Creatives in the City by High Ground News and the EPIcenter

On December 2, High Ground News and the EPIcenter rallies small business owners from creative fields for Creatives in the City, a panel discussion moderated by Josh Horton of Hieroglyph and Creative Works. Memphis is big, and it contains a large market for entrepreneurs and creative professionals. Within the creative field particularly, local artists, reporters and business startups seek marketplace representation. Creativity and unique skill are always in demand, and local startups could gain much by networking with like-minded professionals. Creatives in the City, a massive event of paneled professionals, assists local business impactors with startup navigation and opportunity location.

The Memphis College of Art’s Calicott Auditorium hosts the free event, offering dedicated seating and panels from 5:30 PM.

Outreach and Professional Insight

High Ground News and the EPIcenter continue to gain industry traction through creative outreach. By assisting local professionals and idea creators, both their visibility and impact are enhanced. Directly moderated by Josh Horton of Creative Works and Hieroglyph, Creatives in the City brings together panelists Joann Self Selvidge of True Story Pictures, Joel Halpern of Loaded For Bear, Nicole Heckman of Little Bird Innovation, and Edward Bogard of SoGiv.

Creatives in the City assembles creative professionals who’ve navigated the business climate, have created startups and who’ve achieved success - giving attendees a unique opportunity to gain information, knowledge and skills. Creative business challenges are discussed with local speakers sharing personal stories, allowing attendees to gain entrance into a small and exclusive network of well-informed experts.

High Ground News and Community Outreach

High Ground News offers a variety of intuitive projects and outreach programs for its Memphis community. Focusing on infusing tech jobs with creativity, High Ground News constantly adapts its marketing formula to impact new audiences. Due to creativity’s constant change, High Ground News must repeatedly experiment with community discussion and education to engage its market.

Primarily, High Ground News targets school-aged individuals, though grade schoolers and established professionals aren’t beyond their impact zone. Their consistent speaker program, powered by discussions, entrepreneur workshops and community clean-ups, always succeed in aligning their adaptive strategies with community needs.

A marketing influencer, High Ground News is placed in a unique position: each workshop, seminar and direct promotion both gives and takes. In other words, High Ground News positions their events as opportunities to both examine and impact their community, influencing upcoming idea-crafters, inspiring new projects, and tailoring content to the needs of its audience.

Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired Supports its Community with Free Eye Exams and Glasses

From June 5 to December 31, The Florida Optometry Health Fund and the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired combine nonprofit marketing tactics to achieve great exposure. Free eye examinations and glasses will be provided for children until the year’s end, coordinating community outreach with brand ideologies.

The Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired Event

Achiever of the Florida Blue Foundation’s 2015 Sapphire Award, the outstanding nonprofit organization continues to outdo itself, surpassing its own achievements and innovation every year. The free eye examination and glasses giveaway address’s the community’s needs with dedication and courage, offering great service via the nonprofit’s expert panel. Each member contains national expertise and extensive health knowledge.

The event, itself, targets community finalists. Each finalist is selected through the Miami Lighthouse’s independent expert panel. National and stake qualifications, alike, apply. Selected individuals are invited to partake in the event’s in-depth health discussion, obtaining free glasses at the event’s finish. Naturally, the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired seeks to inspire its community, invigorating its brand relationship.

Event Exposure and Other Events

The Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired achieves great marketing outreach through its extensive YouTube coverage. Parents urged to take an eye exam are directed to the establishment’s back-to-school event. Adjoined by comprehensive visual media, the Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired connects new marketing approaches with clear, concise information.

The health field consistently faces marketing difficulty, and a nonprofit organization doesn’t jump without facing hurdles. Fortunately, the free eye exam and glasses giveaway crosses paths with the entity’s Braille Music Distance Learning Class. The Florida Heiken Program, established in 1992, similarly draws future consumers through offering free-of-charge services. Nonprofit promotion and event marketing circulates around target market programs, utilizing information as a primary benefit. While health-based services, themselves, may be difficult to provide at a certain degree, auxiliary services and goods are great promotional distributions.

News Outreach

The Miami Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired adheres to an extensive, print-based news visibility program. Targeting The Miami Herald, Miami Today and Miami New Times consistently, the nonprofit organization succeeds in identifying with older, impactful, community members. While the event, itself, is geared towards younger generations, each event-goer’s adult guide will likely identify with the Miami Lighthouse before arrival.

