The team behind delivering the 2024 English Riviera Airshow has secured four new sponsors for the Bay’s flagship event and want to encourage the local community to get involved and show their support.

Persimmon Homes, Landscove Holiday Park and Riviera Bay Coastal Retreat, and Torbay Pharmaceuticals, have generously pledged and signed up to the Gold sponsorship package, and Cavanna Homes to the Silver package. The team would like to thank these new sponsors for their support this year.

The new sponsors, join the key event partners Torbay Council and the English Riviera BID Company as well marketing partner Bigwave Marketing, as part of a collective of local organisations, businesses and people committed to bringing the community ‘Your English Riviera Airshow’. They are also joined by several infrastructure providers as supporting sponsors, who will be announced shortly.

Stacey Harris, Sales Director for Persimmon Homes South West, says; “Persimmon is delighted to be a sponsor at this year’s English Riviera Airshow through our Community Champions scheme – knowing it to be a Devon favourite, we are happy to be a part of its wide support. In all the areas we build – including our new Inglewood site in Paignton – we want to leave a positive and lasting legacy in the community beyond our high-quality and affordable homes, and a key element of that is doing our bit to ensure much-loved local events and organisations will still be there for the residents of those sites for years to come”.

The English Riviera Airshow is due to take place on Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 June 2024.

Applications for display teams to headline the English Riviera Airshow have been submitted, with the outcome expected in the spring. If the request to bring some of the RAF’s most loved and noisy display teams is successful, the flight display will cost approximately £120,000. This cost does not include staffing, essential event infrastructure or on the ground event village activity.

Failure to cover the event’s cost through sponsorship and donations could mean the event is scaled back which means less benefit to the local economy. Research following the 2023 English Riviera Airshow revealed for every £1 invested, it generated an astonishing £15.56, most of which supported businesses in the hospitality and tourism sector.

One of the crucial elements of the 2024 Airshow is to incorporate as many local suppliers, traders, volunteers, and businesses as possible. The English Riviera Airshow is inviting and offering businesses the opportunity to partner with the event through sponsorship packages, or by offering their assistance in the form of essential event infrastructure such as security, fencing, or other site amenities. Those who join the team as partners, sponsors or offer in kind services will receive customised pre-event, event, and post-event exposure, and valuable brand recognition.

Support and sponsorship

Support options are available for small businesses and anyone who enjoys watching the English Riviera Airshow through either the ‘Patron’ or ‘Friends of’ schemes. Support options are priced at either £15.00 or £65.00.

Sponsorship packages for medium and large businesses start at £950.00.

Event branding opportunities starting at £250.00 are also being developed for businesses that want to maximise audience exposure over the two-day event. Information on event branding will be available soon, businesses are encouraged to look out for information on the English Riviera Airshow website and social media channels or register their interest via: airshowopportunities@torbay.gov.uk

Catering and trading opportunities

A range of pitch sizes and costs by location are available in the event village on Paignton Green.

Local or regional trade, exhibition, vending and concession businesses, particularly in the following industries is encouraged to contact airshow@torbay.gov.uk to discuss the opportunities available.

• Food and drink
• Local produce
• Arts & crafts
• Technology
• Sustainability & net zero
• Entertainers
• Seasonal products
• Maritime and seaside

Cllr Jackie Thomas, Cabinet Member for Tourism, Culture & Events and Corporate Services at Torbay Council, said; “Keeping the English Riviera Airshow local, is what the 2024 event is all about to ensure it is the people, residents and businesses of Torbay that benefit from the event the most.

“The clock is ticking, with time running out for team behind delivering the English Riviera Airshow to lock in much needed financial and community support.

“With other local Airshows fully supported by the community, together with the support of people and businesses in Torbay, we can ‘take off together’ and deliver an unforgettable experience that captivates audiences and showcases the beautiful English Riviera to the UK and beyond!

“On behalf of the English Riviera Airshow team – thank you for your support.”

Details of all the ways to get involved and show your support to ‘Your English Riviera Airshow’ can be found at: https://englishrivieraairshow.co.uk/