Sponsorship Opportunities

2024 will be the festival’s 17th year and it has now grown to become one of the most popular and well regarded events in the town’s calendar.

The event is managed and run by BID Leamington Ltd, a not for profit organisation funded by the town centre businesses and responsible for promoting and marketing the town.

As such, our first priority is to local businesses; however we have previously worked with Aga Rangemaster and Discovery Foods and are looking to develop new mutually beneficial partnerships to support the delivery of the event and add value for the events visitors.

In 2024 the event will return on the 7th and 8th September in the Pump Room Gardens in Royal Leamington Spa and will feature over 100 exhibitors, Live Theatre Kitchen, Kids Cookery School and a full programme of entertainment and activities. We actively publicise the event both locally and regionally and also attract visitors from further afield via PR and word of mouth.

Highlights from previous years include:

  • Antonio Carluccio – Celebrity Chef
  • Rustie Lee – Celebrity Chef
  • Levi Roots – Celebrity Chef
  • Brian Turner – Celebrity Chef
  • James McIntosh – Aga Chef
  • AGA Rangemaster Live Cookery Theatre
  • Celebrate Mexican Independents Day with Discovery Foods
  • Masterclass Demonstration Theatre
  • Children’s Interactive Make and Bake Cookery School
  • Aubrey Allen Dining Experience
  • bread&co catering
  • Oxford Landing Estates Mini Wine Masterclasses

Marekting Activities

Why Sponsor

Here are some reasons why we feel you would get excellent value for money from sponsoring this event:

  • An estimated 27,000 food lovers visited over 2 days last year.
  • Opportunities to showcase your products.
  • Sampling and tasting opportunities to entice potential new customers.
  • Profile raising opportunity.
  • Marketing & PR alongside the event marketing including;
    • Press Advertising
    • PR
    • Radio – Free Radio
    • Online & Social Media – dedicated tweets etc
    • Full branding on the Leamington Food Festival Website
    • All print material including:
      • 1,000 Flyers
      • Press adverts (Local press plus additional local media)
      • Roadside banners x 3
      • Programme x 2,000 distribution

When considering sponsorship opportunities, the key question on many organisations’ minds is how will the show deliver the crowds, the brand exposure and create value for the sponsors? One element of achieving these objectives is the marketing activities undertaken to promote and develop the event. Below is a list of what we are planning, however we are also open to exploring new ideas:

Newspapers/Magazines – Adverts are placed in good quality regional, daily and weekly newspapers and a number of specialist monthly magazines. In many cases the adverts run up to four weeks prior to the show. All adverts are sizable and placed in prominent areas of the publication. The promotion for the Food and Drink Festival could potentially reach over 1 million people through the circulation of the various newspapers and magazines.

Direct Marketing – We regularly undertake direct marketing activities that target specific market segments using data held on our data bases that have been built up over a number of years.

Website – All sponsors have the opportunity to utilise the website and we are flexible in our approach to the best ways of maximising your sponsorship opportunity through our web page.

Posters and Flyers – As well as marketing and promoting the event via posters and flyers locally to shops, hotels, waiting rooms, farm shops, supermarkets etc. In addition, we’ll advertise in local newspapers and on line.

  • Food Festival banners around the Town Centre and on main A roads leading into the Town
  • 2,000 copies of the Festival Programme
  • 1,000 Flyers

Regional TV / Regional Radio – Radio advertising on-site during the event with potential live feeds from local radio stations. In the past we have worked with Free Radio, Touch FM and BBC Coventry & Warwickshire and Birmingham Local TV.

Social Media – Dedicated tweets and updates on our social media (Facebook / Twitter/ Instagram).

Benefits of Sponsorship – Sponsorship packages are not just about providing exposure to your client on the days of the event as sponsors, depending on the package, reap the benefit of continued exposure throughout the year. To further offer longevity in their investment, sponsors from the previous year are also included in the schedules that are produced in the following year. For us sponsorship is essential for the survival of the event, not only does it help financially but the association with successful companies reflects positively on the Food and Drink Festival.

Not all sponsorship is appropriate for our audience and we offer a number of packages that allow sponsors to focus their brand exposure on a targeted demographic. Sponsorship must benefit both the Food and Drink Festival and the sponsor, thus creating a “win win” situation for both parties. Whether it’s used to promote your business through corporate hospitality or through being the principle sponsor of the main festival or a part of the event, the packages can be carefully tailored to maximise specific corporate objectives.