American-Turkish Association of Washington D.C. · 2010-08-10 · festival provided a platform for...
Transcript of American-Turkish Association of Washington D.C. · 2010-08-10 · festival provided a platform for...
July 25, 2010 Guler Koknar, Executive Director Turkish Cultural Foundation 1025 Connecticut Ave. NW Washington, DC 20036 Dear Guler: We are pleased to enclose ATA-DC’s application for a grant to support the 2010 Turkish Festival and Turkish Cuisine and Restaurant Week in Washington, DC. We would like to thank the Foundation for its generous support in the growing success of both activities over the years. As Turkish Americans we feel proud to see that the Turkish Festival has become a much looked-for tradition for all Washingtonians. Last year’s Festival was once again a great success, allowing us to reach over 15,000 visitors in a matter of eight hours to present the best that Turkey has to offer. From the lively folk dancing and musical performances to the coffee fortune reading, delicious Turkish cuisine, and colorful arts and crafts vendors, visitors of all ages enjoyed themselves. Our event takes in the heart of Washington DC only two blocks away from the White House, which gives us a great advantage. Last year, as you know we also piloted the First Turkish Cuisine and Restaurant Week with the TCF’s support and it became just another popular event that promotes Turkish cuisine in the Nation’s Capital. Encouraged by last year’s success, this year we plan to organize the Second Turkish Cuisine and Restraurant Week in DC. This year we plan to expand the Festival site to two blocks since we get more food and bazaar vendors and more visitors every year. We also plan to further increase our marketing efforts and advertise at metro buses routing through most affluent neighborhoods of DC in addition to Metro Stations and newspapers. Moreover, due to the growth of the festival and the audience, we plan to rent a bigger and more professional stage that can be seen from a distance and better meets the festival’s needs. Washington, DC Turkish Festival is unique in that it is a true grassroots event which is organized, delivered, and financed by the Turkish American community and businesses in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. Last year, the festival expenses were about $80,000, more than 95% of which was raised locally here in Washington, DC through donations, sponsorships, fundraising activities, and vendor fees in addition to the TCF grant. Turkish Festival is a big undertaking for the Turkish American Community and our success strengthens our community by bringing us together and increasing our confidence in ourselves and our ability to make an impact. This confidence reflects in other parts of the US as well. ATA-DC has started sharing its expertise in organizing festivals and events that promote Turkey with other communities across the country. Please see attached a recent letter we received from the Norfolk NATO Festival asking for our guidance in organizing a Turkish Festival as part of NATO’s International Activities. We look forward to your positive response. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at 202-491-5869 (mb) or email: [email protected]. Sincerely,
Demet Cabbar President ATA-DC
Enc:
Grant Application for the Festival and the Cuisine and Restaurant Week
Letter from Norfolk NATO Festival
American-Turkish Association of Washington D.C.
1526 18th St. NW Washington DC 20036
www.atadc.org 1-888-282-3236
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Table of Contents:
1. Introduction
2. Turkish Festival
2.1. Description
2.2. Objectives
2.3. Proposed 2010 Festival Highlights
2.4. Initiative Completed
2.5. Public relations/Media Plan
2.6. Sponsors
2.7. Festival Committee Members
3. Turkish Cuisine and Restaurant Week
3.1. Overview / Evaluation
3.2. Objectives
3.3. How does it work? How do we ensure quality?
4. Budget
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I. Introduction
American Turkish Association of Washington, DC (ATA-DC) thanks Turkish Cultural
Foundation (TCF) for its generous sponsorship and support of the 1st Turkish Cuisine and
Restaurant Week and the 7th
Annual Turkish Festival in DC that took place on September
18-26 and October 4, 2009 respectively. Both events were very successful: The Turkish
Festival has now become a premier event in DC that attracts more than 15,000 visitors –
of which more than 70% Americans - in just eight hours in the Nation’s Capital. The
Turkish Festival has become one of DC’s biggest ethnic festivals and it promotes Turkey
and Turkish Culture in a most positive way in the World’s political capital. Washington,
DC Turkish Festival also provides leadership and guidance to other organizations around
the US that would like to organize similar events with similar impact. Recently, we were
contacted by the Nato International Festivals Director in Norfolk who asked for our
guidance in organizing a series of festivals and events in 2011 to promote Turkey in that
region. (Please see the email attached).
