Notting Hill halves £2m sponsorship request
The Notting Hill Carnival Trust (NHCT) has all-but halved the £2m sponsorship it originally sought for this year’s carnival, after the organisation failed to sign a sponsor.
The Notting Hill Carnival Trust (NHCT) has all-but halved the &£2m sponsorship it originally sought for this year’s carnival, after the organisation failed to sign a sponsor.
A spokeswoman for sports and arts marketing consultancy Harwood & Company, which is managing the search, said that the NHCT is now looking for between &£1m and &£1.2m in sponsorship.
The NHCT has been in the press this week because its directors are embroiled in a bitter row over the tenure of long-time chief executive Claire Holder. This led to one faction changing the locks at the Trust’s offices this week.
Harwood admits that bad publicity surrounding the NHCT trustees has damaged potential sponsorship negotiations.
The original sponsorship package on offer covered both the Notting Hill Carnival and a second carnival parade on June 4 as part of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee pageant (MW January 10). The spokeswoman said that if necessary the package would now be broken up.
She added that the sponsorship sum had been scaled down through cost savings. However, sources suggest all negotiations with sponsors have broken down. Western Union, which has sponsored the event for the past three years, was initially in talks but has now walked away.
