Increase your brand presence and connect directly with Londoners. We partner with community members, local business and organizations to keep London vibrant. We offer facility sponsorships, program sponsorships, arena advertising, Dundas Place sponsorship and park advertisements.
Interested in sponsoring or advertising with the City? You’ll receive a variety of marketing and promotional opportunities and year-round recognition for your contribution to improving the lives of Londoners. Based on the needs, interests, location and target demographics of your business, we can build custom sponsorship opportunities for different facilities, programs and services.
Benefits
Each custom-built sponsorship package is linked to your marketing objectives, allowing you to promote your products and services, and build brand awareness and customer loyalty with 383,000 London and area residents.
If you advertise or sponsor with the City, it:
- Promotes your positive brand
- Allows you to reach a wider demographic or target audience(s)
- Increases your brand awareness
- Enhances customer experience
We can connect your brand to over:
- 1.8 million annual visitors to our community ice rinks
- Over 1 million visitors to our community recreation centres
- Over 150,000 annual visitors to our seniors centres
- Over 150,000 visitors to Storybook Gardens
- Over 120,000 annual visitors to our City of London golf courses.
A custom sponsorship package can focus on your social responsibility, help generate store traffic, showcase a product, capture a database, create general awareness and increase consumer loyalty
Sponsorship opportunities
Arenas - 1.8 million annual visitors
A local arena is typically one of the busiest facilities in the community. The City of London operates 11 indoor arenas that offer skating, ringette and hockey during the winter; and ball hockey, lacrosse and other team sports during the summer. Summer ice is available at Bostwick Arena, too.
Our arenas attract over 1.8 million visitors on an annual basis. The typical hockey family spends an average of 7 hours a week at the ice rink. Sponsorship and advertising opportunities are available at each facility.
These include:
- Argyle Arena
- Carling Arena
- Farquharson Arena
- Silverwood Arena
- Stronach Arena
- Bostwick Arena
- Kinsmen Arena
- Lambeth Arena
- Medway Arena
- Nichols Arena
- Oakridge Arena
Community centres - 1 million annual visitors
The City of London also operate 17 community centres that attract over 1 million annual visitors. Londoners of all ages uses these facility year round.
These include:
- StarTech.com Community Centre
- Boyle Memorial Community Centre
- Byron Optimist Community Centre
- Carling Heights Optimist Community Centre
- Civic Gardens Complex
- Earl Nichols Recreation Centre
- Hamilton Road Seniors’ Centre
- Kinsmen Recreation Centre
- Kiwanis Seniors’ Community Centre
- Lambeth Community Centre
- Medway Community Centre
- North London Optimist Community Centre
- South London Community Centre’
- Springbank Gardens
- Springbank Gardens Community Centre
- Stoney Creek Community Centre
- Stronach Community Recreation Centre
Golf- 109,000 annual rounds played
The City of London offers 72 holes of golf at two municipal golf courses: Thames Valley Golf Couse and Fanshawe Golf Course. Combined, these facilities have 109,000 annual rounds played. Golf in general tends to attract affluent players and decision makers. The average golfer spends over 300 hours a year at the golf course.
Storybook Gardens - 170,000 annual visitors
Storybook Gardens attracts upwards of 170,000 annual visitors and is a great way to reach young families that are entering their prime spending years. Your business can sponsor new and existing attractions and special events at Storybook Gardens. The winter skating trail is London’s favourite place to go outdoor skating and attracts up to 20,000 people each season.
Dundas Place sponsorship - 1.5 million vehicles and 2.5 million pedestrians annually
Dundas Place is London’s first flex street that is designed to help transform downtown into a vibrant hub of community activity. It will be used for festivals and events that will bring our Core Area to life throughout the entire year. Sponsorship opportunities will help make Dundas Place come alive and will giving you unprecedented exposure to over 1.5 million vehicles and 2.5 million pedestrians each year.
Program sponsorships
Sponsoring a City of London program provides you with the opportunity to connect directly with residents using our facilities. Tell us who you want to reach and what causes are important to your company. We will create a customized plan that places your brand in front of local consumers. Opportunities include:
- Public Swims
- Public Skates
- Aqua Fitness
- Adult Fitness Drop-In
- Learn-to-Swim
- Youth Sports Programs
- Mobile Stage
- Adult Sports Leagues
- Outdoor Summer Aquatic Programs
- Shade Structures at Outdoor Facilities
- Older Adult Drop-In Programs
Sponsorship opportunities are also available at our aquatic centres, sports fields, outdoor skating rinks, dog parks, skateboard parks, playgrounds, community gardens and bike trails.