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In addition, the Turkish Cuisine and Restaurant Week that we piloted last year added one
more dimension in Turkey’s promotion in DC by highlighting the richness of Turkish
Cuisine and drawing thousands of people to Turkish restaurants to try Turkish Food.
Last year, the TCF grant allowed us to increase our marketing efforts dramatically and
reach out to a larger and more diverse audience than ever before.
This year we are organizing the 8th
Annual Turkish Festival and the 2nd
Turkish Cuisine
and Restaurant Week once again in the Nation’s Capital. Within a course of three weeks
starting mid-September Washingtonians will have an opportunity to learn about Turkish
Cuisine by attending lectures, to try Turkish food at DC’s best restaurants, and to explore
Turkish Culture at the Turkish Festival by watching lively Turkish folk dance and music
performances, enjoying Turkish coffee and getting their fortunes read, meeting Turkish
Kangal dogs, shopping at the Turkish Bazaar, and much more…
The 8th
Annual Turkish Festival is scheduled to take place on Sunday, October 3, 2010
and the 2nd
Turkish Cuisine and Restaurant Week will take place September 17-26, 2010.
This application describes both of the projects, outlines the stages of development and
suggests continuation of TCF’s support for the most prominent Turkish Culture events
organized by a Turkish-American organization in the heart of Washington, DC in 2010 as
well.
II. Turkish Festival in Washington, DC
2.1 Description
The Washington, DC Turkish Festival offers a day of activities from the lively folk dancing
and musical performances to the arts and crafts activities for children and adults, the coffee
fortune reading, delicious Turkish cuisine, and a colorful Turkish Bazaar. Attracting more
than 15,000 visitors in one single day every year, the Washington, DC Turkish Festival has
become one of DC’s greatest ethnic festivals.
The mission of the Washington, DC Turkish Festival is to promote Turkey and Turkey’s
rich and diverse culture in the Nation’s capital and to build a bridge of friendship between
the Turkish and American people through cultural education and understanding.
This year’s festival will adopt the theme, “Explore the Wonders of Turkey in DC,” and will
take visitors on a journey through two continents and thousands of years of rich and diverse
history. The 2010 Festival will be held on Sunday, October 3, 2010 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
on Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 12th
and 14th
Streets NW.
One of the things that make Washington, DC Turkish Festival unique is that it is a true
grassroots event organized by volunteers and financed by donations from the Turkish
community, business sponsors, vendor registration fees, fundraisers, and festival day sales
in addition to the TCF grant.
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2.2 Objectives The primary objective of the Washington DC Turkish Festival is to promote Turkey and
Turkish culture in the World’s political capital. We have observed that after attending the
Festival visitors do want to travel to Turkey or, to the least, learn something positive about
Turkish culture and Turkey. We believe that the festival serves a very important purpose
in projecting a positive image of Turkey and of Turkish people to undo the damage that
anti-Turkish lobbies have caused over the decades. We would like to make sure those
who attend the festival leave with knowledge, positive feeling, and a sense of interest and
affection for Turkey and its people.
Secondly, the festival aims to strengthen the Turkish-American community ties and
solidarity by bringing them together and making them feel proud of their heritage and
capabilities.
Finally, we support the Turkish-American artists and artisans. Over the past years, our
festival provided a platform for many Turkish and American artists (painters, miniaturists,
calligraphers, musicians, designers, and traditional folk dancers) to showcase their art, to
network with their peers, and to reach out to a larger audience in the heart of the nation’s
capital.