As The Miami Lighthouse expands with its Annual Dog Walk, its Marlins Park Smells and Sounds and Pop-Up exhibition, it continues creating excellent, loving opportunities for new brand entrants and repeat viewers alike.

Paul Mitchell Empowers The Dirty Girl Mud Run

The women-only, 3.1-mile obstacle course, The Dirty Girl Mud Run, has gained notoriety in recent years. Cross fitters, runners, jumpers and athletes gather in Atlanta, taking the 5K obstacle course on. Being held on April 23, 2016, The Dirty Girl Mud Run, directly sponsored by Paul Mitchell, will assuredly be a blast.

About the Dirty Girl Mud Run

The Dirty Girl Mud Run is far more than a simple obstacle course. Those taking part in the course will complete an incredibly fun event while supporting breast cancer awareness and support. First-time runners are guaranteed a place at the finish line, alongside 900,000 other women from a variety of athletic backgrounds.

Paul Mitchell’s Promotion Strategy

Paul Mitchel has promoted sports-centric products and services for over 30 years, participating in karate championships, volleyball events, skateboarding features and urban dances. Their marketing approach is passion-centric, influencing extreme athletes to “find inspiration in unexpected places and push the envelope to create works of art.” This two-fold strategy is unique, combining powerful visuals with a high potential for social media coverage.

Event Showcasing and Social Media

Paul Mitchell’s extensive social media coverage utilizes the #Sportyourstyle hashtag to influence its target market. Highly promotional of multimedia, the brand offers intensive pic coverage, narrowing the marketing funnel for high profile consumers. Sports-based event marketing efforts work well via winner promotion. While Paul Mitchell incorporates an ‘everyone is a winner’ strategy, their media coverage of sports winners utilizes preexisting social media norms to impact both their sponsored event and brand image.

Paul Mitchel and Direct Sponsorship

The Dirty Girl Mud Run has spanned across many locations, teaming up with a variety of sponsors. Few have reached the critical acclaim of Paul Mitchell, and few have pulled off the Bright Pink trend quite as good. Participating Paul Mitchell schools are on-site at the event, braiding and brushing each participant’s clean and muddy locks. It’s a free offer, incorporating the event’s charitable roots with Paul Mitchel’s awesome offers. A $10 donation nets event-goers a pink clip-in hair extension, and $5 gets participants an INK Works strip. The temporary hair dye survives the race, creating lasting memories.

Proceed Channels and Further Coverage

The Dirty Girl Mud Run donates all proceeds to Bright Pink. Paul Mitchell currently intends to enhance their social sharing strategy, linking The Dirty Girl Mud Run with both Twitter and Facebook. Event photos can be shared with the #Givingismystyle hashtag, and well-deserving charities can be directly targeted with raised funds. Paul Mitchel’s direct involvement with The Dirty Girl Mud Run is noteworthy, as is its incorporation of charities with Paul Mitchell Sports.

The brand’s decision to offer brush-outs, styling, braiding and stripes further influences its visual media presence. Event marketing, while highly visual, sometimes ends where sports competitions begin. Sports coverage blends well with visual media, and each of Paul Mitchell’s marketing inclusions heightens its social media appeal. Encouraging its event-goers to “Look Pretty and Play Dirty,” Paul Mitchell has created a visually competitive environment promoting charitable causes and outdoor experiences, alike.

Mellow Mushroom at the SweetWater 420 Festival

Mellow Mushroom is a continual food industry provider, targeting young audiences with delectable pizza, awesome events and a unique brand image. They’re teaming up with SweetWater Brewing Company to create the SweetWater 420 Fest in Atlanta, GA. Games, prizes—and, of course, plenty of beer and pizza—await on April 20th, 2016.

The Fest

The SweetWater 420 Fest takes part in SweetWater’s environmental conservation efforts. The brand’s common statement, “You can’t make good beer without good water,” is commonly attributed to their excellent, nationwide efforts. Their Chattahoochee Riverkeeper and Waterkeeper Alliance partnership directly funds and raises awareness for the event, assisting community cleanup efforts alongside beer donations.

Intending to positively impact the community’s right to free water, The SweetWater 420 Fest prioritizes eco-friendly practices. Last year, the event reduced landfill waste by 30,000 pounds, diverting it through on-site, eco-focused activities. The SweetWater 420 Fest constantly offers volunteer-powered events, creating fun environments from pavilion restoration, park improvement initiatives, nature path reformation and venue cleanup. The Fest has currently donated over $120,000 in neighborhood and organizational funds, directed towards Park Pride, CPNO and Friends of Candler Park.