Advertising opportunities
Arena advertising
Arena advertising has been around since the early 1970’s and is a great way to reach millennial hockey families. The City of London operates 18 ice pads and 1 dry pad at 11 facilities, with 1.8 million annual visitors at our arenas. Arena advertising is a great way to increase your brand awareness in front of young and active families. The typical hockey family spends an average of seven hours a week at the ice rink, meaning your message will be seen on a regular basis, allowing you to create a strong emotional tie with potential customers.
Rinkboard ads are the most common form of arena advertising, but many of our facilities offer customized options such as digital video, scoreboard banners, wall murals, door wraps and Zamboni wraps. Opportunities vary by facility.
Advertising in City parks
To advertise in City parks, please contact City of London Recreation by calling 519-661-5575, emailing recreation@london.ca or filling out the form using the button below.
The park advertising process is intended to streamline bookings for organizations looking to have signage placed in designated city parks. This program is available to charitable organizations, not-for-profit organizations and community groups. The City reserves the right to make exceptions for other groups if the intended message is aimed at the betterment of the community.
Applicable Guidelines
- Signage to be in place for a maximum of 2 weeks at a time per location. This includes set-up and take-down time.
- Signage found to be in place beyond the dates specified on a renter's contract will be charged an additional $35 fee per day until removed, and renter will be unable to book new signage contracts until any outstanding account balances have been paid in full.
- Signage campaigns are not permitted earlier than six weeks prior to the starting date of the event being advertised.
- Only 1 site per quadrant of the city will be considered at any time for the same signage (maximum signs allowable in any 2 week period would be 4).
- The City of London reserves the right to decline signage contracts or book signage at a particular location due to repetitive or similar messaging as previous requests or message oversaturation.
- Organizations are allowed to have one signage campaign running at any time, regardless of location or number of sites booked.
- Only the locations listed on the online form will be considered for booking (no exceptions).
- Cancelled contracts will not be eligible for a refund.
This program can only authorize signage in city parks, not on any road allowances.
Timelines and fees for booking requests
- Facility Specific User Groups
(i.e.. London Aquatic Club, Forest City Dive Club, Other Affiliated Sports Groups) with recurring bookings at City of London facilities may book up to 12 months in advance. The first sign is Free*. The second, third or fourth sign is $35.70 per location. - Charitable Organizations, Not for Profit Organizations, Community Organizations and Recreational Groups
advertising an event that is occurring on City of London property, Low/ no cost to attend, event/ Campaign supporting cause beneficial to the whole community (not a targeted group), may book up to 8 months in advance. The first sign is Free. The second, third and fourth sign is $35.70 per location. - Charitable Organizations, Not for Profit Organizations, Community Organizations and Recreational Groups
advertising an event that is not occurring on City of London property may book up to 3 months in advance. The first, second, third, and fourth sign is $35.70 per location.
*in the designated signage space outside the facility they are most frequently using (if no signage space at that facility, option of closest locations to choose from).
Booking process
- Complete the Advertising in City Parks Request Form.
- Once the form has been completed and sent, you will be contacted by city staff within 2 business days to confirm availability of requested space as well as associated costs.
- Once finalized, your organization will be required to make payment (due at time of booking) and sign and return the completed contract.
Questions? Contact Parks and Recreation Customer Service at 519-661-5575 or recreation@london.ca.
The City reserves the right to limit the number of locations and total bookings for any group based on demand and in the spirit of providing equal access to all groups looking to participate in the park advertising program.
