Nashville’s Irish Festival March 1-17, 2018

The #1 Destination for Celebrating St. Patrick’s Day

About the Music City Irish Fest (MCIF)Past:For13years,QuinnO’Sullivan,drawingonhisexperienceplayingsports in Ireland, travelingasaGuinness repandalongwithhiswifeJessica,owningmultipleIrishpubsintheNashvilleareaandBrendaWillis,oftheIrishMusicWorldChampion Willis Clan, have been building an event in Nashville to celebrate the St. Patrick’s Day Holiday thatincorporatesmusic,food,sportsandIrishculture. Whatstartedasasmallmusicshowhasgrowntoaneventthathosted between10,000 – 15,000 people in 2015 and nearly doubled in 2016. Over the last two yearsMCIFpartneredwithTourism IrelandandSisterCitiesofNashville tocreateanevent thatauthenticallycelebrates the richheritageandpowerfulIrishmusicalrootsofMusicCity’scountryandbluegrassiconicsound.

Future:In2017,MCIFplanstotakeoverNashvilleforthefirst17daysofMarchincorporatingmanyaspectsofIrishcultureincludingmusic,dance,sports,food,literature,theater,travel,genealogy,storytelling,andmoretobecomethehottestdestination in America to authentically celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. The Nashville Convention& Visitors Corp, theMayor’sofficeandtheGovernor’sofficehavesanctionedtheeventsaspartofthegrowthandpromotionofannualeventsforNashville.ManyrespectedlocalbusinessesandvenuessuchasWSMRadio,theGrandOleOpry,Lightning100Radio,DarkHorseRecordingStudio,JackDaniels,GruhnGuitars,McNamara’s IrishPub,SouthernAcademyofIrishDance,GooGooClusters,TennesseePerformingArtsCenter, theSchermerhornSymphonyCenter,TheViolinShop,NashvilleIrishStepDancers,NashvilleInternationalAirporthavecometogethertopromoteMusicCityIrishFestandsupporttheconnectionbetweenIrelandandNashville.

About Music City Irish Fest (MCIF)WhyNashville:IrishmusichaslongbeenrecognizedasthedeeprootsandheritageoftheclassicbluegrassandcountrymusicthathascreatedsomuchofNashville’svibrantanduniquecoreidentity.MCIFisthepremiereventthatbringsNashville’sstarsandtheworld’sbestIrishmusicianstogetherintheheartofthisfamouscitytocollaborate,createandcommemoratetheirsharedloveofalivingartandculture.

MCIF2016

MissionofMCIF:ForMusic City, USA to embrace its heritageandexploreitsIrishculturalandmusicalroots.To give the audience a taste of Irish cultureand present Ireland as a destination toencouragetourismandbusiness.

MCIFActivities:Authentic Irish Dancing, Sports, Storytelling,F i lm F e s t i v a l , F o o d , B e e r , T r a v e lOpportunities, Theater, Literature, History,GenealogyResearch,TraditionalSessions

2017 MCIF EVENTS

TheFinalDaysofWolfeToneatTPACDirectfromasold-outruninNewYorkcomestheBroadwayWorld.comWinnerofBestNewPlayof2016:THEFINALDAYSOFWOLFETONE. CiaránSheehan(starofPhantomoftheOperaandLesMiserables)leadsacastofBroadwayveteransinanewdramathatchroniclesthefinaldaysof“theGeorgeWashingtonofIreland,”wholedtheIrishRebellionof1798againsttheBritish.“A remarkablestory that thewholeworldshouldhear,andsoverybeautifully told.”- IrishArtsForum “CiaránSheehangaveaheroic,yetheartbreakingportrayal.”-BroadwayWorld.com

TheChieftainswiththeNashvilleSymphonyattheSchermerhornSixtimeGrammywinners,TheChieftainsarecelebratingtheir55thAnniversaryin2017andarerecognizedforbringingtraditionalIrish music to the world’s attention. They have uncovered the wealth of traditional Irish music that has accumulated over thecenturies,makingthemusictheirownwithastylethatisasexhilaratingasitisdefinitive.Althoughtheirearlyfollowingwaspurelyafolkaudience,therangeandvariationoftheirmusicveryquicklycapturedamuchbroaderpublic,makingthemthebestknownIrishbandintheworldtoday.

