Galway is laughing all the way to the bank this week-end with the Galway Comedy Festival worth an estimated €7.5m to the local economy.
More than 15,000 people will flock to the city from today in search of laughs as a stellar line-up of 60 acts performs across 17 venues.
With 85% of the Galway Comedy Festival audience coming from outside Galway city and county, it underlines the Festival’s national impact. It also demonstrates the Festival’s importance for the city’s hospitality and service industry.
Analysis of sales figures for #GCF22 shows 50% of the audience will be from the Dublin region; 10% from the UK (mainly Belfast and London ); 15% from Cork; and 10% from the Western region; with only 15% of audiences coming from Galway itself.
With comedy audiences availing of Galway’s hotels, bars, restaurants, and B&Bs during their stay, it is expected to bring an economic boost of around €7.5 million to the city’s economy and tourist industry in what is traditionally the “shoulder season”.
As such, Galway Comedy Festival has an importance to the city beyond its mission to generate laughter, especially as it is a national festival, not just a local event.
“Festivals and events such as ours are the lifeblood of Galway’s tourist industry,” says GCF Festival Director, Kevin Healy. “Yet each year, we walk a financial high-wire to remain viable in an increasingly challenging economic environment. This year’s festival is our 16th and our first full-sized festival without a title sponsor, as we advance a number of ongoing discussions to introduce a new main sponsor of the Festival from 2023.”
The festival has some much needed support, through investment from Galway City Council, and also Bulmers Light through an enhanced pouring deal, which includes venue sponsorship of Róisín Dubh, Galway city’s leading comedy and live music venue.
Mr Healy has thanked both the local authority and Bulmers for their “foresight in supporting the festival” as such endorsement allows the annual event to grow and expand each year
Festivals support and boost local economies, but they require support in turn, not just from audiences, but from businesses. As John Trainor, founder and CEO of the Irish business management consultancy firm, Onside, has pointed out: “Sponsors play a key role in the financial investment they make in major festivals, which often is as much as one-third to one-half of the festival's total income.”
A significant benefit of sponsorship is the association between a brand and the arts. This association creates a positive link in the minds of the public, as it shows the sponsor has an awareness of the importance and necessity of the arts in the life and society of the city. That positive association is also likely to then encourage people to look positively on, and subsequently be willing to invest in the brand.
“The Festival has a powerful mix of strong national reach potential, content that appeals to a very wide audience, and sits in the perfect spot in many brands' target consumers' life moments, between the return to school period and the Christmas rush,” says John Trainor, who regards the festival as a “compelling opportunity” for potential sponsors.
“Galway Comedy Festival is a prime sponsorship property for the right partners and delivered major results for past sponsors Vodafone,” he says.
The Festival has a proven track record of success in being able to attract to the West the major names from, not only Irish, but also British and North American comedy. As such, a sponsorship deal would be an investment in a proven festival, one that is already hugely popular in Galway, and across Ireland.
