NEWS RELEASE
KEMPENFEST
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With less than two months to go, the organizers of Kempenfest 2022 have shifted their planning into high gear and are anticipating an exuberant response from people who are longing to reconnect with their community at live events.
Tom Aikins is the sponsorship and marketing co-ordinator for the event, and he outlines some of the heavy lifting that was necessary to get the festival up and running after a two-year pandemic closure.
“It’s been a tough two years for everyone; our artisans who have missed their usual tour of festivals to sell their wares, musicians and bands who have not had a venue to perform in live, and our organizing groups – mostly service clubs who have missed the hands-on work they do in our communities throughout the year. Everyone is ready to reconnect with the community, and that local connection has been a driving theme for us as we have rebuilt our partnerships for the event.”
The structure of Kempenfest is such that each part of the festival is organized by one of its members – The Art Club runs the arts and crafts, the Optimists run the Antiques, Rotary runs the main beer gardens, Knights and Kiwanis run food operations. Each group retains 100 per cent of the net revenues they generate from their section. Kempenfest covers most of the common expenses, and its source of revenue is strictly concert ticket sales, sponsorship and grants.
With a half-million-dollar operating budget, that puts a heavy load on Aikins and his colleague Paul Fairly of Admiral Live who was engaged this year to apply for grants and put together the entertainment lineup for the festival.
On the sponsorship side of the event Aikins explains that Kempenfest has forged several new long-term agreements with local companies who are major players on a national level. Most exciting though is the new deal forged with TD to be the presenting sponsor.
Kempenfest chairman Todd Tuckey explains the genesis of the new relationship.
“We found out late in the game that our previous sponsor was not going to renew. That was a big hit for us because major sponsors are not easy to find. But one of our Rotarians is a manager with TD and he put us in touch with the community engagement team, who were excited about the opportunity to be a part of Kempenfest."
When reached for comment, TD district vice-president Rina DeGrazia had this to say: "After many months of coming together virtually while being physically apart, we are thrilled to be connecting and celebrating the best of our community, live and in-person, once again. TD is proud to be the presenting sponsor of Kempenfest, and we're looking forward to celebrating its 50th year this summer with our friends and families in Barrie."
Also new this year are three official suppliers to Kempenfest – Muskoka Brewery as the official beer of Kempenfest, and Georgian Bay Spirit Company as the official supplier of coolers and spirits – both also signed on for three years – and Muskoka Springs supplier of bottled water.
Paul Markle represents the Chamber of Commerce on the Kempenfest Board, and he enthusiastically supported the new sponsorships.
“These suppliers are local companies while also being major players in their respective categories – so to be able to hand someone a drink that has been brewed or distilled or bottled just an hour away means so much to our organization.”
Markle is also a Rotarian and commented that every dollar raised from the sale of beer and coolers is poured right back into the community through the club’s community programs.
In terms of concert ticket sales, Paul Fairley seemed confident that the headliner concert series on the OLG Main Stage he unveiled today was going to deliver strong results for Kempenfest.
Kicking off this year’s 50th celebration on Friday, July 29 is The Sheepdogs. Saturday evening is Death From Above 1979. Sunday’s country headliner will be Tebey. Monday’s daytime headliner will be the Practically Hip, a local tribute band covering the hits of The Tragically Hip. The complete weekend line up will be announced in the coming days including free shows on Saturday and Sunday afternoon. Tickets will go on sale June 7 and will range in price from $20 for an early bird GA ticket to $35 for the reserved VIP section.
Other things new at Kempenfest this year include the following:
- Ontario Turkey Farmers Kids Village now located in Centennial Park next to the midway – still offering lots of activities for families including live shows on the KOOL FM stage.
- Live wrestling courtesy of Barrie Wrestling on Saturday and Sunday evenings in the Kids Village with a live band at 6 p.m. and wrestling at 7:30 p.m.
- A new Oasis Beer Garden will be hosted by the Knights of Columbus in South Centennial across from the new Basketball courts and right on the water’s edge. A quiet place to relax and enjoy a beverage from Muskoka Brewery or Georgian Bay Spirit Co.
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