Presenting and Business Sponsorships
Let Shakespeare in the Park help connect your business with new customers.
Business and Presenting Sponsorships are an effective means for connecting Shakespeare in the Park audience members, donors, supporters and a large segment of the population of Milwaukee with your product or service. By supporting an event that is part of the cultural foundation of the city, your sponsorship is also a message of your commitment to the vitality of Milwaukee.
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Let us help you make these valuable connections.
Below, you will find more information about becoming a Shakespeare in the Park Sponsor. We welcome you to peruse the information here and let us know what other questions we can answer for you. Thank you for considering a Presenting or Business Sponsorship. SPONSORSHIP LEVELSBusiness Sponsorships are available at levels ranging from $500-$5,000; Presenting Sponsorships are $10,000-$20,000.
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Some of the premiums listed at each level may seem similar; the difference is prominence and frequency. The highest impact premium offered by Shakespeare in the Park is logo inclusion on the large street-side banner on display on the Kilbourn Avenue side of the Peck Pavilion.
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This banner is seen by approximately 43,000 vehicles and 15,000 pedestrians. This premium is only available at the $5,000 level and above. For more information on how many people we can reach with your business message, please see the Audience Demographics tab, below. The number of sponsorships available at each level is limited. Each sponsorship covers a 1-year span of time with the greatest exposure occurring in the months of May, June and July.
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4 Presenting Sponsorships are available / 1 remaining Contact Susan Fry at ssfry@optimisttheatre.org or 262-498-5777.
PrODUCER lEVEL - $ 5,000
4 Producer level sponsorships available / 3 remaining Contact Susan Fry at ssfry@optimisttheatre.org or 262-498-5777 Director level - $ 2,500
Acknowledgment from the stage at one performance; 16 reserved seats to be used as a group or throughout the event. 4 Director level sponsorships available / 3 remaining Contact Susan Fry at ssfry@optimisttheatre.org or 262-498-5777 stage manager level - $ 1,500
3 Stage Manager level sponsorships available / 3 remaining Contact Susan Fry at ssfry@optimisttheatre.org or 262-498-5777 designer level - $ 1,000
4 Designer level sponsorships available / 2 remaining Contact Susan Fry at ssfry@optimisttheatre.org or 262-498-5777 Actor level - $ 500
6 Actor level sponsorships available / 2 remaining Contact Susan Fry at ssfry@optimisttheatre.org or 262-498-5777 |
Of course, we also welcome your phone call with questions or to reserve your sponsorship. Contact Susan Fry at 262-498-5777. Already seen all you need and you're ready to sponsor? Download and complete this form and send it along with your check! 
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Are you interested in some premiums but not others? You aren’t locked in. We are happy to customize a package of premiums that best highlight your business.
Or, if you've already seen all you need and you're ready to sponsor, download and complete this form and send it along with your check!
Just interested in program advertising? Get the details here.
Or, if you've already seen all you need and you're ready to sponsor, download and complete this form and send it along with your check!
Just interested in program advertising? Get the details here.
ABOUT OUR AUDIENCE
Who you will influence with your message
As a corporate citizen of Milwaukee, you want to be an active contributor to the community and to support the educational outreach aspect of free Shakespeare in the Park. But you also have a brand that you'd like to be recognized for that contribution. Here's how we do that:
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These numbers are projected for the 2018 season, based on a combination of marks achieved in past seasons and on research of traffic/pedestrian density during May, June and July, the window of prime Shakespeare in the Park exposure:
Accounting for overlap, based on these numbers, you can guarantee your message in front of between 5,000 and 70,000 people. Your actual reach is dependent upon your sponsorship level.
- 3,500-4,000 people will attend the play this summer
- Approximately 55,000 cars per month will drive by the Peck Pavilion within view of the large outdoor banner – on display for 10-weeks of prime summer traffic
- The Shakespeare in the Park website is projected to have 9,000 hits in June and July with 26,000 page views. That will include 6,000 new users. The website is the #1 most used source of information about attending a performance
- Up to 18,000 people will stroll by the Peck Pavilion on the Riverwalk – as downtown residents, tourists or to attend a show at the Marcus Center
- Nearly 3,000 people follow Shakespeare in the Park on social media with an average organic reach between 500 to 2,000 per post
- 2,400 people subscribe to our newsletter
- More than 2,000 programs are distributed at performances. 70% of our audience arrives 30-60 minutes before the curtain. They read the program
- Around 12,000 downtown employees will see the flyer invitations to attend a performance
Accounting for overlap, based on these numbers, you can guarantee your message in front of between 5,000 and 70,000 people. Your actual reach is dependent upon your sponsorship level.
