How did the partnership come about?
Matthias Lapp: An acquaintance at Sparda Bank, which is acting as a premium sponsor, called me and told me there might be a change of sponsor at jazzopen. So, of course, I got on the phone right away and declared my interest to Mr. Schlensog.
Jürgen Schlensog: I had had LAPP on the list of possible sponsors for years. But it never came off. I got in the car right away and drove to LAPP.
Where does your interest in jazz come from, Mr. Lapp?
Matthias Lapp: I sort of inherited it. My father loved jazz. When he was on business trips in New York or New Orleans, he always went to renowned jazz clubs in the evenings. And he always had a season ticket for the jazzopen. If he couldn’t attend, he’d pass his ticket on to me.
Why does jazzopen need sponsors?
Jürgen Schlensog: As a festival we receive no public donations for what is a commercial programme. Nor do I have any desire to go knocking on the doors of municipal or rural councils begging for money. Instead, I always wanted to find sponsors on an equal footing with whom we could jointly develop jazzopen further. I have been doing this for 17 years now. To start with, it was hard. Initially, we had title sponsors. Later, we built up a kind of pyramid of sponsors, from premium sponsors to smaller cooperation partners. Today, around 25 percent of the festival budget is covered by sponsors.
Why was LAPP so interesting to you as a sponsor?
Jürgen Schlensog: Long-term partnerships are particularly important to me. Owner-run family businesses are therefore the most reliable sponsors as far as I am concerned.
Why did LAPP choose jazzopen?
Matthias Lapp: In addition to my personal penchant for jazz, I’ve always followed the fantastic developments at jazzopen. Today, with its many stages, it is the largest cultural event in the city. Relationships with the public are formed here. We are on the lookout for anchorage points like these to present ourselves as an attractive employer for the region. In addition, our cables are used at the event, meaning we play a significant role in ensuring that the artists’ sound can be so superbly transmitted. And, of course, our sponsorship enables our employees to get discounted tickets.
Do you actually play an instrument yourself?
Jürgen Schlensog: I used to, yes. I played in an accordion orchestra until I was 30. Once you have mastered the instrument, you can also play a bit of piano.
Matthias Lapp: I used to play clarinet with the Youth Symphony Orchestra. Initially I used to play a lot of classical music but then I quickly noticed I enjoyed jazz a lot more.
Do you have any favourite bands or artists?
Matthias Lapp: Actually, I like pretty much everything in jazz. I like Sting, Norah Jones, Alicia Keys and I think Herbie Hancock is great…
Jürgen Schlensog: There are so many great artists. Starting with the older ones, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday or Louis Armstrong. And then, of course, there is Van Morrison or Pink Floyd.
Matthias Lapp: My first jazz open was with Lenny Kravitz, and it was great. Now I’m looking forward to Simply Red and St. Paul & the Broken Bones.
Why does LAPP promote jazz and not Helene Fischer?
Matthias Lapp: Helene Fischer would not be logical. As a Swabian company, we want to support local events.
How do you find suitable sponsors?
Jürgen Schlensog: There are a few basic rules. Only one partner from each industry. Then, of course, we look for content where there might be a connection between the potential partner and the jazzopen. This is why LAPP is ideal, as our festival would not be possible without their cables for light & sound. The rest is hard work and maintaining a good network. The regional aspect is also important to us. We always look on our doorstep first to see if there are any suitable sponsors nearby. But, of course, corporations are also welcome. We included Mastercard, for example, in order to make cash-free payments possible.
Will jazzopen remain independent in the long term?
Jürgen Schlensog: That’s definitely our goal. And I am optimistic about it. We have a very good reputation in the scene and are one of the biggest festivals in Europe. We also have a good relationship with the artists’ agencies. Every year, we want to make jazzopen a little better and more attractive. That is why we have set up the Jazzopen Friends’ Community so that we can generate additional funds through this association, for example from foundations.
Is a commitment to a partnership with LAPP in the future already in place?
Jürgen Schlensog: Of course, I hope that LAPP and jazzopen will continue to grow together and that we can talk about everything in the future too. Partnerships are never a one-way street.
Matthias Lapp: Basically, we are planning our sponsorship for the long term. We have no interest in short-term partnerships. We want partnerships on an equal footing and our commitment is to creating added value for our employees and customers. Our goal is to be perceived as an attractive employer. When people in the city see how committed LAPP is, that is an important plus for us.
Do you have a wish list for artists you would like to see perform at the jazzopen in the future?
Matthias Lapp & Jürgen Schlensog: Neil Young, David Gilmour, Alicia Keys – that would be great…