Stendhal Festival & Macrete Ireland Ltd. 2023
Context
Macrete Ireland Ltd is a third-generation family-owned business, and a leader in precast concrete manufacturing.
Stendhal Festival is Northern Ireland’s largest music and arts camping festival, known for being family orientated and showcasing the best of established and emerging NI talent.
Challenge
Macrete Ireland Ltd were seeking innovative ways to thank key staff for their commitment and work over the previous 2 years as essential workers, through the pandemic. They also want to support the local community from where they recruit their new staff and, as part of their annual CSR, they like to support the arts community.
Stendhal Festival were seeking investment to ensure the delivery of Stendhal Festival 2022. Following the pandemic and financials over the past number of years, alongside rising costs across the board and stagnant ticket prices (determined before the cost-of-living crisis), they were under pressure to realise results.
Stendhal Festival 2022 was brilliant, feedback from staff was excellent – all of them making very positive memories with loved ones and especially those who took children. Staff in attendance felt a very real thank you and some were even a little inspired after a weekend at Ballymully Cottage Farm.
Richard Hogg – Director, Macrete Ireland Ltd
Solution
The organisations met and discussed their respective needs and aspirations. Macrete, who had (and continue to) support the festival in-kind, agreed to additionally sponsor cash towards the family programme and family area at Stendhal 2022. In return Stendhal was able to offer MIL staff tickets for themselves, family and friends to experience the festival and enjoy some downtime. MIL also got branding coverage in the festival digital and print marketing campaigns. Stendhal then set about raising additional funds via the A&BNI Investment Programme and found the application process straight forward, giving them some optimism in aspiring to programme their best family and children offering to date.
Results
Stendhal welcomed approximately 80 guests to the Festival through their association with Macrete Ireland Ltd. MIL staff spoke very highly of their experience and many commented that they will be back next year. Those with families said the kids had an amazing time – they couldn’t believe they have never been before. As well as receiving the cash sponsorship from Macrete, Stendhal were able to apply for additional support through the Arts & Business NI Investment Programme for the continued development of the family programme. They delivered their best ever family programming, both in terms of financial capacity and in terms of feedback with 98% satisfaction rate.
Working in a more formal capacity with Macrete Ireland was a great boost to festival planning and delivery, also opening the door to leverage additional monies with A&B NI really did help us deliver our best festival to date.
It was great to start working with A&B NI who we found to be very flexible, open and dedicated to our project/ event. So much so that we have realised a new partnership for 2023 via A&B NI which again has even more investment and capacity attached.
Ross Parkhill – Director, Stendhal Festival Ltd