Montreal Jazz Festival Loses General Motors Sponsorship

jazz news, Canada

Montreal Jazzfest
July 1-12, 2009

Festival Organizers Seeking New Sponsorship in 2010

The Montreal International Jazz Festival has lost its largest corporate sponsor, General Motors of Canada. The company will continue its support of the event in 2009 for the 30th anniversary edition next July, but has declined to renew its five-year sponsorship starting in 2010.

Quoted as saying “People should not be worried about the future of the international jazz festival,” Alain Simard, festival founder and president, says he’s confident the festival will find another sponsor.

A spokesperson for General Motors said the decision to cuts its ties to the jazz festival was entirely because of the tough economic times.

The 2009 event will be the 10th year of sponsorship by General Motors, the car manufacturer being associated with many of the main elements of the festival, including the Plein Feux General Motors series at Salle Wilfrid-Pelletier in Place des Arts, the main outdoor stage and the General Motors Grand Jazz Award, which annually honours the best Canadian jazz band.

for more info visit www.montrealjazzfest.com