HPX NEEDS YOU HELP
Please take a minute to read this and write an email to help us get support for our funding application.
BACKGROUND
Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) has never had enough funding for any festivals and events.
Halifax Pop Explosion has not received funding in several years, because we stopped applying because the city would only come up with $750.00 or so. In other cities, events like ours would expect between $5000 and $15,000.
In March 2007 HRM adopted a new policy which lead us to hope we would be considered for Hallmark status, which would result in significant recurring funding. We applied for $10,000 this year, and we were turned down. No reason has yet been officially given.
Halifax Pop Explosion is a large, internationally recognized event, drawing over 16,000 people in 2007, with over 135 bands from eight countries. Over 25% of our advance tickets were sold to people coming from out of province. We have a significant role to play in the development and promotion of our music industry, as a tourism draw, and as the critical annual music event that maintains Halifax’s status as centre for excellence in new and innovative music.
WHY THE HALIFAX POP EXPLOSION IS A HALLMARK EVENT:
HPX is a tourism event. We are one of the largest annual music events in Atlantic Canada, are a national leader in the youth tourism segment, and we sell over 25%of our advance tickets, and no less than 15% of our total ticket sales, to fans from outside HRM.
We continue to receive significant international coverage for our event, on par with the coverage received by most other Hallmark events. The majority of our out of town ticket sales result in overnight stays, and it cannot be denied that our sales show that a material share of our total participation comes from overnight tourists and visitors.
The Halifax Pop Explosion is the most important new music festival in Canada, and as such provides Halifax with a tremendous competitive advantage in terms of attractiveness for youth and young adults, as a tourism destination, a cultural centre, a centre for music excellence, and a place to go to college and/or to create a life for oneself.
Creative people know about the Halifax Pop Explosion. Destination Haifax has been using the festival to market the city for over two years. We have been here for sixteen years, and have become an integral part of the cities image as a “hip and happening” destination, whether acknowledged by the city or not.
WE NEED YOUR HELP
It is not too late. HRM has money in reserve that can be used to fund HPX as a Hallmark event.
We need you to write an email that talks about:
- why the Halifax Pop Explosion is important to you
- why the festival is important to the Halifax
- why the committee should reconsider Hallmark status for HPX at their meeting of June 18th, 2008
Keep it positive! There is no issue with the Film Fest or Jazz Fest getting support, the issue is that Halifax Pop Explosion deserves it too.
Send an email by FRIDAY JUNE 13:
To: Sheila Fouger, Chair – Special Events Advisory Committee fougers@halifax.ca
CC: Waye Mason, Executive Director, HPX – waye@halifaxpopexplosion.com
CC: Peter Kelly, Mayor – kellyp@halifax.ca
and post your letter on your locals messageboard, your facebook page, your myspace, and/or your blog!
Thank you in advance for your support.