Partnerships, Outreach and Mellow Mushroom

Mellow Mushroom has expanded their brand since 1974. Their free-thinking brand image employs pizza, beer, family-operated events and grand journeys to facilitate the food industry’s growth. Greatly attached to the SweetWater 420 Fest, Mellow Mushroom’s latest franchise maneuvers will feature guest art contests, food booths and live events. The SweetWater 420 Fest is an excellent location, spanning across a large area capable of hosting a slew of activities. Of course, a multitude of branded merchandise will be available, boosting revenue alongside funds gathered from pizza and beer alone.

Mellow Mushroom also holds a unique opportunity in partnering with SweetWater Brewing Company’s other affiliates. SunTrust Bank, Happy Endings Productions, Centennial Olympic Park, Central Atlanta Progress and Park Pride have all assisted downtown Atlanta’s green lifestyle. Streetcar, too, has been involved, increasing the city’s ‘mobilized’ lifestyle. Mellow Mushroom, now, helps event happenings by prompting visitors to remove trash while planting plants and landscape throughout the event-hosting area.

The Mellow Mushroom Brand and Statement

From a brand perspective, Mellow Mushroom’s dedication to the SweetWater 420 Fest is incredibly telling. The restaurant has always been dedicated to mouthwatering food accompanies by world-friendly policies. SweetWater Brewing Company, aligned with the brand’s focus, makes an excellent partner.

Mellow Mushroom’s experimental marketing participation has granted it immersive access into the SweetWater Brewing Company’s fan foundation. Crafting unforgettable environments, the brand additionally gains from Twitter and Facebook appearances. Its ‘Fresh Tweets’ outreach program rings true to the SweetWater 420 Fest, tying up any loose ends while nodding, again, to the brand overlap between two eco-friendly entities.

Mellow Mushroom’s offered Mellow E-Club, famous for spreading event information, will likely propose options for future SweetWater 420 Fest attendees. Social Media, in the food and brew world, is an indispensable resource. As Mellow Mushroom gears up for its newest marketing opportunities, it’ll continue adhering to the SweetWater Brewing Company state of mind—one dedicated to community, happiness and great food.

Monster Sponsors the AMA Supercross

On April 9, 2016, Monster Energy will sponsor the AMA Supercross at the Lucas Oil Stadium, presenting promotions, music, food and other live events.

About the AMA Supercross

The AMA Supercross takes excitement from the street, to the track and across the trail. The event hosts millions of Americans, proposing new brand strategies, awesome inclusions and a new twist to motorcycling with pleasing weekends. The AMA Supercross, for years, has identified with young sports fans, targeting Generation Y and UFC, WWE and action sports lovers.

Off-road rides, far-off journeys and thrill-seeking event’s run the stadium, targeted by the event’s extensive social media coverage. The AMA has protected motorcycling’s future since 1924, promoting lifestyle events within many walks of life. The cable station Speed has notoriously covered the event, linking it across multiple social media platforms. Currently, the AMA proposes new, revolutionary benefits to motorcyclist interests, targeting local, state, regional and federal government entities. International government organizations, too, are touched upon, making public opinion the AMA’s chief regard.

Recreational Events and Monster’s Promotional Opportunities

Monster Energy Drink has involved itself in high-powered lifestyle, engaging brands by providing extreme sport events, gear and lifestyle options. The brand’s marketing strategy launched in 2002, climbing the ranks to match Red Bull and Rock Star’s fame. Their advertising budget, promotional ventures and brand association plays upon active lifestyle, taking part in the X-Games, the Dew Action Sports Tour and the Monster Energy Pipeline Pro.

Monster-sponsored AMA members obtain discounts on well-known motorcycle service providers. Apparel, services, gear, transport, bike rental and hotel stays are offered, hitting upon the event’s core values at the brand level. Monster’s appearances can be viewed in the AMA Supercross Media Guide, and contestants race to achieve the Monster Energy Cup Championship. Monster-themed banners, event stands and vehicle sponsorship stickers deck out the event in black and green energy.

Social Club Events and Visibility

Monster’s involvement impacts the AMA on multiple platforms. Performers, enthusiasts and event goers all have great on-road and off-road opportunities, and the AMA’s natural structure facilitates a slew of formal events.

The AMA Historic Club offers membership for applying members, providing consistent support amenities for industry lovers. Monster’s brand lovers are consistently adherent, returning to the company’s sponsored events and increasing overall support. The event’s service charter reaches out to military, police, charity, fire and motorcyclist organizations alike, expanding simple motocross ideologies to impact the community at large.

