7 Weeks Out. Meet Dean.

Hi Dean, Introduce yourself please.
Hi, I’m Dean, I look after Festival sponsorship. It’s my job to get sponsors on board, to support it and help make it the amazing Festival it is.

This isn't Dean. It's TIM FINN:

Here's Dean:

This is the first St Kilda Festival you’ve worked on isn’t it.
Yes, my first working in the Festival team, but actually my fifth - I used to work on it for one the sponsors.

Interesting seeing it from the other side?
Yes, very different. At the start it was weird - the same job, different desk. Now I’m all settled in and loving it.




You’ve got a fridge full of paddle pops near your desk. What are they for?
They’ve been supplied by one of our great partners.

Can I have one?
You’ve already had 3. Don't you think that's enough for one day?

I’m collecting sticks to win a super soaker… for all of us.

Sponsorship is important to the Festival, right?
Yes very important. Our partners keep it going. Without them the Festival wouldn’t be able to continue.

That doesn’t bear thinking about.

Why would you sponsor St Kilda Festival?
So many reasons… The simple answer:

Firstly – to support live Australian music...

…to keep a Melbourne tradition going...

...to engage with a massive and diverse audience. There’s 400,000 people of all ages in St Kilda on Festival Sunday, that’s equivalent to three AFL Grand Finals and a Melbourne cup – all in one place on one day. All there to experience the music, soak up the atmosphere and generally have fun.

As well as our long term supporters, we’ve got a lot of new sponsors for 2011…

Channel Ten…

Oooo Ten, as in, Neighbours??
Yes, that Ten

So Dr Karl’s band will be headlining the Main Stage?
No

Harold Bishop on his euphonium?
No

... Our sponsors are planning some great activities for everyone to get involved in.

Oh, something really exciting…

The bands on the Nova New Music Stage will, as always be competing for the Audience Award, as voted by Festival attendees (@ stkildafestival.com.au ). This year the winner will not only win $5,000 CASH and open the Main Stage in 2012, but they’ll also receive a one day recording session at Hothouse Audio in St Kilda.

Wow! That’s great.

Can’t tell you much more at the moment, but there’s a lot of supercool new things in the pipeline.

So, what will you be doing on Festival Sunday?
I’ll be running round, checking in on all our sponsors, making sure they’re all happy and that their activities are running well. I’ll be hosting others and showing them around the site. I’m really looking forward to it.

So am I

What are you doing for your holidays?
Spending time with my family, resting up before we come back the first week of January for crazy busy Festival lead up time.

Will Santa be coming to you?
I hope so.

Have you been good? Or will you get rotten potatoes in your Santa sack?
I hope not. I always leave him a ham and cheese sandwich…

Dean, it’s been a delight speaking with you this afternoon. You have an amazingly restful holiday.
(The paddle pops fridge may be bare when you return. Thanks in advance).

From all of us in the Festival team - HAPPY HOLIDAYS EVERYONE!!