Bayou Boogaloo in N.O. struggles for sponsors

New Orleans CityBusiness, May 20, 2009 by Emilie Bahr

Jared Zeller was at his Hurricane Katrina evacuation post in New York when he initially conceived of the idea for a free music festival held along the banks of Bayou St. John.

"I said, 'What can I do to help New Orleans and continue the line of work that I was passionate about," said Zeller, who worked for years selling industrial machine tools and took on part-time jobs to fund his passion for promoting local musicians and concerts.

He founded the Mothership Foundation while still in New York with the idea of producing community events aimed at showcasing the city's culture. When he returned to New Orleans, he started enlisting the support of small businesses and neighborhood organizations.

"I wanted to do something free, following the model of French Quarter Festival and Wednesdays at the Square, and wanted to do it in my backyard, in Mid-City," Zeller said.

The result was the first annual Bayou Boogaloo, held over Memorial Day weekend in 2006.

Four years later, Zeller is preparing for the festival's fourth run.

The Bayou Boogaloo will take place Friday and Saturday between Dumaine and Bienville streets at Bayou St. John. For scheduling and other information, visit www.thebayouboogaloo.com.

The logistics involved in putting on the festival, which last year attracted more than 20,000 people, according to organizers, have been simplified by time, experience and distance from Katrina.

But Zeller said the national economic crisis has provided a huge challenge in pulling off an event heavily reliant on sponsorships and partnerships, which have proven much harder to come by this year.

"We have to sell about $40,000 to $50,000 in beverages and merchandise and take donations at the event to break even," Zeller said. "It is a very risky proposition and last year we were in much better shape going into it."

Zeller says he considered forgoing the festival this year because of financing challenges, but ultimately opted to forge ahead, stepping up marketing efforts and seeking smaller sources of money from individuals.

"Like somebody told me, the only thing worth fighting for is longevity," Zeller said. "I am trying to keep this event as an annual event and I don't want a year to go by that it doesn't happen. That takes a leap of faith and a ton of risk."

Already, he's looking ahead to next year's festival.

"We're flirting with a lot of bigger New Orleans brands," Zeller said, listing several large food companies based in and around the city that he's approached for sponsorship. "Unfortunately, because of the economic climate, they are really watching their dollars."

But Zeller is hopeful they'll prove an easier sell next year.