The Rochester International Jazz Festival announced yesterday that local heavy corporate hitter Xerox Corporation is coming on board as the RIJF’s first title sponsor.  The eighth edition of the nine-day Festival, which will run from June 12-20, 2009, will bear the name the "Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival."  According to their press release this morning, RIJF is "honored to welcome Xerox as our first title sponsor and thank them for joining our team,” according to Marc Iacona, Festival Producer and Executive Director. “Xerox’s support, which is a multi-year agreement, recognizes the work we have done to build this Festival and will enable us to continue to deliver a spectacular line-up of great music from around the world.”

Xerox, founded in Rochester in 1906 as The Haloid Company, believes that the festival will enhance its new brand.  John Nugent, Producer and Artistic Director, says “I am thrilled that Xerox has chosen to partner with us. The prestige and international recognition that the Xerox brand brings to our Festival will enhance our Festival’s recognition and stature throughout the world and further heighten the focus on Rochester as a major music destination. The fact that a major international company has chosen to invest its marketing dollars in our event underscores the prominence that Rochester and our Festival have attained. We are grateful for their support.”

It is great to see that a major player here in Rochester is showing their commitment to the city and the area by putting their name to a developing major player.  I'm not going to be using XRIJF as an acronym anytime soon, but I think this is great for the festival and for the city of Rochester.  Way to go!

In other RIJF news, the festival Club Pass will go on sale next Friday, October 24th at 10 a.m.  For those of you that were worrying, the ticket prices for the Club Pass and individual Club Pass shows will remain the same as last year. The popular Club Pass, which provides access to approximately 150 Club Pass shows will begin sales at a special holiday price of $105 plus $4 service charge until noon EST on January 1, 2009, when it increases to $135 plus $4 service charge until sold out (which happened last year before the festival began (half were sold before the end of December). You can purchase at the RIJF website or through Ticketmaster (585) 232-1900, its website, or at any Ticketmaster outlet.