The iconic Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is a free to attend, three-day event that celebrates the city and its heritage links to the remarkable world of hot air ballooning.

The rolling hills of Ashton Court on the outskirts of the city of Bristol are home to a temporary playground of entertainment, and a stage set ready and waiting for over 100 hot air balloons to take flight.

Why Albert Goodman has chosen to sponsor Bristol International Balloon Fiesta

Albert Goodman has been operating in communities throughout the South West for over 150 years, and as a proudly independent business, we feel real connection to the pioneering spirit embedded in the Fiesta.

Community is at the heart of everything we do, and the Fiesta perfectly reflects that sense of pride and shared experience. We love that we’re playing a part in helping to deliver such a memorable event that everyone can enjoy.

We are proud of the connections we are continuing to make in the city and beyond – through sponsorship and partnerships like Bristol Sport and the Grand Appeal and our support for the Fiesta is a key milestone in this journey.

This is a meaningful investment for us, not just financially, but as a commitment to the city and its cultural fabric. It means a great deal to us (and to our clients) that we can help the fiesta remain free for the city, help to support the regional economy in which we live, work and do business and celebrate the city while sharing the magic of hot air ballooning with all.

We had been looking for a major flagship sponsorship opportunity, and this ticked all the boxes whilst aligning closely with who we are and our vision for the future.

The three-year partnership provides the perfect platform to build our presence in Bristol. Our aim is to reach people who may not yet be seeking advice or ready to become clients, so that when the time does come, we are front of mind.

What that sponsorship looks like

As headline sponsor, our brand gains prominent visibility and association with a high-profile event. The Fiesta attracts over 300,000 visitors annually, offering a unique platform to engage with a diverse audience.

The event also carries the title “in partnership with Albert Goodman”, which prominently featured across all channels — including news coverage, social media, Tannoy announcements, and on-site signage. We also had our own large activation stand where we got to engage and interact with visitors across the weekend.

It was important to us that we actively involve and bring our people along with us on what is our biggest sponsorship to date. After an internal launch event, we took our 350 people to the event for our annual whole firm away day to celebrate and experience it firsthand.

We had questions over whether the value of the sponsorship would be limited to that one weekend, but in reality, it’s an ongoing communications plan. The Fiesta programme runs from March-October. We did an internal and city centre launch, a community programme where we got to bring the magic of hot air ballooning into schools and there is a consistent social media presence.

How we will track ROI

In the short term: Key indicators will include website traffic and enquiries generated during and immediately following the event, together with levels of social media engagement, media coverage, and overall PR exposure.

In the medium to long term: Monitoring will focus on the volume and the enquiries originating from Bristol and the surrounding area during this period and in subsequent years. With previous marketing campaigns, we have carried out brand recognition surveys, and we will replicate this approach to measure both the effectiveness of the campaign and the uptake of brand awareness in the area.

About Albert Goodman

Lighting your way to good advice, with over 150 years of experience