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VisitScotland funding boost for festivals.

A new international marketing campaign to promote Aberdeen’s broad range of festivals has been given a £25,000 funding boost by VisitScotland, Tourism Minister Fergus Ewing announced yesterday.

The national tourism organisation has awarded the cash to Aberdeen Festivals to highlight its nine major events throughout the year, starting with the month-long Arts Across Learning Festival at the end of February. 

Match-funded by the group, the VisitScotland Growth Fund money will be used to promote Aberdeen as a place “where festivals, food and drink make for special weekends”. 

The campaign will aim to align Aberdeen’s festivals, which include everything from music and the visual arts to science and dance, with the city’s rich array of food and drink and its accommodation.

Established in 2014, Aberdeen Festivals is funded by Aberdeen City Council and Visit Aberdeen, the local destination marketing organisation. The group has also secured significant investment from the private sector through a major sponsorship deal with leading international oil and gas company, Statoil UK.

The group comprises:

• Arts Across Learning Festival (23 February – 20 March)
• Aberdeen Jazz Festival (18-22 March)
• May Festival (29-31 May)
• Aberdeen International Youth Festival (24 July – 1 August)
• Fifty Plus Family Festival (1-11 September)
• TechFest (12 September – 2 October)
• North East Open Studios (12-21 September)
• DanceLive (9-20 October)
• Sound (22 October – 9 November)

Tourism Minister Fergus Ewing, who made the announcement while in Aberdeen with the Scottish Cabinet, said:

“The North East of Scotland is a great place for tourists to visit and full of fascinating things to see. These festivals will help already thriving industry attract even more people to the area.

“As 2015 is the Year of Food and Drink this is a fantastic opportunity to show off at home and abroad the delicious local produce we have right on our doorstep and to build on the already phenomenal success of our food and drink sector. These festivals, that run throughout the year, will provide great opportunities for local businesses and producers.”

Philip Smith, VisitScotland’s Regional Director for Aberdeen City and Shire, said: 
“Scotland’s events industry is worth between £1 billion and £1.5bn to the economy. These events don’t just provide entertainment – they represent a multi-million pound opportunity to boost jobs as well as deliver cultural and social benefits.

“Aberdeen Festivals does an excellent job of promoting the city’s outstanding array of cultural events. We are delighted to be able to help the group with its new marketing campaign through the VisitScotland Growth Fund. The marketing activity will help to promote the festivals to a national and international audience, encouraging more people to come here and see exactly what Aberdeen has to offer.”

Steve Harris, Chief Executive of VisitAberdeen and Chair of Aberdeen Festivals, said: 
“This investment goes some way in fulfilling one of the key strategic aims of Aberdeen Festivals in that it provides funds that can highlight the festivals, and the region’s exciting cultural offer in general, to targeted groups of potential visitors to the city. We are delighted that the festivals can begin to capitalise on the national and international profile that this campaign will deliver and, as a result, develop and increase audiences to these wonderful events.”

Notes To Editors

The campaign will have a particular focus on the Norwegian and North East of England markets and will include posters on East Coast trains and at Newcastle train station and digital posters at Stavanger and Bergen airports.