Smart Business People Come to Play at Geva
For 45 years, Geva Theatre Center has been at the cultural heart of Rochester. Each year, Geva serves up to 160,000 people – including business and corporate leaders, families, children and youth, and potential customers for your business. A partnership with Geva reinforces your brand excellence, offers unique marketing opportunities, provides opportunities for special business development events, gives employees and clients free and discounted tickets, and counts you among the businesses and community leaders who strive to uphold the vitality of the Rochester-area community.
Promotion, Advertising & Visibility: Logo and company prominently displayed in publications, programs, lobby displays, posters and banners.
Corporate Entertaining: Prime complimentary tickets and the opportunity to entertain in the Dawn & Jacques Lipson MD Lounge, our café or rehearsal hall.
Employee Benefits: Company employees can receive special discounts and tickets to attend our theatre productions and events.
Public Relations: Company image will be identified with the excellence, creativity, quality and community service that Geva Theatre Center represents.
Quality of Life: An investment in the community involves supporting its important institutions, which provide unique, high quality programs for your employees, clients and customers.
Tax-Deductibility: Geva Theatre Center is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.
Play Your Part in Supporting
A Creative Engine: Exceptional theatrical art is created at Geva specifically for a community that appreciates quality, and recognizes its importance to our collective enrichment and entertainment. Over 75 new plays and musicals developed at Geva have gone on to productions across America and internationally over the past 15 years.
A Community Leader: Geva is a cultural anchor for downtown Rochester and a theatrical resource for the region, supporting more than 20 local theatre and dance companies since 2007. Each year 40,000 youth and adults are immersed in artistic expression, cultural understanding and the discipline of the performing arts through Geva’s educational and community programming. Geva’s 50 full-time and 150 part-time staff are an important part of the fabric of Rochester’s community life.
A Dynamic Facility: At the gateway to the Center City, Geva Theatre Center is a central gathering place where the issues and stories of our time have been presented and explored for over 140 years, inspiring future generations to creative thought and cultural expression. Your support ensures that Rochester will continue to enjoy high quality theatrical programming, keeping the downtown area active every night of the week. This vibrant cultural life directly affects your ability to attract and retain employees in today’s competitive business environment.
Put Your Company in the Spotlight
Geva offers a variety of business sponsorships from our Executive and Co-Producers who align their brand with a specific production for maximum exposure to exciting opportunities to sponsor a performance, event or community program.
Benefits vary with gift level and opportunity. Sponsor Benefits can be tailored to suit your company’s needs and interests. To learn more about how you can form a strategic partnership with Geva Theatre Center to meet your organization’s specific marketing and philanthropic goals, please contact the Advancement Office at (585) 420-2041.
Production Sponsorships
Wilson Stage Executive Producer: $25,000 and above
Executive Producers enjoy the highest level of exposure, recognition and benefits specially tailored to meet the dynamic needs of their individual organizations. These companies enjoy premium visibility while greatly enhancing and enriching the high standards of Geva Theatre Center and the greater Rochester community.
Wilson Stage Lead Co-Producer: $15,000 and above
Lead Co-Producers realize tremendous promotional visibility by helping to underwrite the production costs of a Geva Wilson Stage production. These companies have a direct impact on the quality and artistry of our performances as they position their businesses directly in the public spotlight! Benefits include name recognition, all co-producer benefits, plus prominent recognition in our marketing and advertising (up to 15 million media impressions).
Wilson Stage Co-Producer: $12,000 and above
Co-Producers enjoy promotional visibility by helping to underwrite the production costs of a Geva Wilson Stage production. Benefits include name recognition, complimentary tickets, entertaining options, and extensive advertising and marketing (up to 10 million media impressions).
Fielding Stage Co-Producer: $7,500 and above
Geva’s engaging second stage engages audiences with the most innovative and imaginative artists and productions on the scene today – fresh contemporary theatre featuring plays, music, improvisation and more. Co-Producers enjoy promotional visibility by helping to underwrite the production costs of a Geva Fielding Stage production. Benefits include name recognition, complimentary tickets, entertaining options and extensive advertising and marketing.
Performance Sponsor: $3,500 and above
Performance Sponsors are in the spotlight for a night! Your business is featured in a starring role as you welcome your guests on this special evening. The ideal way to entertain clients or employees – a reception and theatre tickets to a Geva production!
Arts Education & Community Engagement Sponsorships
Hornets’ Nest: $10,000 and above
The Hornets’ Nest is a free series of hot topic play readings – selected for the moral, ethical and political questions they present – that serve as the springboard for community conversations featuring community leaders who have particular expertise and serve as “Instigators.”
