The University of Womens Club Festival Report 2013

Professional Photo Credit: mcphersonstevens.com

Report Contents
1. 2013 Unprecedented Sales 2. Festival of Highlights 3. The University of Womens Club at the Festival 4. Marketing the Festival 5. Ticket Sales & Audience Reach 6. Media and Press Coverage 7. 2014 Festival Opportunities

1. Unprecedented Sales
Box Office Revenue +13% on 2012 1.2m page views & over 428,000 unique website visits during the festival on-sale period (+225% on 2012) 63% of all Cheltenham Festival members booked tickets (+2% on 2012) National reach 97% of postcodes 35,000 brochures and 50,000 taster programmes circulated regionally and nationally 10,000 Festival newspapers distributed Wide ranging national and local media coverage (TV, radio and press) 8,850 Facebook fans, 18,850 Twitter Followers

2. Festival of Highlights
Renowned Speakers Outstanding Festival Experience Families & Education at our Heart Partner Inspiration

2. The Festival Highlights

Renowned Speakers
If you hunger to hear big thoughts expounded with wit and imagination, if you want to join in the clash of ideas or question Britains smartest minds go to Gloucestershire and the Cheltenham Literature Festival Robbie Millen, Literary Editor of The Times
Literary Giants: AS Byatt, Jung Chang, Sebastian Faulks, Helen Fielding, Ian Rankin, Michael Morpurgo, Douglas Coupland, Louis de Bernieres. Religion & History: Charles Moore, Simon Schama, Lucy Worsley, Bettany Hughes, Peter Snow, Sheikh Ali Gomao. Sporting Heroes: A P McCoy, Ronnie OSullivan, Matt Dawson, David Gower. Family Favourites: Mary Berry, Terry Wogan, Rachel Khoo, Cath Kidston, Anne Robinson, Ruby Wax, Richard and Judy, Dick and Dom, Alison Steadman, Larry Lamb, Emma Thompson, Celia Imrie. Comedians: John Bishop, Jack Whitehall, Marcus Brigstocke, Alexander Armstrong and Richard Osman, Julian Clary Different Perspectives: Alan Johnson, David Davis, Polly Toynbee, Francis Maude, Gus ODonnell . to name just a few.

2. The Festival Highlights

Outstanding Festival Experience

This year we invested in four new areas:

New Restaurant, Champagne Bar and Festival Pub with everything from coffee and cake to champagne and tapas
The Pavilion shopping, caf, box office and information point in one new venue the perfect place to relax The Exchange a new venue with free events coprogrammed with our partners and local traders, including sessions from Radio Times, Ordnance Survey, Sky Arts, Neals Yard and the latest cutting edge research The HSBC Hospitality Lounge a new area, supported by HSBC, for our partners and patrons to use

2. The Festival Highlights

A Festival for Families

Children listened, laughed, gasped and cheered as they re-visited the stories and poems they loved through the eyes of the writers.

Book It! is a Festival within a Festival for Children. Over a 100 events for all the family and a range of free activities take place each festival weekend designed to stimulate, inspire and celebrate story telling. Family programme sales +12%. Well loved authors and illustrators include: Julia Donaldson, Lauren Child, Tony Ross, Nick Sharratt, Shirley Hughes, and from the US, Neil Gaiman to name just a few.
Book It! For Families is available for sponsorship in 2014.

2. The Festival Highlights

Education at the heart of the Festival

2. The Festival Highlights

Book It for Schools Education Impact

Book It for Schools is a dedicated programme of school events and activities at the Festival during weekdays School ticket sales +38% (60 schools)

Free activities this year included: opportunity to contribute to one of the biggest books in the world with artist Diana Bell the Literature Discovery Trail, created by leading writers the chance to get up and active in the circus-themed Waterstones Hideaway tent

2. The Festival Highlights

Partner Inspiration

The Times Members + Area The Times Newseum Nelson Thornes Digital Literacy Conference The HSBC Hospitality Lounge for our partners and patrons Qualia Project digital audience feedback with NESTA, AHRC & Arts Council England Co-programming Strands of events including science@literature Creative Exhibition Spaces Food & Beverage Partnerships Competitions & Site Maps

3. The University of Womens Club at the Festival

Events Supported by The University of Womens Club

3. The University of Womens Club at the Festival

Events Supported by The University of Womens Club

Event L158 Lucy Worsley Join popular historian Lucy Worsley for an illustrated talk on the birth of the whodunit, exploring how the murder tale became a staple of Victorian entertainment, helping to inspire authors such as Charles Dickens and Agatha Christie.

UNIVERSITY OF WOMENS CLUB INTRODUCED: Event L168 Pam Ayres One of Britains best-loved personalities, Pam Ayres returns to Cheltenham to delight audiences with her own unique brand of humorous verse. She joins us to discuss her writing and reveal her new collection of poetry.

