Music is in our everyday lives and the experience of music performed live by a world class Symphony Orchestra remains a cornerstone of our cultural experience. As Canada's third largest Orchestra, the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra (VSO) is a community organization based around community needs. The VSO is a neighbor and community partner that melds a sense of business with an overarching passion for sound. For organizations that invest in live orchestral music, it pays substantial dividends in civic pride, cultural advancement, education and personal satisfaction. The investment also helps you to meet marketing and business objectives through co-branding and advertising with a highly recognized cultural institution.

The VSO offers a season of inspiration and exhilaration and we invite you to experience the benefits and opportunities of becoming a corporate partner.

Corporate support can be provided to the VSO in three different ways:

• Sponsorship
• Corporate Donations
• Gifts in Kind

Symphony Facts

• People in the Lower Mainland have been going to the Vancouver Symphony concerts for almost 86 years
• The VSO is the largest Arts organization west of Ontario. As a cultural cornerstone of the Arts community, the VSO successfully produces more concert events in the course of our season than any other Box Office west of Toronto
• Symphony demographics show that concertgoers are well-established, affluent and influential members of Vancouver area communities
• The Symphony's growing audiences are skewing younger as the most popular classical music enjoys a renaissance
• Through performances by internationally-renowned guest artists such as Anne-Sophie Mutter, Lang Lang, Ben Heppner, Sarah Chang, Daniel Muller-Schott, Colin James, Christopher Parkening, James Ehnes, Dame Evelyn Glennie and Jon Kimura Parker, as well as charismatic Music Director Bramwell Tovey, the Symphony stays top of mind in Vancouver
• The VSO is experiencing rapid growth in attendance including secondary and post-secondary students through the "ACCESS PASS" program

Your Market, Our Audience

• Each year, more than 200,000 patrons attend over 150 VSO performances at the Orpheum Theatre and other community locations such as the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts, the Bell Performing Arts Centre, Centennial Theatre and the Roundhouse Community Centre
• An additional five million people tune into frequent VSO concert broadcasts on CBC Radio
• More than 50,000 children and youth participate in VSO music education programs

Community Relations Benefits

The Vancouver Symphony Orchestra is committed to creating programs that bring orchestral music to people of all ages and backgrounds.

By partnering with the VSO, your company will:

• Establish an association with a world-class Symphony Orchestra
• Raise its community profile
• Be viewed as a philanthropic organization
• Help support children's education programmes (reaching over 50,000 children annually)
• Help make orchestral music accessible and affordable through the VSO's outreach programmes
• Help enrich the lives of the residents of our city, region and country

Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities

Our goal is to create a sponsorship package that is tailor-made to serve your corporate goals. Your company can choose to sponsor an individual performance, a full series, a special concert, education programmes, or become an exclusive Season Sponsor. For detailed information on the VSO's Sponsorship Program which includes publicity, advertising, complimentary tickets and an opportunity to entertain your guests, please contact Jennifer Polci, Manager of Corporate Development at 604-684-9100 ext. 239 or email jennifer@vancouversymphony.ca

Entertainment Benefits

Create an incredible evening at the Symphony that your guests will not forget. Customized benefits can include:

• Complimentary tickets
• Assistance in planning and organizing pre- and/or post-concert receptions
• Opportunity to invite guest conductors and guest artists to private receptions
• Pre-performance talks providing an overview of the evening's performance
• Backstage tours for sponsor guests (subject to the number of guests)
• Opportunity for your employees to purchase tickets for the sponsored concerts at a 25% discount. Your employees will be entitled to a 15% discount on subscription and single ticket purchases throughout the season outside of your sponsored performances, excluding specials

Promotional Benefits

Promotional benefits can be tailored to suit the nature of your sponsorship. With 150 concerts per season, and a variety of education and outreach programmes, sponsorship with the VSO offers flexibility and the ability to reach all or segments of the VSO audience. Marketing opportunities may include:

• Inserts in VSO House Programmes
• Product placement
• Sampling
• Your company's alignment with specific areas of the orchestra's work
• A unique promotion tailored to your organizational goals

Co-branding and Advertising Benefits

The VSO's corporate sponsors receive recognition in all publicity and advertising activities associated with their specific sponsorship. Note: some benefits are time sensitive.

• VSO Season Brochure (distribution of 160,000)
• VSO Concert Companion (distribution of 75,000)
• VSO Allegro Concert Magazine (5 issues at 25,000 per issue with a shelf life of 6-8 weeks)
• VSO Season promotional pieces (distribution of 80,000)
• VSO Performance Press Releases
• VSO Website allows for logo recognition in the concert page and in the rotating logo section with a direct link to your company website
• Lobby signage at the sponsored event
• A live announcement will acknowledge your sponsorship to the audience prior to the start of each performance
• Series sponsors will have their company name printed on all concert tickets for their series

Your logo may appear in VSO ads in the following publications:

• The Vancouver Sun, The Georgia Straight, The Province, The Vancouver Courier, XTRA West, Vancouver Shinpo, Sing Tao, Surrey Now, Surrey Leader

Corporate Gifts

The Corporate Friends and Patrons are business people who's support makes it possible for the Vancouver Symphony to continue to bring music of superlative quality to the audiences of the lower mainland and beyond.

As a member, your company provides vital support for the Orchestra and its education and outreach programs. The Vancouver Symphony needs and invites the full and enthusiastic support of the business community. Please click here to make an online donation, or call the VSO Development Department at 604 684 9100.

Colleague: $500 - $999

• Tax creditable receipt
• An invitation for two to attend a VSO open rehearsal
• An annual subscription to High Notes, the VSO's Corporate Partners newsletter
• 2 for 1 concert voucher redeemable for a regular symphony concert (some exclusions apply)

Affiliate: $1,000 - $2,499
All of the above, plus:

• Corporate recognition in five issues of the Allegro concert magazine (unless you request anonymity)
• A pair of complimentary tickets to a VSO performance of your choice (some exclusions apply)
• 15% discount on VSO concert tickets for your employees (some exclusion apply)
• An invitation for four to attend a VSO open rehearsal
• Corporate recognition on the VSO Donor Wall in the Orpheum Theatre (unless you request anonymity)

Associate: $2,500 - $4,999
All of the above, plus:

• An invitation for six to attend a VSO open rehearsal
• An additional pair of VSO tickets (4 total) to a performance of your choice (some exclusions apply)

Partner: $5,000 and up
All of the above, plus:

• An invitation for eight to attend a VSO open rehearsal
• An additional pair of VSO tickets (6 total) to a performance of your choice (some exclusions apply)
• A VSO CD signed by Maestro Bramwell Tovey

Please Note: All cash corporate gifts are tax receiptable.

Contra or Gifts in Kind

The Vancouver Symphony is always open to ideas regarding the exchange of services or product normally associated with annual organizational costs for recognition and benefits listed under Sponsorship depending on the amount.

For detailed information on Contra or Gifts in Kind under a sponsorship partnership with the VSO, please contact Jennifer Polci, Director, Corporate & Major Gifts at 604-684-9100 ext. 239 or email jennifer@vancouversymphony.ca or Ryan Butt, Development Officer, Corporate and Donor Relations at 604-684-9100 ext. 260 or email RyanButt@vancouversymphony.ca

Top of Page