As American Express Presents BST Hyde Park celebrates its 10th year, AEG Global Partnerships, the team behind the naming rights and partnership activations at the festival, is looking back at some of the highlights and how these activations continue to enhance the experience of millions of festival goers.
Since the festival’s inception a decade ago, the team has brokered partnerships with more than 100 companies – from American Express to Ray-Ban, lululemon to Barclaycard – with activations enjoyed by millions of fans over the 10-year period.
BST Hyde Park is 10 years old
As BST Hyde Park has grown, AEG has been able to increase its revenue by an average of 20% each year, with 91% being retained over multiple years.
Some of the longest standing brand names at the festival include Asahi, that has been on board for five years, while Ray-Ban and Coca-Cola enjoyed three and five year partnerships respectively.
The length and depth of these partnerships demonstrates the power of the festival for helping brands achieve their marketing and organisational objectives. Brand recall for presenting partners was over 90% in 2022, and 36 percent of fans agreed that they were more likely to consider a brand that provided experiences at the festival.
Will Dowdy, Vice President – Global Partnerships at AEG Presents, said: “American Express presents BST Hyde Park provides a unique environment for fans to connect passionately with their favourite artists at an incredible outdoor space in the heart of London.
“The success of our partnerships at BST comes down to aligning our vision with a deep understanding of our partners objectives and identity, paired with a positive integration into the overall fan experience.”
“A few years ago, we took the bold business decision to pursue a premium strategy, where we work with fewer partners, but they get extended rights, more visibility and a clear lane to run in.
“The depth of our partnerships means that we can deliver something unique for each of partner, which shares the festival’s values.”
“The best partnerships elevate a fan’s day instead of intruding on them, and the increase in dwell time at festivals demonstrates that activations pack a punch.
“When a brand can take an experience to the next level, fans remember the role it had in creating some of their best memories – and that feeling lasts forever.
“That’s a power that event partnerships have over traditional media.”
“This strategy has resulted in our partners becoming an authentic part of the fan experience and is a success factor in the overall commercial growth of BST Hyde Park.”
AEG Global said its partnerships team is constantly looking for new opportunities for brands.
The festival now runs over 17 days, providing more visibility and opportunities for engagement, and adds new assets each year.
New from 2024 will be the VIP Beach House and Flat Iron structure, complete with a viewing platform of the Great Oak Stage, karaoke bar, speakeasy and digital walkway experience.