Superfly (company)

Superfly
FormerlySuperfly Presents
Company typePrivate
IndustryEntertainment Marketing
Founded1996 in New Orleans
FoundersKerry Black
Rick Farman
Richard Goodstone
Jonathan Mayers
HeadquartersNew York
BrandsBonnaroo Music and Arts Festival
Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival
Cocktail Magic
Websitewww.superf.ly

Superfly is a New York-based marketing and event company. Founded in New Orleans in 1996 as a Superfly Presents, they produce and co-created Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival and previously owned and produced the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival. A marketing division was established in 2009, and in 2014 the company name was shortened to Superfly.

Held on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee annually since 2002, Bonnaroo draws a yearly audience of approximately 80,000 people. Most of the attendees camp on-site during the four day festival, which was designed to emphasize community. NPR wrote that "Bonnaroo, which books with ambition and a genre diversity in mind, put most other fests to shame," and Rolling Stone included the festival on its list of the"50 Moments that Changed Rock and Roll."[1][2]

Outside Lands takes place yearly in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, and with a diverse lineup of performers, art installations, and a focus on sustainability, it was designed to mirror the culture of the city. Food and wine is a central component of Outside Lands, which in 2015 included 78 restaurants, 32 breweries, 37 winemakers and 120 wines. With an attendance of approximately 65,000 on each of its three days, the festival has sold out consistently since it was launched in 2002. In 2014, 2015, and 2016, three-day ticket packages sold out within the first 24 hours they were available.[3][4]

The Superfly Marketing Group (SMG) was founded as a division of Superfly in 2009. It has developed campaigns, promotions and marketing platforms for companies including Pabst, JetBlue, Yahoo! and Intel. They acquired the Chicago-based creative agency The Distillery in 2014.[5][6]

The company has implemented sustainability and economic growth programs at Bonnaroo and Outside Lands, and has partnered with non-profits including Oxfam. In 2013, Superfly established Well Dunn, an organization which provides financial support to students interested in careers in the entertainment industry, allowing them to participate in internships they would be otherwise unable to afford.[7][8]

  1. ^ Ganz, Jacob (June 2, 2012). "A Nerdier Guide To 2012 Summer Music Festivals Than You Require". NPR. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  2. ^ Wynn, Jonathan (May 27, 2010). "Who Says the Music Industry is Kaput?". Bloomberg Business. Retrieved 4 June 2016.
  3. ^ Barmann, Jay (June 28, 2016). "Outside Lands Sells Out Yet Again". SFist. Archived from the original on 2 July 2016. Retrieved 2 August 2016.
  4. ^ Luchisi, Paolo (May 13, 2015). "Chefs, dishes the new rock stars at music festivals". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 23 March 2016.
  5. ^ "Superfly". Event Marketer. Event Marketer. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  6. ^ Beltrone, Gabriel (March 18, 2013). "The Co-founder of Bonnaroo Discusses His Best Program of 2012 Helping marketers tap entertainment". Adweek. Retrieved 3 June 2016.
  7. ^ Billboard Staff (June 4, 2012). "Well Dunn Program to Support Careers in Entertainment Industry Launches". Billboard. Retrieved 21 February 2016.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Biocycle was invoked but never defined (see the help page).