FOOD IS A MAIN ATTRACTION: Last year Charleston, South Carolina attracted nearly 5.5 million visitors. When surveyed, visitors indicated that food tied with history as Charleston’s number one tourism attraction. FOOD IS A MAIN ATTRACTION: Last year Charleston, South Carolina attracted nearly 5.5 million visitors. When surveyed, visitors indicated that food tied with history as Charleston’s number one tourism attraction. 

ABOUT “THE TASTE”: The Taste of Charleston is a three-day celebration of Lowcountry Cuisine in Charleston, South Carolina. The Taste of Charleston, now in its 28th year is embedded in the culinary mind-set of the Lowcountry. For 20 consecutive years the Taste of Charleston has been named one of the “top 20 events in the southeast” by the Southeastern Tourism Society.

LOCATIONS: Since 1991 the Greater Charleston Restaurant Association has hosted the Taste of Charleston’s Main Event on the grounds of historic Boone Hall Plantation. The two new events, “Taste” Iron Chef Competition, and Taste of the Arts, take place in downtown Charleston.

SAVE THE DATE:  The 28th annual Taste of Charleston is scheduled October 10 – 12th, 2008.

THREE DAYS OF EVENTS
Taste - Iron Chef Competition - Friday, October 10th
Culinary Institute of Charleston (Palmer Campus Downtown)
The competition will introduce the Culinary Institute’s new, $10 million Palmer Campus with a competition that pits some of Charleston’s finest, nationally renowned chefs in a head-to-head culinary battle.
 
Taste of the Arts - Saturday, October 11th
Downtown Charleston Art Galleries
This art walk combines Lowcountry art with the culinary arts. Participating galleries in downtown Charleston will showcase the talents of local artists while offering festival guests a sampling of appetizers and desserts from Charleston’s finest restaurants. 

Taste of Charleston – Main Event - Sunday, October 12th
Boone Hall Plantation – Mt. Pleasant, SC
The main event at Boone Hall showcases a sampling of the taste-tempting delights served at more than 40 of Charleston’s finest restaurants.  The event also includes the legendary “Waiter’s Wine Race,” Food/Wine Pairings, Selection of Specialty & Imported Beers, Cooking Demonstrations, “Best of the Taste” Contest, live bands on the main stage and a Kids Corner (complete with a petting zoo).

GCRA SPONSOR: The Greater Charleston Restaurant Association represents the largest private sector employer in the tri-county area. The association serves as the voice of the Charleston Area food service industry on government and public relations issues. Annual fundraising events like the Taste of Charleston and Lowcountry Oyster Festival, both sponsored by the GCRA, enable them to give back to the community. To date, the GCRA has donated more than $1,000,000 to the Ronald McDonald House, Hollings Cancer Center, and Charleston County Schools Science Materials Resource Center).

’07 ATTENDANCE & VISITOR PROFILE: The 27th annual Taste of Charleston hosted 8,000 guests from the tri-county communities. The Festival also welcomed visitors from the drive market cities of: Columbia, Greenville, Spartanburg, Charlotte, Raleigh, Asheville, Atlanta and Savannah and Knoxville, TN.  The “Profile of Visitors & Visitor Assessment” performed by the College of Charleston Dept. of Hospitality & Tourism provided the demographic profile of the Taste of Charleston patrons:

• Median Age: 38 (range: 25-64)
• Median Household Income: $110,000-$150,000
• Local vs. Visitor Ratio – 68%/29%
• Male/Female Ratio: 56% Female; 44% Male
• Median Length of Stay:  3 nights
• Level of Satisfaction:  90 % “thoroughly enjoyed the Event.”  The Taste received “A” grades on quality of food, friendliness of volunteers and restaurant staff and the variety of food and beverages.

SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITIES: The Taste’s pre-marketing materials will provide sponsors with an opportunity position their products or services in front of thousands of potential customers. The Taste gives sponsors an excellent opportunity to spend one-on-one, quality time with prospects/customers during the Main Event at Boone Hall Plantation. Sponsorship opportunities offered for the 2008 Taste of Charleston:

1. Main Title Sponsor - Taste of Charleston
2. Featured Sponsor - Main Stage Entertainment ( Sunday/Boone Hall)
3. Corporate Sponsor – “Taste” Iron Chef Competition (Friday/School of Culinary Arts)
4. Corporate Sponsor – “Best of the Taste” Contest (Sunday/Boone Hall)
5. Five Star Sponsor – Waiters’ Wine Race (Sunday/ Boone Hall)
6. Five Star Sponsor – Taste of the Arts (Saturday/Art Galleries-Charleston)
7. Five Star Sponsor – Cooking Demonstration (Sunday/Boone Hall)
8. Five Star Sponsor – Beer & Wine Tasting Tent (Sunday/Boone Hall)
9. Five Star Sponsor – Event Schedule/Map Brochure
10. Gold Star Sponsor – Kids Corner Play Area (Sunday/Boone Hall)

NOTE: The Taste of Charleston is a “rain or shine” event.  Sponsorship dollars though tax-dedictible are non-refundable.

MEDIA EXPOSURE: The four major networks cover the Festival “live” each year; while Charleston Magazine and the Post & Courier have chronicled the event with feature articles and numerous pages of color photographs. With the expanded format, the GCRA has a vehicle to attract coverage from regional and national media outlets.  Press Kits will be mailed to: 

Local Newspapers & Magazines                        16 Newspapers             Local/Regional
Local Radio & TV Stations Newsroom(s)             9 Stations                       Local/Regional
South Carolina State & Regional Newspapers 87 Newspapers             South Carolina
Regional Publications                                         7 Publications               Regional
National Publications                                          5 Publications               National
Food Network, A&E, Discovery, SC ETV              4 Networks                     National

For more information or a detailed Sponsor Package Contact:  Monique Semper-Flynn, GCRA - Special Events Manager (843.364.0971) moniquesemperflynn.gcra@gmail.com (www.charlestonrestaurantassociation.com)

		Casual Restaurants CLICK HERE for an application to participate in this year's event. Fine Dining Restaurants CLICK HERE for an application to participate in this year's event. Interested in being a sponsor? Please contact Monique Semper Flynn at monique@charlestonrestaurantassociation.com or (843) 364-0971. Download our Sponsorship Package: CLICK HERE for Sponsor Benefits. CLICK HERE for Sponsorship Packages. CLICK HERE for Sponsorship Registration.
	For information please call Kathy Britzius at 843-577-4030 or 843-452-6088