THE organisers for next year’s visit of the Tall Ships Races to Lerwick are appealing for local businesses interested in supporting the event to come forward.
The races, which stop off in Lerwick between 26-29 July 2023, will be the biggest event staged in Shetland for more than a decade.
While it is attracting significant grant funding from EventScotland and Shetland Islands Council, Tall Ships organisers say generating greater income from sponsorship is pivotal to delivering the best possible experience for trainees, visitors and locals.
So far a number of high-profile businesses that are active within the local economy, including SSE Renewables, several salmon farming companies, marine engineers Malakoff and digital media firm NB Communication, have come forward with pledges of support towards the four-day event. Further sponsors are due to be announced in the coming weeks.
Emma Miller of Shetland Tall Ships Ltd. said: “It’s such a great, inclusive event for the community, which offers businesses a great opportunity to gain exposure not only locally but nationally and globally too.
“We really want to make sure we extend the invitation to give as many local businesses as possible the opportunity to be involved.”
A variety of sponsorship options are available, ranging from the basic Cadet’s Deck contribution up to the full Admiral’s Deck host port sponsor package, while organisers are also happy to look at a bespoke arrangement if a business wishes to put their money behind a specific aspect of the event.
“Businesses that are sponsoring are offered a generous package of benefits in return,” Ms Miller said. “This includes promotional and marketing opportunities, but also social opportunities – they get to go to a deck hire party that we’ll throw for sponsors, and they’ll get invitations with seats at the front for the official opening ceremony.
“Sponsorship is really flexible: if somebody has a particular aspect that they’re interested in, we can tailor a package to suit so that they’re covering the costs of something specific, and work out what a return benefits package would be.”
As well as general-purpose sponsorship, the organisers are looking for businesses interested in offering financial support towards kit for around 100 event volunteers, the Captain’s Dinner and a park-and-ride service in and out of Lerwick. Support for the event can be provided in cash, or as in-kind provision of goods or services.
- Any businesses or individuals that want to find out more about the sponsorship opportunities can download a sponsorship pack form from the Tall Ships Lerwick website, or they can get in touch with organisers directly by emailing info@tallshipslerwick.com or phoning (01595) 502110.