2.3. Proposed 2010 Festival Highlights
This year’s festival will adopt the theme, “Explore the Wonders of Turkey in DC,”
and will take visitors on a journey through two continents and thousands of years of
rich history;
A Guinness World Record Attempt for the World’s Longest Shish Kebab;
Culture and Art Section featuring lectures/demonstrations by recognized experts in
Turkish history, culture, arts, and cuisine. In addition to the calligraphy, miniature,
tile making, and paper marbling demonstrations, this year we will also have cooking
demonstrations by Sheilah Kaufman throughout the day;
Ever-popular stage performances featuring dancers, music, and other entertainment.
The performances will highlight not only the rich Turkish culture but also Turkey’s
connections with the Balkans, the Caucasus and Central Asia;
Fine Turkish cuisine from local restaurateurs and caters. In 2009 we had 16 food
vendors thanks to our marketing strategy and to the increasingly positive reputation of
the Festival. This year we are planning to further improve the efficiency of the food
lines by increasing the number of vendors even more and by extending the festival
site by one more block.
Specially designed Coffee and Tea House, with fortune telling;
Turkish Tourism tent with multimedia display and a chance to win a free
tour to Turkey;
Kids’ Activities Area with hands-on activities such as kilim motifs from colored
beans, evil eye beads, and paper weaving;
Arts contest for kids with the support of the Torpedo Factory.
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A Turkish Bazaar in which arts and crafts vendors of hand-woven textiles, unique
jewelry, pottery, and Turkish music and musical instruments will present and sell
their merchandise.
A Turkish Cuisine and Restaurant Week before the festival to raise awareness of
Turkish cuisine prior to the Festival.
Extensive marketing and outreach campaign before the festival on the metro stations,
buses, and DC’s premier newspapers and media outlets.
2.4. Initiatives Completed
The 2010 festival committee have already started working in order to accommodate the
increased marketing and programming efforts. Action items completed to date include:
Selection of the committee co-chairs;
Application to, appearance before and approval by the DC Mayor’s Special Event
Task Force
Co-Chairs strategy meeting;
Development and approval of the 2010 festival mission statement;
Festival volunteer kick-off meeting and selection of committee heads;
Festival Committee Members participated at the Susan G Komen Race for the Cure in
Washington, DC
Turkish Festival Kick-off Party and Fundraiser took place on July 17, 2010.
Save the Date postcards are designed, printed and will be distributed in the next few
weeks;
Reserved marketing space at the Metro Station Dioramas and Buses for September.
50% completion of the permitting process as indicated on the 2010 project plan.
2.5 Public Relations/Media Plan
To reach out to a broader audience to promote the Festival we plan to:
Distribute over 15,000 promotional post cards to area bookstores, cafes, museums, and retail
businesses;
Send promotional packets to major media outlets, such as the Washington Post,
Express, WETA, NPR, Washington Times, and their Food and Travel writers inviting
them to the Festival;
Place ads in the Washington Post Weekend, Express (distributed on Metro), The
Examiner, Washington City Paper, and Capital Community News. Last year we
significantly increased our marketing and outreach efforts to attract a much larger
non-Turkish crowd to the festival, which resulted in a drastic rise in the number of
non-Turkish visitors. In 2009, 75% of the visitors were Americans or people from
other countries. We also believe that whether people come to the festival or not, a
bigger marketing and outreach campaign still serves the purpose of raising awareness
of Turkey and the growing Turkish-American presence in the Washington, DC Area.
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Post advertisements at Metro hubs such as the Metro Center, Dupont Circle, and
McPherson Square
Distribute postcards to the congressional offices of the House of Representatives and
the Senate.
Organize fundraiser and awareness building events for the festival. Already
participated in the Race for the Cure, held a picnic on Sunday, June 20, held a
Turkish Festival Kick-Off Party and Fundraiser at one of the Turkish Restaurant Bars
in DC and scheduled a Turkish Brunch in early Fall to promote the festival and to
raise funds.
Publish a special festival edition of ATA News including sponsorship information.
Distribution will include targeted businesses, other organizations, and the festival site.
In order to expand our online presence, we utilize local art and cultural activities
blogs and other social media including Craigslist and Facebook, as well as notices
posted in neighborhood email listserves.