Passport Program for the Rochester City School District: $5,000 and above
Underwriting for this program is offered in up to 16 $5,000 shares to cover the cost of providing 1,600 Rochester City School District students with free tickets to student matinees, Teacher Workshops, Teacher Previews of Geva’s shows, Discovery Guides reinforcing the curriculum, Discovery Workshops in schools, Talkbacks after the student matinee performance, and In-School Actor Visits.
Partners in Education: $2,500 and above
Geva Theatre Center offers up to 20 education and outreach programs with each production. Sponsors have the opportunity to support school matinees, student ticket underwriting, Discovery Guide printing and post-performance discussions.
Special Event Sponsorships
Community Engagement and Outreach: $5,000 and above
Special events surrounding a production or theme presented in a show, including a reading of a play or benefit performance with post-show community forum and/or discussion.
Magic in the Making Sponsor: $5,000 and above
A special open house of festive activities and tour of the entire theatre facility – ideal for families and grandparent/grandchildren visit to Geva. Benefits include recognition in all promotion for the event and complimentary tickets to the private pre-event VIP tour.
Opening Night Sponsor: $2,500 per opening/$5,000 for three
Opening night reception for each production. Benefits include recognition as host for the evening, complimentary tickets to the production and invitations to corporate events.
Home for the Holidays: $5,000 and above
A free performance for veterans, active servicemen and women, and their families of our sparkling production of A Christmas Carol. Benefits include recognition as the sponsoring host of the event and logo placement on the event webpage, event promotional materials, invitations to donors and subscribers, and on all handouts for the evening.
Summer Curtain Call Education Sponsor: $1,500 and above
Geva’s annual fundraising gala features performances by local celebrities and business leaders in a production created by Artistic Director Mark Cuddy specifically for the event, live and silent auctions, and excellent food under a tent on Woodbury Boulevard and throughout the theatre. All proceeds benefit arts education at Geva Theatre Center.
Become a Business Member at Geva
Business Membership provides exciting opportunities for businesses, employees and clients to enjoy Geva Theatre Center’s renowned productions through complimentary premium tickets and discounts on additional tickets. Business Members also enjoy visibility among Geva’s educated, loyal, professional audience, and occasions to go behind the scenes and learn how the magic of live theatre is made.
All Business Members receive:
- Season-long recognition in the Wilson Stage and Fielding Stage playbills
- Season-long recognition on donor signage in the theatre vestibule
- Discounts on tickets for performances during the first two weeks of Wilson Stage and Fielding Stage productions (up to 25%)
- Invitation to the annual New Season Announcement in March with Geva artistic director Mark Cuddy and executive director Chris Mannelli.
Membership Levels
As giving levels increase, so do the benefits Business members enjoy!
LEADING PERFORMER – $1,000
- Three ticket vouchers (each valid for 2 premium tickets; 6 tickets total)
- Backstage tour for four guests
DIRECTOR – $2,500
- Six ticket vouchers (each valid for 2 premium tickets; 12 tickets total)
- Two VIP tickets to an Opening Night event for a Wilson Stage production
- Private backstage tour for six guests
- One-time space rental fee waiver (subject to availability; some fees and exclusions may apply)
ASSISTANT PRODUCER – $3,500
- Twelve ticket vouchers (each valid for 2 premium tickets; 24 tickets total)
- Four VIP tickets to an Opening Night event for a Wilson Stage production
- Private backstage tour for six guests
- One-time space rental fee waiver (subject to availability; some costs and exclusions may apply)
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER – $5,000
- Recognition as an Associate Producer for a Wilson Stage production
- Recognition in select marketing for the production
- Recognition in all publicity for the production
- Half-page ad in the playbill for the production
- Fifteen ticket vouchers (each valid for 2 premium tickets; 30 tickets total)
- Eight VIP tickets to the Opening Night reception for the production
- Recognition on the cover of the playbill for the production
- Private backstage tour for eight guests
- Logo posted on Geva’s website with a link to the business website
- One-time space rental fee waiver (subject to availability; some fees and exclusions may apply)
To learn more, contact the Advancement Department at (585) 420-2004
“Geva Theatre Center has been a vital element of the arts and cultural experience in Rochester for more than 45 years. ESL Federal Credit Union. “We are proud to lend our support for the 2019-2020 season, and are pleased to continue our partnership for a sixth consecutive year.”
ESL Federal Credit Union President and CEO Faheem Masood
