Editorial ~ 2009: July

This month we give our opinions on finding contest sponsors, the rise of 20/20 banding, and praise the demise of the Norwegian box...

Looking for sponsors

Sponsorship is a complex business. Some work, some don’t.

For the huge multi national companies and organisations it’s all about successful brand association – from UNICEF with Barcelona Football Club to Virgin on the side of Jenson Button’s F1 car.

Lower down the sponsorship chain the relationship become very different – it’s all about getting brand awareness.  It doesn’t really matter what the product is, its getting people to know the name that counts.

Brass band contest organisers have rarely given real thought about sponsorship – except that is, to get a company with some sort of link to the banding world to stump up enough cash to subsidise the prizes.

Now, not even that can be relied on.

Those companies are now finding trading difficult in the current economic climate, and are becoming aware that there is little real prospect of a boost in sales from being sponsors of a brass band contest.   

How many new instruments do the likes of Besson sell on the back of having their name on the programme at the English Nationals?

If major contests are to flourish, then perhaps its time for a change – why not a major contest sponsored by an online betting company for instance, a drinks firm, or even a pensioner insurance corporation?  All three have potential customers in each sector at a band contest don’t they now?

Some people will point out that banks, and even chip shops have been involved before, but in truth it has only been either as a one off or as a bit of ‘community’ noblesse oblige.

There is a market for brass band contest sponsorship out there – but it may take someone with a bit of entrepreneurial vision to find it, before the traditional sources of funding dry up for good.

What do you think?
Send an email to: comments@4barsrest.com       

The rise of 20/20 banding

Just like cricket, could brass banding be seeing something of its very own 20/20 revolution?

Where demand for the ‘test match’ contests appears to be on the wane, the popularity of the shorter form of the game appears to be on the increase.

Despite the weather, Whit Friday was once again a huge event – full of bands, good prize money and listening crowds. New March & Hymn tune contests are on the increase too, as the bite sized chunks of musical excitement and colour appeal more than ever before.

Less is more in fact – 14 bands at the English National proved that, so why do we hang onto the belief that having in excess of 20 competitors is a form of musical entertainment that will keep people glued to their seats for over 8 hours at a time?

No one wants to see the demise of the ‘test match’ contest, although a more compact, listener friendly approach would surely benefit everyone (even cricket organisers are looking at 4 day tests now).

It should come as little surprise that events such as Whit Friday now offer the opportunity for bands to earn more prize money for 5 minutes work on a march than the Nationals does for six weeks preparation and 20 minutes playing on a test piece to a half empty Albert Hall.

Perhaps we should look at taking a leaf out of that most English of sporting past times and see what brass bands contests can learn from cricket’s 20/20 experience. 

What do you think?
Send an email to: comments@4barsrest.com         

The end of the box

4BR has long championed the cause of open adjudication, so it should come a little surprise that the news that the Norwegian National Championships in Bergen next year will be the first to do away with the ‘box’ in all its sections, is a cause for us to celebrate.

Not for the first time, the Norwegians are showing the rest of the European banding movement the way forward. Their banding scene continues to flourish, whilst that in the UK in particular, stagnates, hampered by the outdated concepts of tradition and heritage.

Getting rid of the box won’t of course provide the panacea for all the troubles the British banding movement finds itself in, but at least it will show that we are at last looking forward rather than continually harking back through rose tinted spectacles to the sepia tinted days of the past.

The Norwegians trust themselves to provide a contesting environment that is inclusive and transparent – one based on trust, respect and high quality musicianship.

The box remains the symbol of everything that is opposite.  

What do you think?
Send an email to: comments@4barsrest.com        

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