Event Sponsorship Program

Out & About Newspaper, Tennessee’s largest GLBT monthly newspaper, and Inside Out Nashville, Middle Tennessee’s oldest and largest GLBT newspaper, are both committed to enhancing life in Tennessee’s GLBT community through an ongoing investment of financial, material and human resources to address the needs of the community.

While owned by different entities, both Out & About Newspaper and Inside Out Nashville have an exceptional media relationship and often partner on sponsorships to provide an event a larger exposure.

Out & About Newspaper (O&AN) and Inside Out Nashville (iOut), on behalf of the newspaper and Web sites, commit our efforts and expertise toward events, programs and properties that will positively impact the GLBT community and generate high visibility for both companies.

Both newspapers focus on programs that are logical extensions of our mission to be the area’s leading provider of news and information. We seek to encourage brand loyalty and brand equity. We look for ways to send a message to consumers prior to events, during events and after events. Events that offer extensions into the market through advertising, public relations, media placement, point of purchase and cross-promotion are valuable to us.

Our goal is to reach target markets through events that provide educational, entertainment or cultural experiences that are relevant to our readers' lives. Through these events, we can further our relationship with readers and potential readers. Consequently, we look for opportunities to involve employees in events so that a face-to-face exchange can occur.

Event Sponsorship applications (PDF)* are accepted year round, however, they MUST be made a minimum of 60 days prior to the event. Please review the information below prior to completing the application. If you have questions, please call Pam Wheeler, community relations director for O&AN at 615-596-6210 or Linda Welch, publisher, Inside Out Nashville, at 615-831-1806.

* Click here to open the Event Sponsorship Application in Microsoft Word format.

Both publications have set aside a total of $24,000 of in-kind advertising donations for the year. This amount ($12,000 each for O&AN and iOut) includes print and online advertising. The current rate card for each publication (online and print) in use at the time of the request for event sponsorship will be used.  Once the $12,000 for each publication is exhausted, no further event sponsorships will be accepted.

We regret that decisions must be made as to what we can sponsor or not sponsor. We would like to sponsor all events that benefit the community, but budgets do not permit.

Priority consideration will be given to events that offer the following opportunities for Out & About Newspaper and Inside Out Nashville.

Event Sponsorship Requirements and Priority Evaluation Criteria

• Sponsorship requests must be made from federal or state tax-exempt registered groups only. Events and or organizations that have an annual budget of more than $100,000 will be given a 50% discount off the current rate card but will not be given 100% in-kind advertising.
• Events must guarantee print and online sponsor exclusivity to O&AN and iOut for the GLBT print and online market.
• Events must offer opportunities to place our products in the hands of your audience.
• O&AN and iOut would like the opportunity to participate in any high-profile contests run by the event organizers or a collective group of event sponsors.
• Booth space if offered or available. Booth space should have electrical connections. Internet connectivity for the booth is desired. Booth area should be supplied with tables and chairs.
• Event must further O&AN and iOut’s charitable interests in the areas of GLBT issues and programming, and diversity. We will also consider sponsorship requests that benefit other areas.
• Event must enhance the quality of life in the GLBT community.
• Event must have the potential to increase readership, circulation, Web site page views, and advertising revenue.
• Event must reach O&AN and iOut’s targeted, demographic groups.
• Event must provide visibility for O&AN and iOut.
• Event must not compromise either publication’s journalistic integrity or independence.
• Event must show a demonstrated record of producing a successful event/program and generating an audience.
• A current O&AN and iOut logo (black and white or color) must appear on all advertising, promotions and public relation materials for the event. This includes, but is not limited to, Web sites, interactive, including: on-line listings or banners, posters, t-shirts, banners, palm cards, broadcast, including: television, radio and cable, and any other printed hand-out or print promotional items, regardless of where they appear. The logo must be of a size to be read clearly by those viewing it. Logos may not be altered without permission. Logos can be obtained by visiting our Web site:
• If your event has donation levels to gauge the size or prominence of sponsor logos, O&AN and iOut’s current rate card will determine the value of advertising donated by us.
  
• O&AN and iOut’s logo(s), and those of other sponsors who provide a comparable level of commitment, should be the only logos in in-paper ads. Logos of sponsors who do not offer reciprocal promotion should not be included.
• O&AN or iOut’s agreement to sponsor an event or program does not guarantee news coverage. We encourage producers and promoters to work directly with the editorial department of each publication to arrange news coverage of their events. If possible, we will be glad to suggest names of editorial staff members who might be contacted.
• Events should be operationally effective and cost efficient. For in-kind sponsorships, the event producer or promoter and each newspaper should agree upon promotion ad schedules in writing. O&AN and iOut will make every effort to place ads in requested sections, but due to the nature of breaking news and other unpredictable space demands, placement cannot be guaranteed. Occasionally, sponsor ads bumped out of the newspaper completely. If this happens a make-good will be provided. All parties should approve copy and layouts of sponsorship ads. All sponsorship ads must be provided camera ready to each publication. Final approval of what is deemed appropriate material for each publication shall be made by the respective publisher.
• All O&AN and iOut sponsorships are formalized with Letters of Agreement, which are generated by the publication and co-signed by the event producer.

All applications should include:

• Event marketing plan (including attendance and demographics of attendees)
• Timetable
• Budget
• Specific sponsorship request
• Specific sponsor benefits
• Current level of O&AN advertising
• Not-for-profit status
• Board of Directors or Advisory Board members, if applicable

Logos

To download Out & About Newspaper and insideOut Nashville logos, right-click on the links below, and click on "Save Target As..." or "Save Link As...."