The AMA Recreational and Competition Promoting Club, too, makes an impact. Created and sponsoring clubs can sanction AMA events, vote for its Congress Delegates and attend the AMA Risk management Workshop. Monster’s deep sponsorship, itself, enables such processes, doubling back on consumers and involving them in the AMA’s overall design.

The AMA will likely continue for years. The sole U.S.-based Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme affiliate, the AMA’s sanctioning body is international. Monster’s AMA affiliates will continue competing in team-based world events, taking part in the International Six Days Enduro and the Motocross of Nations. Country-representative racing has always been a preferred style, and Monster’s sheer discipline represents the AMA’s dedication to widespread enthusiasm well.

The AMA Supercross features Monster-sponsored booths, refreshment stands and products. While Monster’s other inspired and sponsored events remain consistent throughout the years, few of its event marketing outlets contain the AMA Supercross’s in-depth design. Constantly growing and evolving, the AMA Supercross is an excellent venue for any potent sponsor.

Film Gems in Miami

The Miami International Film Festival is known for introducing new talent and exposing the gems of the film industry. Next year’s festival introduces “Film Gems,” a private screening of one of the movies being featured at the festival with a meet and greet party afterwards. The event is slated to occur the day before the festival opens, with the festival running March 4-13, 2016. This event will be marketed to the heads of production companies, media, film makers and VIPs as a pre-film festival event. Special invites will be sent out a month in advance shaped like a film reel highlighting all the films being shown, as well as who will make special appearances at this event. Marketed as the premier event to attend prior to the festival, this event is a hot ticket item, consistently growing in demand each year, and slated as a black-tie affair.

The venue will be set up like a mini-festival, which will have different sections highlighting all the genres of films being shown. International and national artists, filmmakers and celebrities will make appearances, as well as musical talent to create a party atmosphere full of fun. Vendors will also be on hand to sell items relative to the films being presented through the production companies.

Special food vendors and trucks will be on hand to introduce different cuisine and delights to all the attendees. The food trucks will be set up in a special pavilion right outside to create a food court that will include seating and music.

This venue will introduce the nominees for the CinemaSlam, Knight Competition, Knight Documentary Achievement Award, Lexus Ibeo-American Feature Film Competition, Shorts Competition, Lexus Audience Awards, and the Jordan Alexander Ressler Charitable Fund Award. All nominees will have an opportunity to be photographed and interviewed after the presentation.

The Festival has hosted and introduced a diverse group of filmmakers including renowned filmmakers Pedro Almodóvar, Andrea Arnold, Hector Babenco, Luc Besson, Susanne Bier, Bertrand Blier, Juan Carlos Campanella, Joel & Ethan Coen, and Alfonso Cuarón. Stars that have attended include Candice Bergen, Helen Hunt, Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway, Lori Singer, Aston Kutcher and Gregory Peck.

Tickets for this event will go on sale February 1. Tickets for the Film Society Members and Sponsors will go on sale Friday, February 5, and General Public tickets will go on sale Friday, February 12.

Past sponsors include the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Lexus, Miami-Dade County Cultural Affairs, Comcast Communications, American Airlines, Telemundo 51, HBO, HBO Latin America, Miami Downtown Development Authority, 107.5, South Florida 6, and many others.

Miami Dade College’s Miami International Film Festival is a charity that connects audiences, and fosters a value for cinema or future generations. The mission is to bridge cultural understanding and encourage artistic development by provoking thought through film. By bringing the best of world cinema to Miami, the Festival presents the city and the film industry with a singular platform that fosters creative and technical talent.

Starbucks and the Hot Java Cool Jazz Event

Seattle jazz fans have been enriched with Starbucks’s Hot Java Cool Jazz show in the past, experiencing the region’s top Edmonds-Woodway musicians. Mount Si, Garfield, Roosevelt High and Mountlake Terrace High Schools will, once again, meet to inhabit a dynamic evening of fun and music on March 25, 2016. The Paramount Theatre will play host to the event, invigorating the true Seattle jazz tradition with great allure and size.

Funding and Participation

The Hot Java Cool Jazz event has, in the past, received over $55,000 from evening ticket sales. Such success has been funneled into participating school music programs since 1995. Each year, the Hot Java Cool Jazz music show raises above $450,000 in total to empower local educational music programs.