In 2009 we built a new festival web site reflecting the growing reputation and
professionalism of the Turkish festival. This year we will be able to capitalize on the
same web site.
2.5. Sponsors
We will again pursue a broad base of financial sponsors to defray the programming costs
of the festival. Last year we raised more than $40K from all private businesses mostly in
the Washington, DC Area.
2.6. Festival Committee
1. Hayri Baysal –Co-Chair, Logistics
2. Patsy Jones – Treasurer, and Co-Chair, DC Government Liaison
3. Bora Erdemli – Co-Chair
4. Demet Cabbar – Vice-Chair, Vendors, Entertainment, Marketing, and Sponsorship
5. Elif Ertekin - Food/Culture/Lecture
6. Sema Muslu - Food Vendors
7. Dilek Balli Cobanoglu - Kids' Tent
8. Catherine Jaffe – Grant Applications
9. Burcu Gundogan – Retail Vendors
10. Pinar Guvenir – Volunteers
11. Ahu Baysal – Coffee Tent
12. Gizem Salcigil – Marketing
13. Elif Kaygisiz & Sitki Kazanci – Graphic Design
14. Burak Tombuloglu – Web site
15. Allen Lawrence – Adviser
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III. Turkish Cuisine and Restaurant Week
3.1. Overview / Evaluation
Based on the success of the First Turkish Cuisine and Restaurant Week in Washington,
DC, ATA-DC is organizing the 2nd Annual Turkish Cuisine and Restaurant Week in
conjunction with the Washington DC Turkish Festival 2010.
Last year’s Turkish Cuisine and Restaurant Week was organized
with the generous support of the Turkish Cultural Foundation. As
a part of the program, we flew down Chef Channon Mondoux who
delivered an exquisite Cooking Demo at the Sur La Table on 16th
Century Ottoman Cuisine, as well as a Lecture at the Middle East
Institute focusing on the 16th Century Ottoman Cuisine and its
interactions with Persian and Other Middle Eastern Cuisines. Both
events together attracted a very curious and selective crowd of
150.
On the left Chef Channon Mondoux at the
cooking demo featuring 16th
Century
Ottoman Cuisine.
In addition, 7 restaurants offered a special menu
which included a four-course meal for $25.
These restaurant included Café Divan, Café 8,
Meze, Rosemary’s Thyme, Levantes at Dupont
Circle, Temel’s Restaurant, and West Chester.
In 2010 we expect this number to increase.
To promote the First Turkish Cuisine and Restaurant Week, ATA-DC distributed ten
thousand postcards with TCF logo on them, as well as advertised in the Express Magazine
and the Washington City Paper. (Please see attached)
The 2nd Annual Turkish Restaurant Week is scheduled to take place between September
17 and September 26, 2010, two weeks before the Turkish Festival 2010 in downtown
DC.
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During the week, participating restaurants will offer a prefix, four-course dinner menu to
customers for a fixed price. In addition, special lectures and cooking sessions featuring
Turkish cuisine will be scheduled during this period when the Washington, DC Greater
Metropolitan Area will celebrate Turkish food and cuisine. This event will not only
promote Turkish cuisine and culture, but also attract vast numbers of customers to Turkish
restaurants in the Greater Washington DC Area.
3.2. Objective
The primary objective of Turkish Cuisine and Restaurant Week is to promote Turkish
Cuisine in Washington, DC.
In the past 10 years with the support of the Turkish Cultural Foundation, both the number
and the quality of Turkish Festivals in the US have dramatically improved. Turkish
festivals are, certainly, a good way of promoting Turkish food among other aspects of
Turkey. However, the Turkish Cuisine and Restaurant Week is the only 10-day long event
that focuses on promoting Turkish Cuisine in the US.
When people who visit Turkey are asked what they liked most about it, “food” is very
high up in the list of answers they give. Although Turkish Cuisine is one of the top
cuisines of the World and it is among the top reasons that draw people to Turkey, it does
not receive enough recognition in the US. The Turkish Cuisine and Restaurant Week is an
effort to fill this gap.
