Become A Sponsor

Once again, the Tampa Bay Association of Black Journalists will present the area’s most important journalism awards contest and scholarship ceremony: the Seventh Annual Griot Drum Awards and Scholarship Banquet.  We’d like your help as a valued sponsor.

We welcome a different groundbreaking journalist as keynote speaker annually, featuring CNN anchor Don Lemon last year; he joined a list of distinguished past speakers which include ESPN’s Jemele Hill, former CBS Early Show co-anchor Rene Syler, and 60 Minutes correspondent Byron Pitts.

This year, the Griot Drum Awards will be hosted by Ernest Hooper of the Tampa Bay Times and feature a discussion with Tampa Bay media personalities. We plan to award about $5,000 in college scholarships to students studying journalism and communications, along with about two dozen awards to area journalists who have excelled in covering people of color. The banquet will begin at 7 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 15 at Nielsen’s national headquarters, 501 Brooker Creek Blvd., Oldsmar.

We anticipate our banquet will gather 250 of the area’s most important journalists, business leaders, educators and media figures; the most influential audience in town. We’re hoping you will come aboard as an honored sponsor.

Below is a list of sponsorship levels available. As a 501 © 3 charity, we can assure all donations are tax deductible.

We would love to discuss further details with you. Feel free to contact Eric Deggans, Griot Drum Fundraising Chair at (727) 893-8521 (w), (727) 642-8907 or e-mail at deggans@tampabay.com.

2012 Griot Drum Awards and Scholarship Banquet Sponsorship Levels

Title Sponsor

$4,000

Organization name listed on TBABJ Web site, with a link to URL; Organization featured in all flyers and advertising as title sponsor; Organization mentioned in press coverage of the event; 10 complimentary tickets to the event with VIP seating; Distribute company provided flyer, promotional item, or publication; Hang provided company banner

Diamond Level

$2,000

Organization name listed on TBABJ Web site, with a link to your URL; 6 complimentary tickets to the event with priority seating; Distribute company provided flyer, promotional item, or publication; Hang provided company banner

Platinum Level

$1,000

Organization name listed on TBABJ Web site, with a link to URL; 5 complimentary tickets to the event; Distribute company provided flyer, promotional item, or publication; Hang provided company banner

Gold Level

$500

Organization name listed on TBABJ Web site, with a link to your URL; 4 complimentary tickets to event

Silver Level

$250

Organization name listed on TBABJ Web site, with a link to your URL