4. Marketing the Festival

Effective Print & Media Campaigns

4. Marketing the Festival

National Print & Media Campaigns

Brochures
50,000 taster brochures, 35,000 brochures, 10,000 newspapers

Media Advertising
TV-The Festival was featured on BBC Breakfast television with two long interview spots, as well as hourly live features throughout the day on BBC News. Film crews from BBC South West, ITV West, ITV News, and The Sunday Politics Show Radio: Heart FM one week regional campaign National Print: The Times, Radio Times Local/ Regional Print

Email communications were sent to our database of over 40,000

Email campaign from 1st August to publicise the Festival programme. Six headline e-news sent to our full database

5. Ticket Sales & Audience Reach

2013 Sales Statistics Audience Profile Vibrant Members Scheme Online Visitors Boom Social Media Buzz

5. Ticket Sales & Audience

2013 Unprecedented Sales

Box Office Revenue +13% on 2012 135,000 Tickets sold (+2% by venue) 15,000 bookers Average booker bought 9 events (+6% on 2012) & average spend +25% 8,500 were returning bookers (+8% on 2012) 6,500 new bookers Family programme sales +12% School ticket sales +38% (60 schools) Book it! Education Programme for Schools sales +21% Schools spent 34% more than 2012

5. Ticket Sales & Audience

Discerning National Audience

Mostly ABC1 audience 2% increase in audiences by venue 97% of UK postcodes were represented Single event and new bookers were attracted to headline personalities events (Jack Whitehall, Mary Berry, Steven Moffat, John Bishop, Helen Fielding) Members bought 49% of all Literature tickets Patrons spent 60% more on tickets in 2013 Returning new bookers from 2012 spent 45% more in 2013 30% of bookers attended at least 5 events

5. Ticket Sales & Audience

Vibrant Cheltenham Festivals Membership Scheme

Membership Numbers: Current number of memberships is 6,700 4,123 members booked Literature 2013 (62.7% of all members) Growth in membership of approximately 21% since 2012 Membership Spend: Membership sales 48.8% of all Literature Festival sales Sales to members +25.9%

Membership Tickets: Members were issued 44.1% of all festival tickets. Tickets Issued to Members +3.5% 27.3% of Literature bookers were Cheltenham Festival Members

5. Ticket Sales & Audience

Online Visitor Boom

Website More than 428,000 unique visitors to the website during on-sale period (growth of 225% on 2012) Literature Festival had 1.2m page views during on-sale period Facebook Number of Facebook followers 2013: c. 8,850 increased by 36.1% Twitter Number of Twitter followers 2013: c. 18,850 increased by 39.6% since the end of 2012

5. Ticket Sales & Audience

Social Media Buzz

John Suchet @johnsuchet14 Oct Talking 'Beethoven - The Man Revealed' @cheltfestivals Sunday morning followed by open lunch/intv. Come along if you're near #cheltlitfest Damian Barr @Damian_Barr13 Oct Thanks to all @cheltfestivals for literary goings on this weekend. It's been flawlessly organised & great fun.Going home hungover book-laden
Matt Dawson @matt9dawson7 Oct Thx to all for a lovely evening #cheltlitfest #lionstales Beckaweck @beckaweck12 Oct Thank you @cheltfestivals for a great Literature Festival, have seen some amazing people & looking forward to next year Ronnie O'Sullivan @ronnieo14710 Oct will be signing my new book called running at cheltenham literarture festival tonight ! lookin forward to it - hope u all like the book

Gail Rebuck @gailrebuck3 Oct Up early and off to Cheltenham for #cheltlitfest @cheltfestivals. Amazing line up of events and speakers. Cultural heaven. Don't miss it!

Johnny Vegas @JohnnyVegasReal7 Oct Lovely audience at @cheltfestivals gig tonight. Especially those who waited for book signings in the dark after blackout ;) #blitzspirit

6. Media and Press Coverage

TV Coverage Radio Highlights The Times Radio Times Other Nationals Local Press

6. Media and Press Coverage during the Festival

TV Coverage
A full day of live national TV broadcasts on BBC News Channel including two live interviews on BBC Breakfast with Julia Donaldson and Brian May Wide ranging regional coverage from BBC South West, ITV West, ITV News, and the Sunday Politics show
Several mentions on the Graham Norton Show

6. Media and Press Coverage during the Festival

Radio Highlights
National coverage including BBC R1, R2, R4, R6 BBC Radio Gloucestershire were on site throughout the Festival, broadcasting two live shows and doing 67 interviews!

6. Media and Press Coverage during the Festival

A unique relationship with The Times

Unprecedented coverage from our title sponsor Dedicated Saturday Review Daily wraps on T2 Two journalists, one diary reporter, one web reporter, two intranet reporters, all on site generating copy throughout the Festival- not to mention the dozens of other staff who were also on site during the Festival

6. Media and Press Coverage during the Festival

Radio Times
An extensive campaign in the Radio Times, with features, advertising, and competitions running from August to October. Accompanied by online coverage throughout the Festival.

6. Media and Press Coverage during the Festival

Other Nationals
Incredibly enthusiastic reporting from the other national newspapers Reporters from The Telegraph, Daily Mail, The Sun, and Radio Times present throughout the Festival Wonderful travel pieces on the Festivals from The Independent and the Express

6. Media and Press Coverage during the Festival

Local Press Partnerships

Exhaustive coverage from The Echo and Cotswold Life Great new pieces from The Echo, including literary fashion features, overheard feature, and competitions

7. Fantastic Opportunities for 2014

A Bespoke Festival Relationship

Maximise your visibility and audience awareness and build a programme of events that aligns with your brand values and target consumer. Access to world class speakers Opportunity to work with us to create unique experiences Create exciting strands Literary Giants, Lifestyle, Comedy, Travel, History and the Childrens Festival - Book It! Business Conferences and Private Events

Partner Opportunities
Food & Beverage Sponsorship Venue Naming Rights e.g. Spiegeltent, Caf, Restaurant, Venues Brand Activation sampling, product placement Promotional Activities Networking Opportunities Hospitality, behind the scenes tours, meet the speakers Supporting Guest Directors Interactive activities and Educational outreach work to meet CSR objectives Business Conferences and Private Events

Thank you for working with us We look forward to working with you next year 3rd-12th October 2014