Demographics
Shakespeare in the Park staff solicit written surveys from between 25% to 40% of each audience. We seek to gather hard data from zip codes and how people heard about the event to attitudes about a variety of factors that affect their experience. The consistent results are that Shakespeare in the Park audience is:
- Likely to promote things they like to others – 44% of our audience hear about us as a referral from friends and family
- Interested in more than just the show – in 2016, 60% come early to picnic, socialize and mingle
- Willing to try new things – 77% were new to Shakespeare in the Park in 2017, 22% of our audience were experiencing outdoor theatre for the first time and 53% had never been to a performance at the Peck Pavilion before
- Millennials to Baby Boomers – 15% are ages 18-29, the segment forming and/or solidifying their purchasing loyalties right now; 32% are ages 30 to 49, with well-established income streams; 37% are 50+, who generally have discretionary income for new/larger purchases
- Diverse – 67% come from primarily from five zip codes whose demographic breakdowns are incredibly varied, providing opportunities for a wide range of businesses
- Loyal – 41% had attended Shakespeare in the Park before, even though the play was held at a brand new location. They followed us
- Connected – 29% of the audience discovered Shakespeare in the Park first online. Outside of word of mouth, this is the largest segment of marketing interface
- Care about the local economy – 83% of the audience believes that it’s important that Shakespeare in the Park hires local actors, crew members, artists and vendors
- Observant – 62% read the signage on display by the stage
- Financially secure – 23% of our audience hail from zip codes with median incomes greater than $ 75,000 per year
ABOUT SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARKIn the grand tradition of ‘Shakespeare in the Park’ companies across the United States, the shows are FREE to attend. The audience typically arrive 30-60 minutes before the play begins to secure a seat. Only Members and some categories of business sponsor are able to reserve premium seats for any performance ahead of time.
Our plays are pure Shakespeare and are crafted for a contemporary, all-ages audience. Our guests leave our shows with a better and more in-depth understanding of the Bard's work – a powerful achievement in today's competitive entertainment environment.
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The shows are very well received by theatre critics and audience members alike. Read some of the reviews yourself.
Learn More - the 2018 season
Shakespeare in the Park will present the epic tragedy of King Lear starring Milwaukee theatre legend Mr. James Pickering in the title role.
12 full-length, professional performances will be presented on July 5-8, 12-15, 17 (matinee) and 19-21, 2018 at the beautiful Peck Pavilion in downtown Milwaukee. The weekday matinee attracts the widest ranging demographic of all performances – from youth attending with their community group to retirees to individuals seeking an ASL interpreter.
The Peck Pavilion, located along the lovely downtown Riverwalk, is part of the prestigious Marcus Center for the Performing Arts family of show venues. A vital element of Shakespeare in the Park’s partnership with the Marcus Center is their active support in helping market the productions, thus extending our reach even further.
12 full-length, professional performances will be presented on July 5-8, 12-15, 17 (matinee) and 19-21, 2018 at the beautiful Peck Pavilion in downtown Milwaukee. The weekday matinee attracts the widest ranging demographic of all performances – from youth attending with their community group to retirees to individuals seeking an ASL interpreter.
The Peck Pavilion, located along the lovely downtown Riverwalk, is part of the prestigious Marcus Center for the Performing Arts family of show venues. A vital element of Shakespeare in the Park’s partnership with the Marcus Center is their active support in helping market the productions, thus extending our reach even further.
LEARN MORE - our mission
We believe that the theatrical arts broaden and enrich those parts of our minds and spirits that are most essentially human. Optimist Theatre is driven to reach artists and audiences across the economic, ethnic, and experiential landscape. We educate, entertain, and inspire through creative works of artistic integrity.
Of course, we also welcome your phone call with questions or to reserve your sponsorship. Contact Susan Fry at 262-498-5777.
Already seen all you need and you're ready to sponsor? Download and complete this form and send it along with your check!