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Commission reviews sponsorship mailing and options for sponsor recognition and commemorative items
Summary
The commission reported results from a recent sponsorship mailing, discussed sponsorship recognition on T-shirts versus other merchandise such as lanyards and koozies, and considered producing limited-edition 250th anniversary shirts for sale while shifting sponsor benefits to alternative items to reduce recurring costs.
Commission members reviewed the recent sponsor outreach and merchandise strategy for the civic celebration. The group reported that of 300 mailed sponsor solicitations, roughly 40 had returned as undeliverable and that the mailing produced additional sponsor commitments that helped cover festival costs.
Members discussed whether sponsors must have logos on volunteer T-shirts and whether sponsor recognition could be shifted to other items such as lanyards, banners or koozies. Several members suggested selling a small run of commemorative 250th-anniversary shirts in 2026 rather than providing large quantities of free volunteer shirts every year. Commission members said a smaller printed run could be sold to the public with volunteers receiving alternate identifiers (lanyards) to preserve sponsor exposure while controlling recurring shirt costs.
Staff said they will supply updated business lists from City Hall and produce a full inventory of leftover shirts and cost data; they will also provide supplier contacts for wholesale lanyards and koozies to present at the next meeting. The commission agreed sponsorship outreach and merchandising decisions should align to provide sponsor value while containing event costs.
