Sir, As we gear up for the 32nd Monmouth Festival, the committee would like to thank all the local businesses who have already declared their support. Monmouth has a lot of things to be proud about. The annual music festival is certainly one of them, now established as one of the biggest and best free festivals in Europe. The nine-day festival runs from Friday evening, 25th July to Saturday 2nd August. The carnival will be held on Sunday 26th July. The economy of Monmouth and the region benefits from increased patronage for local traders, caterers and tourist attractions. Large and small businesses benefit by enhancing Monmouth as a place for people to live, work and stay. Festival-goers simply have a great time. The festival's continued success is associated with its sponsors and advertisers, attracting audiences of up to 5,000 each day. Our committed group of volunteers is busy finalising the event, which includes raising the £50,000 needed to make it happen. This year Monmouth will see a new stage, including a giant screen and state-of-the-art sound and lighting. We will distribute 17,500 brochures across the region, and there is still time to book advertising space. On-screen and web media promotion are also on offer, and we are happy to discuss further ideas with our sponsors and advertisers. We are about to announce the line-up for 2014, with a programme to raise our town's profile, encouraging community interest and participation. We rely on sponsorship and donations, and invite anyone who would like to be a part of this unique event to get in touch. More information about sponsorship is available on our website http://www.monmouthfestival.co.uk">www.monmouthfestival.co.uk Please email me at [email protected]">[email protected], or call 07989 651259, or pop in to see our chairman Les at Car Care, 91 Monnow Street. We are keen to include your business, and with your help this will be the best festival yet. Keith Mortimer (Monmouth Festival Committee)