Geared Up Issue 2 2016 | Page 13

P lanet Fitness® presented the 26th Annual Umoja Festival at the Portsmouth Pavilion and Festival Park Memorial Day Weekend, May 27-29, in Portsmouth, Virginia. Approximately 18,000 people attended the weekend-long event, which aims to educate and encapsulate the city of Portsmouth with three days of African culture, cuisine, music and education. This is the first year PF Hampton Roads sponsored this event, and is also the first event in which PF® is the presenting sponsor. The event’s coordinating company, Studio Center, reached out to PF Hampton Roads’ owners asking if they would be interested in being the presenting sponsor of the festival. The company had opened their ninth club in the same area during the month of the festival and decided that being a major sponsor for the event would be an ideal way to reach out to the public. PF had a vendor booth in the very front of the entrance to the festival and they ordered small towels, water bottles and koozies as giveaways for the event. A “#PLANETFITNESS” chloroplast sign was also made for attendees to take photos in front of for social media purposes. As presenting sponsor of the Umoja Festival, Planet Fitness received radio advertising on three major stations, mentions in all local cable television and logo inclusions in several community and city ads, as well as the festival website. Planet Fitness also received VIP passes and Gold Circle tickets for the concerts held during the festival. The annual event aims to bring the African experience and culture to the city member news PF Hampton Roads Presents the 26th Annual Umoja Festival PF Staff L-R: Kevon Keels, Kimberly Edwards, Tanisha Bennett, Taylor Mebane, AJ Wiggins, Thellon Corbett, Latisha Bryant, Jewell Windley, Stephanie Lucario, Mike Madry, Brittaney Paige,