Los Angeles, CA (Top40 Charts/ Vans Warped Tour) America's premier music and lifestyle festival, Vans Warped Tour®today announced its impressive lineup of sponsors and non-profit partners for its 42 date summer tour. This year's tour marks the 20th anniversary of what has been called "America's most successful festival."
"Vans Warped Tour is unlike any other touring music festival today and has continually evolved over the past two decades. It's our goal to leave a lasting impression in each city we visit and affect the lives of our audience in many positive ways," said
Kevin Lyman, Vans Warped Tour founder. "This tour isn't just about launching tomorrow's hottest bands, it's about creating long-term connections that help associate the brands, bands and non-profits with a very positive experience."
One such brand to recognize that connection is Journeys. The Nashville-based retailer has signed on for a three year Presenting Sponsorship of the festival.
Long term partners and sponsors also recognize the value of participating in the tour, and many continue to return to the event for several years. Some of the Tour's lengthiest relationships include: Vans (19 years), Ernie Ball (18 years), Alternative Press (15 years), Truth (14 years), Trojan (12 years), Fuse (11 years) and Kia (7 years).
"Every year, Vans heads out on the best summer Tour, traveling to more than 40 cities across the country, and we meet thousands of people who love Vans just as much as they love their favorite bands," said Steve Van Doren, Vans Vice President of Event and Promotions. "It's a great way to connect with our consumers on a personal level, and Vans' 19-year partnership has enabled our brand to connect and support our fans alongside the music they love."
"Music has always been an integral part of connecting our core consumer to the Journeys brand in a very emotional and authentic way," said Kari Irons, Senior Vice President of Marketing for The Journeys Group. "This tour gives Journeys the opportunity to share a lasting, memorable experience with our consumers and employees in an environment that captures the spirit of youth culture."
"By signing a three-year deal to be the presenting sponsor of the Vans Warped Tour, we are able to build a long-term music strategy that aligns perfectly with one of our top brand partners, Vans," said Jim Estepa, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Journeys Group. "We plan to bring this tour to life across all of our channels and celebrate the partnership with both our consumers and employees through special on-site, digital and in-store activations."
"Music, pop culture, individuality and having fun are what drive today's youth culture, and the 2014 Vans Warped Tour couldn't be a better embodiment of those core coming-of-age lifestyle elements," said Tim Chaney, Vice President of Marketing, Kia Motors America. "Our partnership with the tour allows us to showcase the iconic Kia Soul and stylish Forte5, which appeal to both the young and the young-at-heart."
Participation in the Vans Warped Tour goes far beyond just promoting product. Each of the Tour sponsors has a unique way of participating and connecting with the audience. For instance, Band Happy offers live music lessons from actual Tour performers. They have brought in several supporting instrument partners to reach fans, including Mapex, Meinl, Evans, ProMark, Sennheiser and more. Water bottle designer Cool Gear works with the tour to provide free water to fans during the show. Full Sail University provides opportunities for its graduates to fill critical positions on the tour. And retailer Paper
Alligator started as a local record label sponsor of the tour and has evolved into a full blown online lifestyle branding site with an international reach.
Non-profit organizations are also seeing great success as a direct result of their participation in the Tour. MusiCares has received more than $400,000 in donations since beginning its partnership with the Tour, and the
Music Saves Lives Tour Blood Drive gathers more than 60,000 pints of blood annually.
This year the Tour is welcoming a host of new sponsors, including Journeys, Altec, F'Real, Mamma Chia, Warheads and Western Digital.
The complete line up of sponsors includes: Vans, Journeys, Kia, Action for Animals, Airforce Reserves, Altec, Alternative Press, Band Happy, Beatport, Biore, The Canvas Foundation,
Chicago Custom Percussion, Cool Gear, D'Addario, D-Tox, Epitaph Records, Equal Vision, Ernie Ball, F'Real, FARM, Fearless Records, Feed Our Children Now!, Fueled by Ramen, Full Sail University, Fuse, Glamour
Kills Clothing, Gypsy Warrior, Hard Rock Café,
Heart Support, Hope for the Day, I Am Second, IndieGoGo, Invisible Children, It Gets Better,
John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, KBB Records, Keep a Breast, Mama Chia, Mapex Drums, Matador Beef Jerky, Meinl Cymbals, Monster Aesthetics, Monster
Energy Drink, MusiCares,
Music Saves Lives, NARAS,
Natural High, Never Summer,
Orange Amps, Paper Alligator, PETA2, PRS, Punky Pets, Pure Noise Records, (RED), Ride Nature, Rise Records, Sabian, Sennheiser, Shella Rotella, Shirts for a Cure, SideOneDummy Records, SJC Drums, SKAD, Sumerian Records, Team Phun, Testicular Cancer Awareness Foundation, The Truth, To Write Love on Her Arms, Trojan Condoms, U.S. Army, U.S. Marines, Uber, Victory Records, WARHEADS, and Western Digital.
The complete schedule for the 2014 Tour can be found at https://vanswarpedtour.com/dates, and for the full list of confirmed acts visit www.vanswarpedtour.com/bands.
