to welcome attendees before a featured speaker presentation
Gold Sponsor- $7000 (one in this category)
All of the above PLUS:
- Festival Feature Area naming rights with larger banner in that area
- Sponsor name prominently displayed on Event Site Map at festival
- Verbal recognition between band performances
- Verbal recognition at awards ceremony
Platinum Sponsor (Presenting Sponsor--Exclusive)- $10,000
All of the above PLUS:
- Sponsor Name linked to event name on all major promotions “Presented by”
- Name inclusion in all paid media advertising
- Premier banner positions in event area
- Opportunities to speak at Opening Ceremony and Awards Ceremony
Marketing
Southwest Maker Fest will be promoted through print media, social media, maker calendars, posters, flyers and newsletters. As a new event emerging from a broad collaboration, we anticipate high media interest in covering our initiative, and our sponsors will benefit from this association.
While many of the electronic opportunities will be available until the last minute, print materials will be produced further in advance, and sponsors who get involved now will get the greatest number of opportunities for exposure.
PLEASE consider helping this grass roots, collaborative effort succeed! We hope you are willing to get involved in one or more ways—we’d love to have you as part of our family of partners!
