Project Management/Jewish Music Festival/Proposal (DRAFT)

Table of Contents
DRAFT Proposal for development of Jewish Music Festival in Vancouver, Canada

Letters of Support

 * community
 * nonprofit organizations

Letters of Application

 * grant
 * city

Letter of Incorporation

 * nonprofit status
 * charitable status

Non-Disclosure
The information set forth in this proposal is proprietary to The Jewish Music Festival Society. Disclosure of any information, in any form or by any means to other parties, in written, oral or electronic form, without Society’s prior written consent is strictly prohibited.

This business plan is not a prospectus offering, nor a memorandum or security. This plan outlines a business and financing proposal for an annual music festival, to be held in Vancouver, and developed by the Jewish Music Festival Society.

There are no guarantees or warranties expressed or implied. Projections are for discussion and estimation purposes only. There is no comment on risk. For further information, please consult your legal and financial advisors.

Executive Summary
A significant opportunity exists for the nonprofit Jewish Music Festival Society to create and develop an annual Jewish musical event in the Pacific Rim region. (An application for charitable status is being processed.) The 1 ½ day festival will be held in late August, at the Spanish Banks West Beach area in Point Grey, Vancouver.

Building on the momentum generated by the 50th anniversary of the State of Israel, and the 3000th anniversary of Jerusalem, the Festival will showcase the best amateur and professional Jewish musical and creative artists, from Canada and around the world. It will also serve as a forum for generating greater inter- and multi-cultural understanding, through music, special workshops and ‘jamming’ sessions and a greater appreciation of the linkage between culture and the arts.

The festival, the first of its kind in Vancouver, is expected to draw 2000 people throughout its duration. Informal surveys and discussions with similar festivals shown the Society that 25% of the festival-goers will be from outside the city; that is, Seattle, Portland, Calgary, Winnipeg, and as far away as Toronto. These individuals would either make the festival a “destination”, or choose to add several days to a planned summer holiday. The Society will work with BC Tourism and other agencies to ensure that accurate and timely event information is provided to ensure maximum draw, and visitation to the province.

Central to the Festival’s success are the management’s knowledge of the music industry, various arts and cultural groups, community experience and understanding of critical business and planning issues. The location of the festival, its timing and duration are also important factors.

First, one of the Festival’s Directors is a highly-skilled and acclaimed musician, and up-to-date with the inner workings of the artistic and cultural community, within and outside the Jewish arena, having planned, delivered and performed in a variety of professional musical events.

Second, other Directors are well-plugged into the Jewish community, within the arts arena, and in particular, within Vancouver, Seattle, Toronto and Israel. Each has specific, in-depth knowledge of key performers, including their music, their overall suitability, and synchronicity with other performance.

Third, the Festival’s planning, cash flow and event delivery will benefit substantially from a solid business perspective. An experienced management team heads up the Society, with a longer-term focus; of particular importance since the Society aims to make the Jewish Music Festival a fixture on the PacRim music calendar.

Fourth, the appeal of the Festival is not limited to the Jewish community; rather, the general public is encouraged to attend and participate in the event. We envision that the Festival will become a forum for greater cross-cultural communication, using musical experience as a lever for greater understanding and experiential change. Further, the Society will undertake to broaden the Festival’s appeal by partnering with Jewish and non-Jewish charitable and nonprofit organizations (e.g. food banks, health organizations, etc.). This partnering is already underway.

Jewish Music Festival ’98, is intended to be the first of many annual presentations. However, the first festival will be delivered on a smaller scale than the demand might presuppose. The reasons:


 * 1) to learn from the experience;
 * 2) to minimize financial risks;
 * 3) to use acquired knowledge to position the festival as a candidate for artistic and cultural monies from government, institutional and nonprofit organizations,
 * 4) to allow more lead time to source sponsorship money and in-kind resources
 * 5) to better understand the demographics and interests of the Worldbeat festival publics (e.g. Jews & non-Jews); and,
 * 6) to create demand and interest for future festivals.

The total Festival costs (including facilities and equipment, operations and administration, marketing and promotion, working capital and contingency fund) are $45,000.XXX

It will be financed as follows:XXX


 * $1,000 in shareholder equity (cash);
 * $10,000 in ticket sales (pre-event)
 * $15,000 in ticket sales (at the door)
 * $5,000 in concession revenue
 * $10,000 in sponsorship revenue or in-kind resources
 * $2000 in merchandising revenue
 * $2000 in advertising revenue

Mission statement
By 2003, the Jewish Music Festival will be the premier annual Jewish artistic and cultural networking event in the Pacific Northwest, and one of the most exciting showcases in North America of Jewish musical artists and creative talent from Canada and around the world.

Festival Concept
Since 1993, Tshaynik’s (Vancouver’s popular and informal monthly Jewish Performing Arts Revue) open stage entertainment format has been drawing amateur and professional musical and artistic talent to rave reviews. Tshaynik’s has tapped into a significant gap in the Jewish community, and the West Coast. Bereft of a Yiddish culture and socialization experience, and owing to massive Jewish in-migration from other parts of Canada (including Quebec) and the world, Vancouver is fertile ground for the development of an annual forum for professional Jewish musical and artistic expression. Indeed, if Toronto can have its Ashkenaz, and Montreal its Saidye Bronfman Centre, then why can’t Vancouver be the home to a Jewish Music Festival.

Demand continues to grow for intellectual stimulation, Jewish and other cultural events in Vancouver. A recent Tshaynik’s at the Squish’D Knish drew more than 130 people, many of whom had to be turned away for lack of space. A Jewish sing-a-long attracted nearly 100 people, all engaged by Yiddish and Hebrew musical tunes. In addition, the Jazz and Folk festivals continue to draw record numbers, particularly among individuals ranging from 25-50.

