{"id":350,"date":"2010-11-04T14:12:17","date_gmt":"2010-11-04T18:12:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/wp\/2010\/11\/carefusion_drops_jazz_fest_spo\/"},"modified":"2011-04-28T16:32:47","modified_gmt":"2011-04-28T20:32:47","slug":"carefusion_drops_jazz_fest_spo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.artsjournal.com\/jazzbeyondjazz\/2010\/11\/carefusion_drops_jazz_fest_spo.html","title":{"rendered":"CareFusion drops jazz fest sponsorships"},"content":{"rendered":"

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CareFusion, a global corp. specializing in hospital equipment, has ended its two-year sponsorship<\/a> of George Wein’s New York Jazz Festival and Newport Jazz Festival, and the Chicago Jazz Festival<\/a>, a day after reporting the retirement of its Chairman and CEO David L. Schlotterbeck, and the first quarter financials of its 2010 fiscal year<\/a>. <\/span><\/div>\n

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The company announced steep revenue losses and plans to cut 5% of its workforce<\/a> last August; in October, CareFusion recalled <\/a>17,000 Alaris PC infusion units, cited by the FDA as a product the use of which has “a reasonable probability” of causing “serious adverse health consequences or death.” But a publicist cautioned against linking these happenstances, and enthused about what she called CareFusion’s jazz-related marketing campaign.<\/span><\/div>\n

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“Our original intent was to launch the brand,” said spokesperson Suzanne Hatcher of CareFusion, which was spun off in 2009 from Cardinal Health, “and raise awareness of patient safety. We were thrilled by the results, so we renewed for another year. The way the jazz community and other folks have embraced CareFusion certainly exceeded our expectations. Now we’ve moved on.”<\/span><\/div>\n

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In 2009, CareFusion rescued Wein’s New York City and Newport RI fests, as well as propping up the City of Chicago-produced Chicago Jazz Festival, the Monterey Jazz Festival, and fests in Sydney and Paris. In 2010, it cut its Monterey, Sydney and Paris investments, but supported 47 concerts in 22 venues in New York, and three nights of jazz in Chicago’s Grant Park. <\/span><\/div>\n

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“Our relationship with George Wein has been phenomenal,” Ms. Hatcher reported in a phone interview. Regarding the suspension of sponsorship, she said, “We were open with George on where we were headed.” She said the 63-year-old Schlotterbeck’s retirement was a “personal decision,” that CareFusion’s “restructuring” was the inevitable shakedown of a new corporation after a year to the “right size” and that the recall “is unfortunate, but we’re taking care of that.” CareFusion’s “Rhythm of Care Safety Coalition, with partners <\/span>the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF)<\/a>, <\/span>Association for Professionals in Infection Control <\/a><\/span>and Epidemiology, Inc. (APIC)<\/a> and <\/span>Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP)<\/a> has also been dissolved.<\/span><\/span><\/div>\n

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Festival producer George Wein’s office today issued a press release announcing “sponsorship opportunites for the 2011 Newport Jazz Festival,” which includes the New York Jazz Festival (write: sponsor@newfestivalproductions.com). The 2011 Newport jazz fest is already scheduled, for Aug. 5 to 7. Executive director Lauren Deutsch of the Jazz Institute of Chicago, which programs the Chicago Jazz Festival, said she had just learned of CareFusion’s pullout today.<\/div>\n
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According to Wein’s press release,<\/div>\n
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The Carefusion Jazz Festival Series ultimately generated in excess of 2 billion measured media impressions and drove over 6 billion impressions in leading international media, creating significant brand awareness for CareFusion after its launch as a spin off from Cardinal Health.<\/div>\n

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Asked the reaction of a departing sponsor when the former object of its support must begin fundraising anew, Ms. Hatcher declined to comment.<\/span><\/font><\/p>\n

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