Date: Sunday, April 2, 2017

It has been over nine months since the Slam Masters decided to incorporate at the 2016 festival, and the following is our third quarter report for April of 2017.

To prepare for the upcoming 25th Anniversary festival we have decided to enter the second stage of our fundraising campaign, “25 years of Southern Fried”. To raise revenue, we are selling a limited edition SoFried commemorative T-shirt, on high-quality material with a bold design by our very own Asia Sampson. This limited run of 100 costs 35 dollars per shirt, and proceeds will go toward incorporation costs such as seeking a tax exempt status and hiring a certified professional accountant to help with processing. If you became a Friend of Southern Fried by donating in our first campaign, we will be e-mailing you a special voucher code redeemable for a 5 dollar discount.

We have also taken some exciting steps to systemize processes within our organization. Southern Fried now has a centralized bank account, meaning more accountability with the management of funds.

We have also taken steps to create all new, official Southern Fried Poetry, Inc. social media pages, which will separate our official communications with the community from the online chat forums. We urge you to ‘like’ our So Fried Poetry, Inc fan page on Facebook and follow @sofriedpoetry on Twitter and Instagram. The Advisory Council would like to thank Kimberly Simms for agreeing to spearhead our viral marketing campaign and hope you’ll support her initiative to reach out to new audiences by sharing our posts about Southern Fried Poetry news and tournament events.

Team and Indie registration for the 2017 tournament are now open for both in-region and out-of-region competitors. So far, 15 teams have registered, leaving 17 slots open. There are currently 11 registered indies, meaning only 5 slots are available. Louisville has announced they are giving away over 5000 dollars in prizes, and it has been a primary goal of The Advisory Council to formalize our payment processes.

As you know, our festival is dependent on the efforts of dedicated volunteers. If you are curious about volunteering or want to know more about available positions, please sign up here.

For information about discounted rates and reservations please visit our Host Hotel info page.

The group rate for the hotel is set to expire on May 17th, 2017.

The Advisory Council has been meeting with host city Festival Coordinator, Lance Newman, III and his team of organizers who have gone above and beyond and is pleased with the level of enthusiasm and planning the host city has put into this year’s tournament. Within the next three months, we will be releasing a steady stream of information, including our event schedule, names of competitors, vendor info, and necessary communication for teams and volunteers.

We are excited to see you in June!