The Jewish Music Festival Society will build on these trends, by developing a Festival which creates and recreates the Jewish experience --- in a musical way. Entertainment will consist of local Jewish bands, training workshops, children’s entertainment and professional headliners. Multicultural performance and informal jam sessions are also envisioned (i.e. Celtic, Indian, Asian & Jewish) as the Festival will provide a vehicle to bridge gaps, and explore new options in interpersonal, cultural and artistic experiences. The first annual Festival will dovetail nicely with the 50th Anniversary celebrations of the State of Israel, and provide an upbeat relaxed and collaborative setting for artists and attendees, young and middle-aged, Jew and non-Jew. As previous events have shown, the Festival will have the ability to ‘pull’ individuals from states and provinces close to Vancouver.

II Festival Partners
The Jewish Music Festival Society is in the process of developing a number of strategic partnerships for broadening its appeal and drawing power, and for promotional and fundraising purposes. They include:


 * The Society for Inter-Cultural Understanding
 * Jewish Community Centre (Vancouver)
 * The Wandering Jews Outdoors Club (Seattle)
 * Jewish Festival of the Arts
 * Vancouver Food Bank

To add further visibility to the Festival, and offset the production costs, a number of corporate sponsorships are also being pursued.

Appended to this business plan are copies of requests for letters for support, as well as letters of support themselves.

III Management
The Jewish Music Festival Society has the following Directors:


 * insert bios here...

Festival Location
The Festival’s first choice for location is (1) Spanish Banks West. Secondary considerations include (2) Plaza of Nations, and the (3) Pacific National Exhibition Grounds.

Spanish Banks West is the #1 choice by virtue of its geographic location, low cost ($500), proximity to the Jewish population and physical attractiveness. In terms of transportation, it is accessible by foot, wheelchair, bicycle, public transit, or automobile, and there is plenty of parking. It is also close to the University of British Columbia, the Museum of Anthropology and other major tourist attractions. It is located along NorthWest Marine Drive, and overlooks English Bay and the Burrard Inlet.

Event - Time & Duration
Jewish Music Festival ’98 will begin Saturday, August 28 at 8:30 p.m. and conclude by 11:00 p.m. It will resume Sunday, August 29 at 10:00 a.m., and finish by 11:00 p.m.

Saturday, August 28, 1997
8:30 p.m.– Havdalah (Ceremony for end of Jewish sabbath) [Main Stage]

9:00 p.m.– Opening remarks and official opening of Festival

9:30 p.m. – Local Artists performance

11:00 p.m – Performance ends

Sunday, August 29, 1997
Note: There will be a 15-minute sound check and turnover required after each performer.

Facilities & Logistics
The setup of the Festival tents, facilities, stage and equipment will begin on Friday, August 27, with the assistance of many volunteers. (A Volunteers Coordinator will help ensure the smooth functioning of the setup, maintenance and tear-down activities. Concessionaires will set up their facilities and equipment prior to the Festival’s start, and tear them down by 5 p.m. Monday, August 30, 1997.

All tents, stages, facilities and equipment will vacate the area by 5 p.m., on Monday, August 30, 1997

Staging facilities include:

 * One (1) main stage (24 x32)
 * Two (2) small stages (16 x 12)
 * Scaffolding
 * Tents

Equipment includes

 * Small Speakers (2 Small stages)
 * Monitors
 * Mixing board
 * Wiring
 * Microphones
 * Power supplies
 * Etc.

Other Festival Equipment includes:

 * Portable Toilets
 * Fencing
 * Etc.

Competition
The Ashkenaz festival in Toronto occurs every second year, with the next one taking place in 1999.

Seattle’s acclaimed Bumbershoot Festival, takes place Labour Day Weekend, every year. (This event takes place one week after the Jewish Music Festival in Vancouver.

In the Pacific NorthWest  *** ADD INFO HERE***XXX 

Target Market
The chief target market for the Jewish Music Festival is the Jewish community in Vancouver. This will be further segmented in terms of age, music type and religious affiliation (e.g. Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist). Jewish Music Festival Society is seeking to tap into the group of festival goers

A second Jewish market lies south of the Canada/US border in Seattle, and further south still, in Portland and San Francisco. There are Jewish communities in Calgary, Regina and Winnipeg whose constituents also might be interested in attending.

Another significant market lies among non-Jewish individuals in Vancouver and surrounding areas who might well be interested in attending a cultural music event, at the end of the summer. They might be tourists or local residents. By supporting and cross-promoting local, regional and national nondenominational nonprofit and charitable organizations, the Jewish Music Festival Society may be able to attract individuals who might never have considered attending a “Jewish” event in the past.

The Jewish Music Festival Society will undertake a market research study at the end of the Festival to better ascertain attendees’ demographics, interests and satisfaction ratings. This information will be used in planning subsequent events and sourcing Festival sponsors, partners and other funding sources

Marketing Plan
A marketing plan is being developed to pre-sell the 1rst annual Jewish Music Festival and promote the event to attendees, supporters, partners and sponsors. Communications will be in a printed, visual and electronic format to ensure maximum coverage and exposure for the event. The marketing plan will address the following:

Financial plan
Ticket price ranges from $15-20 for the day on Sunday. Saturday evening is free.

Sponsorship, grants, merchandising, concessionaire funds constitute other sources of revenue.

A bank account is opened in the name of the Jewish Music Festival Society. All cheques must be signed by two (2) Directors of the Society. Visa is accepted.