Chat-bout.net - Sumfest seeking JTB $$

Sumfest seeking JTB $$

The Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) is in intense negotiations with Sumfest organisers who want sponsorship...

similar to the US$500,000 (J$44.5 million) gifted to Jazz Festival.

It is the third big event seeking major government sponsorship amidst the economic downturn.

"The negotiations will be complete within 10 days,"John Lynch, JTB chairman, told Splash yesterday. It would make the JTB a major sponsor of the annual reggae event affected by lack of private sponsorship. "This year, they have asked for substantial support because private sector support has dried up. And they have come to us with a proposal and we are in negotiations with them."

The exact amount requested is unknown but Lynch stated that "it was a similar amount to the Jazz & Blues Festival".

When contacted two weeks ago, Johnny Gourzong - who heads Summerfest Productions, Sumfest organisers - told Splash that they "are in intense negotiations but cannot comment" for fear of prejudicing the negotiations.

But the JTB cautions that it can't offer as much as Jazz Festival due to the economic downturn. "There are no sacred cows," he explained. "I don't think it is realistic in today's environment. That is a lot of money."

Last year was the first time that Sumfest went to government for substantial sponsorship. Red Stripe withdrew from the event in that year and with it went sponsorship in the tens of millions. Red Stripe argued that the explicit lyrical content by deejays facilitated by the event did not fit with its new brand image.

The JTB stepped in last year and says it will do the same this year. "The Jazz & Blues Festival and Sumfest are two events that people worldwide look forward to. These are uniquely Jamaican events and people overseas and locally look forward to it. And so is Calabash and I think we should try to save these events," he said.

The JTB argued that its spend on the Jazz Festival was prudent. Previously the board told the Observer that 26,124 visitors came to Jamaica specifically for the Jazz & Blues Festival spending about US$5.2 million in 2008. Critics argue that the figures seem inflated as Americans would not likely pay more to see American performers outside their own country.

Asked why the government would not partner with these events and share the profits, he said: "I don't think it is the role of government to be a partner in these things because you going to be a partner in losses. I think that government should try to encourage private partnership, so that more and more government can withdraw."

Interestingly, Lynch stated that the Jazz & Blues Festival would "probably not" garner full sponsorship if held today. This is exactly what occurred with Calabash Festival. The organisers were given some 50 per cent of the requested sponsorship and cancelled the event in response. They argued that adequate private sponsorship was unavailable.

"We made an offer to the organisers of Calabash, we went back and did a review and increased offer to them. It may not have been 100 per cent of what they were asking for, but for today's environment we have to tighten you belt,"he explained.

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