Big-name music bands, like Count Basie, Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman, inspire the event’s young minds. Student-level participation defines the Hot Java Cool Jazz event, making it, solely, an educational-level promotional experience. Participation is always promoted in the event’s lead-in weeks, when Starbucks promotes the Hot Java Cool Jazz event in the local area’s Starbuck's University Village store. Many Roosevelt and Garfield High School parents attend this location for coffee—granting them direct access to event information.

The Event

The Hot Java Cool Jazz sensation has skyrocketed its participants into success. Event players have, in the past, received highest honors at the New York Ellington Festival. Today’s Hot Java Cool Jazz is still inspired by the company’s previous attention to detail, success and enthusiasm. The show has evolved into a multifaceted night of excitement, sometimes selling out the Paramount with 3,000 guests.

The show, itself, carries an astounding vibe. The Hot Java Cool Jazz plays approximately four songs, with several intervals between. The pacing doesn’t inhibit, and the crowd has been historically pleased to wait between sets. Band directors and students alike wear formal attire, playing solos and top-game floor sets. For kids, jazz’s essence takes form on a year-to-year basis, where new songs, new sets and new approaches liven up the event’s attribution to annual, international festivals.

Starbucks and Youthful Event Marketing

Starbucks has, in the past, shown excellent dedication to its surrounding youth culture. Focusing on its age 15 to 21 market, Starbucks hasn’t spared much in terms of relevancy.

Considered an upper-scale coffee establishment, Starbucks utilizes the Hot Java Cool Jazz event to inspire its primary consumer base with artistic merit, class and a nod to evolving musical culture. Starbucks currently owns more than 18,000 retail locations across 60 countries. Starbucks’s growth continues to soar, becoming increasingly popular across college, and high school, campuses. Hot Java Cool Jazz brings something new, pulling parents into pre-event meetups.

Having inserted itself into America’s urban landscape, Starbucks’s trendy company culture is similarly important. Its young staff, sponsoring and impacting the Hot Java Cool Jazz event, are entirely supportive of the brand’s growing image. The company’s market success, in large part, is due to its excellent allocation of resources during experimental marketing events. In the world of events, staffing with primary age denominations is a good idea.

Living Like It's Carnaval

Sing, dance and shout to the sounds of Latin music in March 2016. Calle Ocho will be in full swing with Living Like It’s Carnaval. One of the most festive street parties in the world, this event will burst onto the scene March 17th. Ready to party with all the VIPs and performers? Living Like it’s Carnaval has something for everyone to do and see. The event will simulate a large block party, with pavilions and booths set up both in and outdoors. Hosts and hostesses will wear Caribbean-themed clothing, with musical performers in authentic regalia. A special presentation will be held for the Carnaval Miami poster artist, with introductions of each of the contestants in the Miss Carnaval Miami contest.

A kickoff of all the scheduled yearly events in mini-form will be featured inside the venue, including the Carnaval Miami Run, which will be simulated with an indoor track, the Carnaval Miami Cooking contest, which will feature renowned chefs in the area, Carnaval Miami Domino tournament, which will provide free lessons on how to play, Carnaval Miami Golf Classic, which will have an indoor miniature golf section; and Calle Ocho Soccer, which will have an outdoor soccer space.

Special booths and VIP sections will be hosted by different sponsors with t-shirts, contests and other attractive incentives to create a festive atmosphere. In the center of the room, there will be special musical performances by artists slated to appear at the festival. Past performers include Meklit, Stokeswood, Mother Falcon, Boboons, Brandan O’Hara, Dave Damage, Elastic Bond, Adele & Harmony, Raquel Sofia, Sam Savage and a host of other performers from around the world.

Calle Ocho and Carnaval Miami help bring the Miami Caribbean population to life. Tickets for this special event will be available through Ticketmaster and the Kiwanis Club of Little Havana.

Previous sponsors include Advance Auto, Iberia Foods, Kraft Foods, CoverGirl, Crest, Miami Dolphins, Miami Heat, Miami Herald, Clear Channel, Coke Zero, Procter & Gamble, Powerade, South Miami Dade Cultural Arts Center, Miami Dade College, Florida Lottery and Geico.

Carnaval Miami has been in existence for over 35 years, assisting the Kiwanis Club of Little Havana service programs in the community.

The Kiwanis Club of Little Havana started over thirty years ago to organize a Kiwanis Club that would develop projects to benefit the growing Hispanic population in Miami. Formed by 25 friends who shared a common bond and interest, it is the oldest Latin continuous-meeting club in the United States.

Reel It IN!