We believe that ATA-DC’s Turkish Cuisine and Restaurant Week can be easily replicated
in other parts of the US as well down the road.
3.3. How does it work? How do we ensure quality?
Terms and conditions of participating for Restaurants includes:
As a part of the Turkish Cuisine and Restaurant Week, participating food vendors
are required to offer prefix, three or four-course dinner menu (including salad,
meze platter, entre platter or entre choices, and desert) to customers for a special
price of $25. This special rate will not cover tax, gratuity and beverages.
The prefix menus will be designed by the participating restaurants, but each menu
will be offered with the same name, Turkish Cuisine Restaurant Week ’10.
Furthermore, the bottom line of the menus will read a short statement, which will
promote the 8th Annual Turkish festival. The statement will be provided to the
restaurants by ATA-DC.
ATA-DC undertakes, in conjunction with the 8th Annual Turkish festival, the
advertisement and marketing for this event. Furthermore, a website is going to be
created for this event only.
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All Promotional materials and newspaper ads will include Turkish Cutural
Foundation Logo on them.
The website, www.turkishrestaurantweekdc.org will include information on each
participating restaurant and the prefixed menu that is being offered by each
restaurant during the restaurant week. The web site will also provide a prominent
link to www.turkish-cuisine.org
Only restaurants that serve Turkish food will be accepted to participate in the
Restaurant Week. (Pizza restaurants or sandwich cafes will not be included).
To ensure that highest quality standard is reached to best promote the
Turkish cuisine, the organizing committee keeps the right to final approval of
participating restaurants.
IV. Budget
For the Annual Turkish Festival and the Turkish Cuisine and Restaurant week, ATA-DC
requests a total grant of $15,000. The table below shows the grant amount we are applying
for this year versus the grant amount we received last year.
2010 2009
Turkish Festival $13,500 $10,000
Turkish Cuisine and
Restaurant Week
$1,500 $2,500
TOTAL $15,000 $12,500
Compared 2009, we are asking slightly more for the Turkish Festival and a reduced
amount for the Turkish Cuisine and Restaurant Week. (see detailed table below)
The rationale for the need of a smaller contribution for the Turkish Cuisine Week is that
this year more of the cost if being picked up by the participating restaurants. (see detailed
table below)
The rationale for the need for a slight increase in the Turkish Festival Grant is as follows:
Due to the increase in participation and the quality of stage performances, the stage
we have been renting does not sufficiently serve the needs of the festival anymore.
Therefore this year we intend to rent a more professional stage that is larger and
higher from the ground. This adds a cost of another $2,500 on the cost.
We are also increasing our marketing budget to $20,000 to cover marketing in
more media outlets, metro stations, and buses.
In 2009, we received a grant from DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities
(DCCAH). In 2010, we did not receive this grant. When we contacted the
Commission and asked for the reasons, they confirmed that they liked our
application very much however, they grant different communities each year. (Last
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week, we submitted a grant application to DCCAH for the 2011 Turkish Festival
and hope to receive a grant for next year’s festival.) The lack of DCCAH grant
this year is one of the causes for a bigger grant need from the TCF.
As in the previous years, ATA-DC will raise the rest of the funds from business sponsors,
fundraising activities, vendor registration fees, and festival day Turkish coffee tent, t-shirt
and raffle sales.
If granted, TCF will be the main sponsor of the Turkish Festival and the Sole Sponsor of
the Turkish Cuisine and Restaurant Week. TCF logo will be placed in all marketing,
media, and outreach material as such in a prominent position. TCF banner will be hung in
front of the stage on the day of the festival. TCF will receive 4 Tickets to ATA-DC’s
Republic Day Ball at the end of October 2010. Also a full-page TCF ad will be placed on
ATANEWS ATA-DC’s bi-monthly magazine.
