Federal funding boosts marketing for major arts, cultural festivals

The Toronto International Film Festival, the Calgary Stampede and the Quebec CitySummer Festival are among the large Canadian cultural events getting a boost in their marketing and publicity budgets as part of a new $100-million federal tourism support program.

Ontario MP Peter Kent, minister of state of foreign affairs (Americas), joined the Toronto festival's director, Piers Handling, and co-director Cameron Bailey at amidday news conference Monday to announce that TIFF will be one of the program's inaugural recipients with a $3-million funding infusion.

MP Diane Ablonczy, minister of state for small business and tourism, unveiled the news in Calgary, while other MPs rolled out the announcement in cities like Edmonton, Charlottetown, Montreal, Stratford, Ont., and Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.

"Due to the recession, there have been some challenges for them, so we think this is a perfect time for some new intiatives that will grow these events, that will make the world even more aware of what Canada has to offer," said Ablonczy.

In Toronto, Handling told reporters and members of the film industry: "This announcement means a great deal to us. It recognizes the role we play in attracting tourists and stimulating the economy.

"Cultural organizations like TIFF are a key driver in today's economy, responsible for generating hundreds of millions of dollars of spending annually."

Antoni Cimolino, the general director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, echoed the sentiment.

'This is a tremendous affirmation of something that far too often goes unacknowledged: the importance of the cultural and tourism industries to the economy of our country.' Antoni Cimolino, Stratford Shakespeare Festival

"This is a tremendous affirmation of something that far too often goes unacknowledged: the importance of the cultural and tourism industries to the economy of our country. Those industries not only enrich peoples lives spiritually, emotionally and intellectually, they generate an enormous economic return that benefits us in tangible, material ways as well," Cimolino said in a statement.

Vern Kimball, CEO of the Calgary Stampede, said their share of the funding will go to marketing thesummer event toB.C., Saskatchewan and the U.S.Pacific Northwest.

"Everybody needs to take a little time to enjoy life and despite all of the other things that are going that are hard in life," said Kimball. "We think we offer great value and a great place for the community to gather. We've done that for 100 years, and the economic cycle's been up, it's been down, and we still are the place for folks to come together every July."

Festivals figuring out best use of funding

Since learning of the investment, TIFF officials are already developing ideas on how to use it to the best advantage, Bailey said.

Initial ideas include expanding on the free outdoor programming at Yonge-Dundas Square launched to great success at the 2008 festival, continuing a campaign to unify the festival's branding and "increasing the awareness of this fantastic city of ours outside our borders," Bailey said.

"Our plan is to build on our current economic impact, which last year was $134.5 million."

Stratford, which earlier this month had put 30 performances on hold because of poor ticket sales so far, announced that Monday's funding boost will allow it to restore all performances of A Midsummer Night's Dream.

"Not only are we reinstating those suspended performances, but we will also use some of these performances of A Midsummer Night's Dream to host a number of students who otherwise would not have the opportunity to attend specifically, students from northern Ontario," said artistic director Des McAnuff.

Stratford also plans to use the new funds to introduce television commercials, expand its print advertising campaign and extend its direct marketing and e-marketing initiatives, such as package deals and other special offers.

Funding introduced as tourism stimulus

Introduced earlier this month, the initiative is called the Marquee Tourism Events Program.

The two-year program aims to invest $100 million into annual, large-scale, national cultural festivals and events to boost their appeal at home and develop a bigger audience internationally.

The MTEP funding is earmarked specifically for promotional, audience-building initiatives; the recipients cannot use it for their normal operational needs.

"This is not money to replace what we've already budgeted for," said TIFF's Bailey. "This really is new money to do new things, so that includes things like new marketing efforts, new ad buys, new initiatives to draw more of the public into the festival."

Another call for proposals will be announced in the fall for the second phase of the program.