Melissa Richardson Banks of CauseConnect provided marketing, sponsorship and branding services during 2008-2012 to the nonprofit organizers of Abbot Kinney Festival, founded in 1984 and now one of the most popular street fairs in California with over 150,000 attendees and more than 450 artisan vendors each year.
Among other achievements, the firm bolstered the festival’s existing sponsorship opportunities and identified new ways to generate revenue and promotional assistance from companies. CauseConnect conceived and secured a unique marketing partnership with Whole Foods Market, which included the Whole Foods Green Scene where the grocer’s eco-friendly businesses were given onsite sampling opportunities at the festival as well as onsite recognition at the Venice store location prior to the festival (e.g., logo recognition on register signs, outdoor building banners, and store posters). It also included revenue-generating festival guides stuffed into thousands of Whole Foods customer bags and distributed at local businesses before and during the event.
CauseConnect helped to launch a new brand identity for the festival that continues today; and renamed the children’s area as KidsQuad. Along the mile stretch of Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, California, the festival offers three music stages, two beer gardens, shopping, activities and performances for families, and more. To learn more, visit www.abbotkinney.com.