Our current sponsors
| Name | Description |
| Colombia Sportswear | Columbia Sportswear creates enduring, iconic, and innovative products that enable people to enjoy the outdoors longer. Columbia Sportswear is a proud sponsor of outdoor fun at Storybook Gardens supporting our Free Friday Festivals. Columbia is also sponsor of our new Outdoor Explorers – Trail Walking Program. |
| Centro by Old Oak | Centro is the tallest building in London and offers an unparalleled living experience combining modern opulence with breathtaking city views. Centro is our presenting sponsor of Canada Day at Harris Park. |
| RBC | Helping clients thrive and communities prosper, RBC’s vision is to be among the world’s most trusted and successful financial institutions. RBC sponsors Canada Day at Harris Park through the RBCxMusic program, supporting up and coming musical talent across the country. |
| Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation | The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation invests 100% of profits back into the local community. OLG sponsored our Canada Day in Harris Park event this year looking to help support things that truly matter in our communities. |
| London East Lions Club | Lions Clubs International is the world's largest service club organization with more than 1.4 million members in approximately 46,000 clubs in more than 200 countries and geographical areas around the world. The London East Lions Club sponsors a monthly free community swim at the East Lions Community Centre. |
| Tim Hortons | Tim Hortons is a proud supporter of the Tim Hortons' free swims and skates across the City of London and is a proud sponsors of a Tim Hortons playhouse at Storybook Gardens Through this contribution, Tim Hortons is providing an opportunity for families to be active together. |
| WSIB Ontario | WSIB is one of the largest insurance organizations in North America, covering over five million people in more than 300,000 workplaces across Ontario. WSIB is the title sponsor of our New Year’s Eve in the Park celebrations in Victoria Park. Their new head office will open in London in 2025. |
| Beck Hearing Aid Centre Inc. | Beck Hearing Aid Centre Inc. has been helping London hear for over 50 years! Beck is a proud sponsor of our Seniors' recreation centres and is committed to helping everyone get the most out of life by staying active and connected. Through their sponsorship of a wide variety of programs, Beck's goal is to keep you in the conversation. |
| McCormick Canada | McCormick Canada is a successful leader in the spice, seasoning, flavouring and specialty food industry, with its head office, manufacturing, sales, and distribution centre located in London. McCormick Canada is a proud supporter of our New Year’s Eve in the Park celebration in Victoria Park. |
| TD Bank | As a major sponsor of our Free Friday Festivals at Storybook Gardens, TD Bank believes that when people participate in their community, good things happen. Their sponsor dollars go toward free children’s admission and discounted adult admissions throughout the summer, creating more opportunities for people to get involved in their community. |
| Drewlo Holdings | Drewlo Holdings has been named Best Apartment Rental Company/Property Manager for 2023 by the Best of London. They are a major sponsor of our New Year’s Eve in the Park celebration, helping over 15,000 Londoners ring in the new year by sponsoring the fireworks display at Victoria Park. |
| Ironstone Building Company | Ironstone Building Company is a premier homebuilder in London that is dedicated to giving back to the community where they build, work and raise their families. Their sponsorship of the Friday Free Festivals at Storybook Gardens is just one example of their generous contribution to the community. |
| Ontario Speech and Language Services | Ontario Speech and Language Services is the largest private speech and language clinic in Southwestern Ontario dedicated to helping young families. Their sponsorship of Storybook Gardens helps provide free children’s admissions each Friday evenings throughout the summer. |
| LiUNA 1059 | LiUNA 1059 represents approximately 5,000 construction, industrial and service sector workers in and beyond London and surrounding areas and proudly gives back to the communities where their members work and live. LiUNA 1059 sponsors free drop-in basketball at the East Lions Community Centre every Friday throughout the year and sponsors New Year’s Eve in the Park celebrations in Victoria Park. |
| Start.ca | Start.ca is London’s home-grown internet, TV and telephone provider and likes to show their love for the community by going beyond providing the fastest internet at the best price. Start.ca sponsors Storybook Gardens through the summer months and Storyboo Trick or Treating during Halloween at Storybook Gardens. |
| Pizza Hut London | Pizza Hut London provides London’s best pizza at nine different locations throughout the city. All family owned and operated. Owners Kari and Ashley Hilton love spending time with family and have sponsored the new Pizza Hut London playhouse at Storybook Gardens and various other events throughout the summer. |
| Telus | Telus uses world‑leading technology to drive meaningful change. We give where we live and we help communities grow stronger and support even their most vulnerable members. As a sponsor at Storybook Gardens, Telus helps give London families the opportunity to experience a unique family outing, while removing financial barriers. |
| IAMS | The IAMS brand believes in making health care accessible to all pets, helping keep them happy and health for life. The IAMS For Life Caravan is the Father’s Day weekend sponsor at Storybook Gardens, providing discounted admission tickets and sponsoring our Ultimutts Stunt Dog Show. |