Mile 3 Announces Tundraland as Presenting Partner

As Mile of Music prepares to launch the third rendition of the rapidly growing, all-original music festival in downtown Appleton Aug. 6 – 9,  organizers have announced its most significant sponsorship yet with the unveiling of Tundraland Home Improvements as its official Presenting Partner.

Earlier this month, organizers of the four-day festival that debuted just two years ago but  now boasts 200-plus acts from more than 20 states, had announced two major grants related to tourism development – one from the Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau and one from the Wisconsin Department of Tourism.

The Tundraland marketing commitment covers the Festival’s $100,000 presenting sponsorship slot and, according to Dave Willems, Mile of Music director, has provided the major catalyst for the event’s ability to continue offering its more than 700 music sets free to attendees and easily accessible to all ages. “There’s no question that having the prime sponsorship slot filled is a major boost to what we’re building here in downtown Appleton,” said Willems. “But even more so, to have a proactive, energetic sponsor like Tundraland with its hands-on president and its tremendous team of field marketers take that lead slot, well, that’s been even better.”

Since Mile of Music focuses on showcasing emerging singer-songwriters and bands from around the country, Willems said it seemed like the sponsorship match was meant to be. “Tundraland is not only one of the area’s fastest growing businesses, it’s clearly also one of Wisconsin’s emerging companies,” he said. The company was launched by Brian Gottlieb in 2009 with an initial $3,000 investment and has dramatically grown to a $15 million-plus business.

Gottlieb said his support of Mile of Music transcends the festival itself to encompass the overall creative economy movement for the greater community. “Mile of Music is serving as a catalyst for this new movement in Appleton and the Fox Cities toward artisan, handcrafted experiences,” Gottlieb said. “Not only is that who we are at Tundraland, because the design, assembly and installation we do is all with American-made products, but it’s also what our team appreciates in terms of events and experiences that affect our lives and work here in this wonderful community.”

Gottlieb said what comes with the tremendous amount of success Tundraland has had in less than six years is a sense of responsibility to give back and evolve a better community. “The vibe that this festival has created – and continues to create – is a difference-maker for all of us,” Gottlieb said. “We want to push that feeling and that pride even higher not just by helping the event sustain but by adding some fun and festivities, too.”

As with last year, when the Kaukauna-based sunroom, bath and window company was a smaller sponsor, the Tundraland team will be active participants in the community festival and its activities. For Mile 3, Tundraland will offer events in and around Houdini Plaza, position a Music-on-the-Move Sunroom stage for singer-songwriters, and offer giveaways.

Also returning will be the popular Singing in the Shower display that supports youth music scholarships. Last year, Gottlieb and the Tundraland Team recorded more than 250 attendees stepping into the shower to croon a tune, which topped the company’s goal and led to a year’s worth of guitar lessons for a local youth. For Mile 3, Gottlieb and his team has bigger plans, with hopes of potentially giving away three youth scholarships and a home improvement project based on having more music fans ham it up in the shower.

“It’s a fun way to give the festival’s fans an easy way to contribute to the cause while they’re just having fun and enjoying the event,” Gottlieb said.

Cory Chisel, national touring artist and co-founder of the festival, said it would be an understatement to say he, Willems and Mile sponsorship spearhead Keith VandenAvond were slightly excited when the first person they approached – Gottlieb – jumped on board as the unique festival’s presenting partner. “His support of the idea of enriching our community through authentic music, his enthusiasm for giving our youth who love music something to shoot for, and his speed at which he jumped in completely validated where Dave and I and our local creative community are trying to go with this movement,” Chisel said. “Having that momentum this year meant we knew we could keep the Festival free for everyone and continue to do some unexpected and exciting things for Appleton.”