GENERATE WINS ROYAL INSTITUTION SPONSORSHIP BRIEF

Generate Sponsorship has been appointed by the Royal Institution of Great Britain to source a presenting sponsor for its televised Christmas Lectures in 2011.

The Lectures, a series of demonstration-packed science programmes for young people are filmed in front of a live audience in the iconic theatre at the Royal Institution.  The original science events for children were started by Michael Faraday in 1825 and have long been seen as one of the most important events on the scientific calendar.

Broadcast on terrestrial TV and repeated throughout the UK and Japan, the Ri Christmas Lectures are watched by over 3 million people and have experienced huge growth both geographically and across all forms of media.

Generate is seeking a presenting partner for the event which will provide brand association with one of the UK’s leading scientific organisations with over 200 years of heritage and the opportunity to connect with an audience of over six million people worldwide through broadcast coverage and marketing activity.

The partnership will give the sponsor access to a launch event with VIP guests from the UK’s business and scientific community, supported with a powerful media campaign, branding opportunities, as well as PR and marketing support.

Chris Rofe, CEO of the Ri, said: “We are delighted to have appointed Generate to help us secure a presenting partner for the Ri Christmas Lectures. We have been lucky to work with some fantastic partners over the last few years and their involvement has become crucial in helping us grow the 187 year old brand and to ensure we continue inspire the next generation of scientists. We will work closely with Generate and any future sponsors to ensure they receive significant return on their investment.”

Previous partner Microsoft Research has benefited significantly from the sponsorship and in 2011 it will continue its association with the Ri via an online education platform.

Professor Chris Bishop, Distinguished Scientist at Microsoft Research, said,  “We were delighted to sponsor the Ri Christmas Lectures, and to be closely associated with this hugely important tradition of engaging young people with the excitement of science through live demonstrations. Following the successful sponsorship of The Lectures, Microsoft Research has this year provided further major support to the Ri to fund the creation of a new online science communication channel.”

Andy Muggleton, Generate Sponsorship Managing Partner, added: “We are excited to be working with the Ri on this prestigious event. The sponsorship will provide the presenting partner with the opportunity to align itself with one of the UK’s leading and oldest scientific organisations, with national TV exposure and the opportunity to align with this important and respected tradition.

“We are confident of giving the Ri the best possible chance of securing a partner, and we’re looking forward to being part of another successful event in 2011.”

ENDS

For further information please contact:

Richard Aldridge

0845 241 8111/ ra@generatesponsorship.com

About Generate  

Generate is the fastest growing sponsorship consultancy in the UK, specialising in the sectors of sport, entertainment and arts.

Our specialist teams work with both sponsors and rights holders internationally with services ranging from consultancy, activation, PR and event management to commercial services and bid consulting.

We are innovative in our thinking, strategic in our approach, highly accountable but most importantly passionate about sponsorship and the results we deliver.

For further information go to www.generatesponsorship.com

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About the Ri Christmas Lectures

The Royal Institution Christmas Lectures are the Ri’s biggest and most public facing, demonstration packed, fun-filled science events for young people. They are broadcast on UK television every Christmas and have formed part of the Christmas tradition for generations – often being compared to the Queen’s Christmas message and the carols at Kings.

The Ri Christmas Lectures have been inspiring children and adults alike since 1825. The Lectures were initiated by Michael Faraday at a time when organised education for young people was scarce. He presented 19 series of Christmas Lectures himself, establishing an exciting new venture of teaching science to young people.

The Lectures have continued annually since the 1825 series, stopping only during World War II. Many world-famous scientists have given the lectures including Nobel Prize winners: William and Lawrence Bragg, Sir David Attenborough, George Porter and Dame Nancy Rothwell.

The Ri Christmas Lectures have been aired on television since 1966, on the BBC until 1999 and then on Channel Five, Channel Four and more4. In 2010 they were broadcast on BBC4 and reached viewing figures of over 2 million.

About the Royal Institution

The Royal Institution of Great Britain (Ri) is a charity dedicated to increasing knowledge of, excitement for and involvement in science and technology for current and future generations through its public and young peoples’ programmes, history of science activities and scientific research.

For over 200 years, at the headquarters on Albemarle St, the Ri has been at the forefront of science research, innovation and communication. The Ri is where scientists such as Humphrey Davy, Michael Faraday, James Dewar, William and Lawrence Bragg and George Porter discovered 10 chemical elements, won 14 Nobel Prizes, made world-changing discoveries in the laws of electromagnetism and molecular biology and stimulated scientific debate through public lectures and events for children, the most famous of which are the televised Christmas Lectures. Today, the Ri continues this pioneering science communication and, through the Davy Faraday Research Laboratory (DFRL), it continues to produce cutting-edge research in the application of nanotechnology in healthcare www.rigb.org.