Celebrating its 25th anniversary last weekend, CollegeFest drew more than 15,000 students to the Hynes Convention Center for scores of freebies and performances at an entrance price of $10.
With more than 100 sponsors and booths, and performances by Asher Roth and Chiddy Bang along with dozens of other scheduled acts, this year's event attracted thousands from universities and colleges in Boston and the New England area, according to a CollegeFest spokesman.
"This year's CollegeFest will celebrate the 25th anniversary of America's longest-running college festival," said Matt Britton, President of CollegeFest Promotions and a 1997 graduate of Boston University, in a press release. "There is nothing quite like CollegeFest and we are thrilled to once again bring this experience to Boston, the best college town in the world."
CollegeFest, owned and operated by Mr. Youth, a youth and social marketing agency, has become one of Boston's most prominent collegiate events.
The event was not only designed to benefit students, but with thousands of potential Gen-Y clients and consumers, it was a huge draw to sponsors as well.
Aside from ReadyU, the event's primary sponsor, businesses ranging from the Boston Celtics and the Boston Ballet to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and the Air Force Reserves were all seen advertising at the event.
"We're targeting students especially," said Pauli Goncaldes, an employee of Popchips, a two-year-old company advocating health consciousness. "That's the advantage of advertising here. Students like chips; they like to snack. We have 9,000 samples, so we want to give out all those samples here."
Samples, as it turned out, were one of the main attractions for many students who came to the event.
"I came for the free stuff, not really for the concerts," said Irene Chan, a senior at BU.
This was the general consensus for many BU students, who had already seen headliner Chiddy Bang perform at BU just a week prior.
"I just kind of came to walk around, if I see something interesting I'll check it out or sign up for it, but so far I haven't really seen anything," Chan said.
Sponsors without anything to give out acknowledged the students' general apathy toward their companies.
"I'd be happy if we only get one student [to open up a bank account]," said Tyrone Wells, a Bank of America employee.
In an attempt to attract more students at the event, Bank of America offered a $25 giveaway for any current client who had a friend open up an account with the bank.
But many attendees, like Wentworth Institute of Technology student Joe Plasse, were there for one thing only.
"I've been drawn to free stuff, especially the food," Plasse said. "As a college student, I'll do anything for food."
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