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A. 2010 FESTIVAL BUDGET
Cost Items Amount
DC Government Licenses and Rent $ 5,000
Mandatory Security Force Expenses $ 10,000
Mandatory Cleaning Services $ 3,000
Mandatory portable restrooms $ 1,000
Volunteer Expenses $ 500
Tents, tables, chairs, easels, boards $ 15,000
Stage and Sound Equipment $ 8,000
Generator Rent $ 1,500
Electrician Fees $ 4,000
Marketing and Outreach (magazine, radio, TV
and metro station ads, $ 20,000
Printing (banners, posters, postcards, t-shirts) $ 3,000
Performer Fees $ 5,000
Performer and Artists Accommodations and
Travel $ 2,000
Culture Tent Expenses $ 2,500
Children’s Activities Expenses $ 2,500
Turkish Coffee and Tea tent Expenses $ 500
Miscellaneous $ 2,500
TOTAL COST $ 86,000
INCOME Amount
Food Vendor Fees $ 20,000
Bazaar Vendor Fees $ 6,000
Fundraising Activities $ 8,000
Sponsorship $ 30,000
Festival Day Sales
(revenues from the sales of Turkish Coffee, T-
shirts, raffle)
$ 13,500
TCF Grant $ 13,500
TOTAL COST $ 86,000
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B. 2010 Turkish Cuisine Week Budget
Cost Amount
News Paper Ads $ 3,000
Speaker/Cooking Demo Events Rental
Speaker Fees/Honorarium
$ 750
$ 750
Postcards Printing and Mailing $ 600
Posters Printing $ 400
Miscellaneous $ 500
TOTAL COST
$ 6,000
Income Amount
Restaurant Participation Fees
(Estimated 9 restaurants participating)
$ 4,500
TCF Grant $ 1,500
TOTAL INCOME $ 6,000
"Rebecca Oribello" <[email protected]> wrote on 07/23/2010
11:35:25 AM:
Turkish Festival
Rebecca Oribello
to: festival
07/23/2010 11:40 AM
Hello,
My name is Rebecca Oribello and I am the Festival Manager for the
Norfolk NATO Festival, an annual Festival held in Norfolk, VA. Our
Festival’s purpose is to honor and celebrate all 28 NATO member
nations and their staff and families living in Hampton Roads while
working at Norfolk’s NATO Headquarters. Each year a NATO member
nation is selected to be the Most Honored Nation and in 2011 we will
be celebrating Turkey. Feel free to visit our website, www.natofestival.org
We honored France in 2010.
The Executive Director, Tristan Warren, and myself recently met with
two member of a local Turkish group, the Turkuaz Foundation and they
told us about your festival. I have visited your website and was
very impressed by all that you offer at your Festival! Since we will
be hosting a event similar to your Festival, we would love the
opportunity to meet with you to learn about what you do and share
ideas and resources. We would be able to come to Washington D.C. to meet.
We are available to travel to Washington D.C in August or September.
Please let me know if there is a specific week that would work best
for you. Thank you in advance and I look forward to hearing from you.
Rebecca Oribello
[image removed]
Festival Manager
220 Boush Street, Norfolk VA 23510
P: 757.605.3073 C: 757.705.1230 F: 757.282.2787
www.norfolknatofestival.org
turkishfestivalWASHINGTON DC
Sunday, October 3, 2010 | 11am - 7pmPennsylvania Avenue NW between 12th & 14th Streets
www.turkishfestival.org
SAVE THE
DATE
American-Turkish Association ofWashington DC
1526 18th St. NWWashington, D.C. 20036www.atadc.org
◗ Authentic Turkish Cuisine◗ Traditional Music & Folk Dancing Performances◗ Turkish Arts and Crafts Vendors◗ Kids’ Games, Arts & Crafts◗ Guinness Record Trial for World’s Longest Shish Kebab◗ Turkish Co� eehouse and Fortune Telling◗ Cultural Activities
turkishfestivalWASHINGTON DC
American-Turkish Association of Washington DCwww.atadc.org
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FREE Admission
Proudly presented by ATA-DC; a non-pro� t organization whose mission is to promote cross cultural understanding between the Turkish and Non-Turkish communities in the DC-area