Scots-IrishGenealogyResearchEventatTheHermitageTheHermitagewillbehostingtheUlsterHistoricalFoundationofBelfast,NorthernIrelandtoexploretheIrishandScots-IrishrootsofMiddleTennessee. Whetheryouareabeginner interestedinstartingyourownfamilyresearch,oraskilledgenealogist,everyonewillenjoythiseveningworkshopwithUlster’sexpertresearchersastheydiveintothemanyresourcesavailablefordiscoveringyourroots.TheUlsterSociety’sresearchteamwillbeavailableforprivateconsultations.

IrishFilmFestivalatWatkinsCollegeofArt,Design&FilmMusicCityIrishFestispartneringwithWatkinsCollegeofArt,Design&FilmtobringNashvilleaseriesofaward-winningmovies.ThisFREEeventwillgiveaudiencestheopportunitytoseeIrishcultureandthebeautyoftheEmeraldIsleonthesilverscreenandawakenthedesiretotraveltoIrelandtoexperienceitfirsthand. Brooklyn,starringSaoirseRonan,isthemovingstoryofanimmigrantgirl’snew life in1950sAmerica. WakingNedDivineandLeapYearwill giveMusicCitya tasteof IrishhumorandJimmy’sHallwilldeepenone’sunderstandingoftheimportanceoftheIrishartstothecultureandthefighttokeepitalive.

2017 MCIF EVENTSSharonShannonfromGalway,IrelandatMcNamara’sIrishPubSharonShannonisamusicianwholikestosurprise. ThisspunkyGalwaygirl,knownforherarrangementsoftraditionalIrishtunesandIrish-influencedcompositions,hasalwaysbeeneagertoexplorenewstyles,andtomeetandworkwithothermusicians.It’sherfree-wheelingapproachthatmakesSharonShannonsoexciting.Herjourneywithhertrustedaccordionhasledhertobeingoneoftheworld’smosthighlyacclaimedtraditionalmusiciansandherpersonalityhasledhertobecomeoneofIreland’smostwell-likedandmostpopularnationaltreasures.McNamara’sIrishPubisalovely,intimatelisteningvenuetohearthisgreatmusic.

TENX9StorytellingatDouglasCornerCafeCraftedbythebrilliantmindsofPaulDoranandPádraigÓTuamainIreland,Tenx9(tenbynine)isaneventaboutus,ourstories,ourlivedmoments.“Itisintheshelterofeachotherthatthepeoplelive.”ThisIrishproverbisthebasisforTenx9’scontinuanceofthe Irishcultureofsharingstories. Anygivennightwill likely leaveyou in tears,often frombothside-splitting laughterorheart-wrenchingtalesofpain.

ALTAN-Donegal,IrelandNo Irish traditionalband in the lastdozenyearshashadawider impactonaudiencesandmusic loversthroughout theworld thanAltan.With their exquisitely produced award-winning recordings and their heartwarming, dynamic live performances, Altan havemoved audiences from Donegal to Tokyo to Seattle. Throughout, there has been the unwavering commitment of the band tobringingthebeautyoftraditionalmusic,particularlythatoftheDonegalfiddlersandsingers,tocontemporaryaudiencesinawaythatbringsoutallitsqualitiesanddestroysnone.

And More, Including...

Turning Nashville GreenMarketingpromotionalsupportoftheNashvilleConvention&VisitorsCorp.(NCVC),

extendsMCIF’soutreachthroughanumberofvaluablechannels

ManyofNashville’siconiclandmarksturn“Green”

GrandOleOpry

BridgestoneArena

JohnSeigenthalerPedestrianBridge-Downtown

Parthenon

AT&T“Batman”Building

Marketing

Nashville.com“takeover”forMarch2017•Over6.6Millionvisitorsannually• Facebookoutreach:over137.5K+perweek

Visitmusiccity.com-statslistedFeb2015• Eventpage7K+Views•VacationPackage1.5K+Views•UpcomingEvents31.6K+Views• FeaturedEvents15.7K+Views

VisitMusicCity-SocialMedia-statsasofAugust2015• Twitter:124K+Followers• Facebook:79.7K+Likes• Instagram:24.2K+Followers