What better way to kick off the Miami International Film Festival than with an event designed to add fun and intrigue to the venue before it even begins? Miami Dade College presents Reel It IN! - the kickoff party hosted on March 3, 2016 for those who want to party with a head-up on what the festival has to offer. The festival runs from March 3-14, 2016 and is sure to add a few surprises. Designed like a movie studio, the festival will have hosts and hostesses dressed like individuals from different movies as attendees go through each “scene” designed by sponsors and other vendors. Free acting classes, a forum, and clips from movies will be shown on the big screen. There will be a meet and greet session for celebrities and filmmakers, and a 2 minute pitching contest for those who think they can conjure up the thoughts for a movie in a quick instant.

A food station filled with foods from all over the world will be set up in the food court, with selections named after famous movies. Local performers will get the party started with a rendition of Dance Fever that will get the audience involved.

Designed to be a venue for the film industry and individuals who are interested in becoming a part of this world, there will be an entire section devoted to introducing workshops and events of interest to this crowd to assist in putting those important elements on their schedule for the week. This event draws hundreds of people every year with major celebrities. A VIP area will be available for those actors and actresses who will be making an appearance throughout the duration of the festival.

In the center of the room will be a life-sized version of the GEMS award, which is the mid-season festival. Designed to remind the crowd of the additional festival later in the year, applications for GEMS will be available at this event.

Tickets for this even go on sale in January, 2016 through Miami Dade College and Ticketmaster.

Previous sponsors for this event include the John S. & James L. Knight Foundation; Lexus; Miami-Dade County; Comcast, American Airlines; Telemundo 51; Miami Beach Visitor and Convention Authority; Miami DDA; HBO and HBO Latin America, and a host of other sponsors. Sponsorship opportunities for 2016 are still available.

The Miami International Film Festival was designed to bridge cultural understanding and encourage artistic development and excellence by provoking thought through film. By bringing the best of world cinema to Miami, the Festival presents the city and the film industry with a singular platform that fosters creative and technical talent.

All That Jazz … and Then Some

One of the best things about Miami is its cultural events, bringing in thousands of people at a time. March 18-20, 2016 is a showcase of celebrities from all over the nation coming together for performances in one big forum – the Jazz in the Gardens. Capitalizing on all the tourists coming into town for this event, the committee presents, All That Jazz … And Then Some. A pre-festivity event, this party will have a soundstage featuring local performers and interviews with some of the scheduled weekend performers. Sponsors and vendors will be able to feature booths with food, giveaways and contests.

Designed to be a snapshot of what’s to come, past performance from events will be displayed on a huge jumbotron in the middle of the room. Past performers include Toni Braxton, Kenny G, Gladys Knight, Teena Marie, Jeffrey Osborne, Ronald Isley, R. Kelly, New Edition and more. In existence for over 10 years in the City of Miami Gardens, there are a number of culminating events taking place throughout the week.

This event is open to those parties who hold two-day passes, and employees from sponsor organizations to keep it an exclusive affair. Past sponsor organizations include United Teachers of Dade, Bacardi, Hot105FM, Antioch of Miami Gardens, SunLife Stadium, Miami Dolphins, Greater Ft. Lauderdale, Volkswagen, The DL Hugley Show, Miami New Times, The Miami Herald, Rolling Out Magazine, Miami-Dade County, Smooth Jazz.com, South Florida Caribbean News and Legacy Magazine.

Tickets for this pre-event party go on sale in January at Ticketmaster. A verification code is needed to make sure they apply to two- or three-day ticket holders and sponsor organizations. Tickets can also be purchased from Dolphin Stadium. The line-up for 2016 will be announced in December 2015 and January 2016.

Jazz in the Gardens started ten years ago with a few performers in hopes of having an annual festival where individuals could come and enjoy performers and food in an outside venue for a fun and musically enhanced experience.

The City of Miami Gardens was incorporated on May 13, 2003, as the 33rd city in Miami-Dade County. At a population of 105,457, it is the third largest city in Miami-Dade County (after Miami and Hialeah). The City is located in North-Central region of the county, mid-way between Fort Lauderdale and Miami, and is easily accessed by I-95, the Palmetto Expressway (SR 826) and the Florida Turnpike. The city comprises approximately 20 square miles.

Miami Gardens is home to Dolphin Stadium (used by the Miami Dolphins and the Florida Marlins) and Calder Race Track. It has vibrant commercial corridors along the Palmetto Expressway (serving as the central shopping district for the furniture trade) and along U.S. 441 (serving the automobile trade). The city has rail access through the Florida East Coast Railway and the South Florida Tri-Rail System.