Malcom-Thornton tells Adweek that this year’s EFOC has close to three dozen supporting partners, with AT&T, L’Oréal, The Walt Disney Company and McDonald’s joining perennial presenting partner, Coca-Cola (who’s been a partner since its start), as marquee sponsors for the weekend-long event.
“The revolution must be financed,” said Malcom-Thornton, both jokingly and with sincerity. “We cannot do what we do every single year in such a high-caliber way without the help of our corporate sponsors. They really do enhance the overall experience in programming [by] bringing incredible panel discussions.”
In addition to Hip Hop’s golden anniversary—which Essence Ventures’ chief marketing officer, Erika Bennett, tells Adweek will be represented by festival headliners Missy Elliott, Megan Thee Stallion and Lauryn Hill (whose acclaimed album, “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” serendipitously celebrates its 25th anniversary this year)—the festival’s programming will offer a myriad of experiences for the intergenerational crowd.
“What’s really cool about the way we’ve programmed festival is in addition to the returning, popular fan-favorites like the ‘Food & Wine festival’ for example, we’ve also added new experiences that showcase the magic of all the experiences within the Essence Ventures portfolio,” said Bennett.
That portfolio includes AFROPUNK, which Bennett says caters to self-expression and futurism, Essence Girls United, the brand’s Gen Z platform, and the newly acquired Beautycon, which serves personal care and wellness enthusiasts—all of which will be making their debut at the flagship festival. Bennett told Adweek AFROPUNK will have an immersive experience entitled “BLKTOPIA” at the Convention Center, and both AFROPUNK and EGU will host separate events featuring indie artist performances and a post-concert kickback for younger festivalgoers.
“A fun lineup of artists. TikTok-worthy moments. And just a real VIP vibe,” says Bennett, describing the bespoke experiences.
A beauty-full new relationship
Both Bennett and Malcom-Thornton told Adweek that Beautycon will also return as a standalone event in Los Angeles in September after a four-year hiatus, with Walmart as its exclusive retail partner.
“Beautycon is so beloved by so many consumers and brands alike, it’s really important that we were intentional about the mission and vision for Beautycon as we bring it back,” said Bennett. “It’s more about creating a community. And even more importantly, about redistributing the power back to individuals, and to consumers defining beauty on their own terms.
We’ll be showing up in more of a 360 way. Through storytelling, through our online presence and in the way we partner with and empower and center creators.”
She continued, “I think for a long time, we’ve seen a handful of gatekeepers really define what your hair should look like. What your skin type should look like. How your body should be shaped. Very externalized and very specific definitions of beauty. And it excludes a significant portion of people globally.