MarketingGrandOleOpry-OnboardtopromoteMCIF

EmailBlasts• HarmonyVisitor:Eachblastsentto270K+Recipients• InTuneLocalFront-LineHospitalityEmail:Eachblastsentto1.4K+Recipients

PrintAdvertising-statsasofJune2014• SouthernLivingMagazine:16.3Million+NationalAudience• Garden&GunMagazine:1.2Million+NationalAudience

Additional:• NashvilleScene–Fullsizead• Radio-WSMRadio,Lightning100,NPRCelticConnectionsin77marketsnationwide• AllLocal&RegionalNewsChannels&Newspapers

• USA&InternationalAudience• Facebook:1Million+Likes• Email:210K+Subscribers • Twitter–325K+Followers• Instagram:70K+Followers

National and Regional Outreach

RegionalBillboardsinNashvilleandotherlargecitiesthroughouttheregion

RadioInterviews&Commercialsinlocal&regionalmarkets

SiriusXMRadiointerviewsandcommercialsonlocalandnationalstations

NPR’sCelticConnectionsandThistleandShamrock–broadcastedon77+nationalstationsGrandOleOpryandWSMRadiodedicatedtohelpingadvertiseMCIF–InternationalReach

TourismIrelandandIrishMusicMagazine-massiveInternationalReach

SlatedtobeNashville’sWorldClassSignatureEventeachMarchReachingfarbeyondthelocalNashvillemarket

Partnership OpportunitiesSiteRights/Activation

• ProductDemonstration&Sampling

• ProductInfo/PremiumItemsDistributiontoCustomers

• Signage• RoamingProductAmbassadors• OpportunitytoEngageMCIFGuestsofAllAgesDuringtheFestival

Advertising/PromotionalRights• ExclusiveStatusforFestivalorVariousRelatedEvents

• Contests/Sign-upforSpecialOffers• PromotionsforVIPPasses• LogoonAllMCIFPrintedMaterials• BrandinallEmailMarketing• RadioAnnouncements• UseofMCIFImage,Likeness,FestivalLogoonApprovedCampaigns

• ArtistInvolvement

VIPHospitalityAccess• ExclusiveVIPArea• SpecialVIPEvents• ComplimentaryGiftPackages

• EntertainCustomers,Employees&PromotionalWinners

SocialMediaBrandPresence• InteractionwithYourBrandonSocialMediaPlatforms

• BrandMentionedonMCIFSocialMedia• UseofMCIF’sDigital/SocialWebsite

On-SiteSignage/Recognition• BrandMentionedfromStages• BrandLogo/MentionedonPostersandSignage

CustomPackages-Eachpartnershipcanbetailoredtoyourneeds. Pleaselookatthepartnershipopportunitiesandworkwithustocreateapackagethatsuitsyourmarketinggoals.

Sponsorship Opportunities$250,000PresentingSponsor• Majorbrandingonalladvertising• Presentingsponsormentioninallcommercials

• FullpageonMCIFwebsiteandlinkstoyourwebsiteonallMCIFwebsitepagesandsocialmedia

• VIPticketsforanyMCIFevents• BoothatMCIFevents

$150,000PotO’Gold• Logoplacementonprintadvertising• Sponsormentioninradiocommercials

• LinktoyourwebsiteonMCIFwebsiteandsocialmedia

• VIPticketsforsomeMCIFevents• BoothatMCIFevents

$100,000PotO’Silver• Smalllogoonprintadvertising• LinktoyourwebsiteonMCIFwebsite• VIPaccessfor4guests• Sponsormentioninradiocommercials• BoothatMCIFevents

$50,000PotO’Bronze• SmalllogoplacementonMCIFwebsite• Smalllogoplacementonalladvertising• VIPaccessfor2guests• BoothatMCIFtopromoteproduct/brand

InKindSponsorships-wehaveneedofhotelrooms,hospitalitymeals,parking,shuttles,tents,bathrooms,costuming,travel,airlinetickets,artistappearances,VIPgifts,decorations,tablesandchairs, etc.

Contact Information BrendaWillis

brenda.mcif@gmail.com615.636.9486

JessicaO’SullivanMusiccityirishfest@yahoo.com615.202.2894

Website:www.musiccityirishfest.com

SocialMedia:• https://www.facebook.com/MusicCityIrishFest

• https://instagram.com/musiccityirishfest

• https://twitter.com/musiccityirish