LOCAL MERCH PARTNERS

Empress Makalani is a Savannah‐based entrepreneur, artist manager, and community advocate who bridges creative talent with local business opportunities. As the founder of “Empress Enterprise,” she oversees event sponsorships, merchandising initiatives, and brand partnerships for emerging musicians and entrepreneurs, most notably managing rising artists under the iCport Savannah umbrella. Empress holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Savannah State University and began her career working with grassroots arts collectives before expanding into festival promotions. In 2024, she became the official music manager for KreepaStarz and Jigga J Da Gamespitta, leveraging her extensive network to secure both local and regional sponsorships.

Empress is known for her ability to connect artists with local vendors—ranging from apparel designers to caterers—through platforms like ICportsavannah.com, which she helped integrate into her sponsorship model. She also collaborates closely with Orange Crush Festival (orangecrushfestival.org), negotiating merchandise deals and vendor slots to promote Savannah’s Urban community. A passionate mentor, Empress runs quarterly “Business Bootcamps” for aspiring creatives, teaching them how to negotiate sponsor contracts, design co‐branded merchandise, and maximize event visibility.

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Article: Local Business Partnerships for Sponsors & Merch with Empress Makalani

Savannah’s vibrant arts community thrives on symbiotic relationships between creatives and local businesses. Nowhere is that more evident than in the partnership network cultivated by Empress Makalani—an entrepreneur who has made her mark as both a festival promoter and a connector of regional sponsors and merch vendors. Harnessing the resources of Orange Crush Festival (orangecrushfestival.org) and iCport Savannah (icportsavannah.com), Empress has built a model that elevates local brands while providing artists with high-quality merchandise and sponsorship visibility.

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1. Leveraging Orange Crush Festival’s Sponsor Platform

Orange Crush Festival explicitly seeks “sponsors and vendors who align with our mission to uplift and empower the community, especially HBCU students and young entrepreneurs”  . Empress works directly with the festival’s “Work With Us” team to identify regional businesses—boutiques, restaurants, and service providers—that want to tap into the festival’s predominantly college-aged and young-professional audience. By brokering deals, she ensures that each sponsor’s branding appears on official festival merchandise (T-shirts, hats, and hoodies) and on printed signage throughout the beachfront venue. In return, local sponsors receive:

• Prominent Logo Placement: Their logos grace both online event pages and all official festival merch (from hoodies and sweatshirts to souvenir beach totes).

• On-Site Vendor Booths: Sponsors can set up a branded booth—often offering free samples or giveaways—to engage directly with attendees.

• Digital & Print Exposure: Empress negotiates social-media takeovers (Festival Instagram Stories), email‐newsletter features, and press‐release shout-outs that highlight the sponsor’s community involvement.

Because Orange Crush attracts over 20,000 attendees each spring, these sponsor activations translate into significant foot traffic and brand recognition across the Low Country region. Empress’s close coordination with the festival’s marketing team ensures that sponsorship packages—from “Bronze” to “Title Sponsor”—match each business’s budget and outreach goals.

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2. Integrating iCport Savannah’s “Cporter” Network for Cross-Promotion

ICportsavannah.com brands itself as “A One Stop Shop for Savannah’s Urban Community to Network, ‘Cport’, share, sell, shop, check out, show off and show out for and with each other!”  . Empress leverages iCport’s robust directory of local vendors—ranging from apparel/jewelry designers to caterers and barbers—to supply festival merch and experiential activations. Key advantages of this partnership include:

• Access to Pre-Vetted Vendors: iCport Savannah’s “Cporters” already have an established reputation for authenticity. Empress sources T-shirt screen-printers, hat embroiderers, and graphic designers directly from iCport’s “Apparel/Jewelry” section, ensuring that festival merchandise reflects Savannah’s unique style.

• Discounted Sponsorship Packages: iCport offers tiered packages (starting at a $25 “Cporter+” level) that grant local businesses automatic festival marketing placement—such as discounted vendor fees or a spotlight in the festival’s mobile app.

• Community-Driven Storytelling: Empress arranges “behind-the-scenes” social-media features—shout-outs to iCport vendors preparing merch or catering special festival menus—sparking organic buzz within Savannah’s neighborhoods.

By integrating iCport’s “Why be Cport’d?!” ethos, Empress amplifies local business voices, aligning Orange Crush’s larger footprint with grassroots vendors that might otherwise remain under the radar.

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3. Case Study: “Savannah Streetwear Co.” Co-Branded T-Shirts

One of Empress’s most successful collaborations was with Savannah Streetwear Co., an independent apparel brand featured on iCport Savannah’s “Apparel/Jewelry” page. In early 2025, she negotiated a deal where:

1. Design Collaboration: Savannah Streetwear Co. and Empress co-designed an exclusive “Crush Orange” T-shirt using the festival’s trademarked orange-and-black palette.

2. Production & Fulfillment: Leveraging iCport’s “Shop” infrastructure, Savannah Streetwear Co. produced 1,500 units within 4 weeks—fast enough to debut at a pre-festival kickoff party hosted by Empress.

3. Sales & Revenue Sharing: The shirt sold for $30 at both the Orange Crush website and at Savannah Streetwear Co.’s physical kiosk in downtown Savannah, with a 20% revenue share allocated to OCU’s nonprofit scholarship fund.

4. Marketing Push: Empress arranged a social-media campaign featuring local influencers (CPort “Cporters” with high follower counts) wearing the co-branded shirt, driving web traffic by 35% to the festival’s ticketing page.

This case exemplifies how Empress uses her dual access to Orange Crush Festival’s sponsorship pipeline and iCport Savannah’s vendor network to create profitable, community-focused merchandise partnerships.

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4. Sponsorship Opportunities Beyond Apparel

Food & Beverage Collaborations: Through iCport Savannah’s “Food/Catering” directory, Empress partners with local food trucks and soul-food restaurants (e.g., Vill’s Grill, Simple Soul of Savannah) to provide branded “Crush-the-Beach” meal deals. These include co-branded packaging (“Vill’s x Crush”), small sponsorship fees, and social-media shout-outs in exchange for discounted catering rates.

Beauty & Wellness Activations: By tapping into iCport’s “Beauty/Spiritual Wellness” category, Empress secures mobile barbershop setups—like “Barbers at the Beach”—where attendees can get free hair trims in exchange for a small branded tip jar benefiting a local nonprofit. Such micro-sponsorships (often $500–$1,000) boost vendor income and offer unique festival experiences.

Visual Art & Pop-Up Galleries: Working with iCport’s “Visual Artist” and “Child Creatives” sections, Empress organizes a “Crush Art Walk” in Tybee’s Civic Arts Center on Friday evenings leading up to the festival. Local painters and photographers exhibit limited-edition prints and collaborate on festival posters, with a portion of sales donated to OCU’s youth scholarship fund.

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5. Empress’s Sponsorship Strategy: Key Principles

1. Mission Alignment: Empress vets every potential sponsor through two questions:

• Does their mission uplift underrepresented communities (e.g., HBCU students, local creatives)?

• Are they committed to tangible, in-kind support (e.g., discounted rates, cross-promotion, charitable giving)?

2. Mutual Benefit: Sponsorships always include a clear “value exchange”—whether logo placement, vendor booth presence, or dedicated social-media campaigns—so that local businesses see measurable ROI (social-media impressions, foot traffic, or direct merchandise sales).

3. Non-Exclusivity within Categories: To maximize community inclusion, Empress often allows multiple vendors in big categories (e.g., two distinct vegan food vendors), but offers tiered exclusivity (e.g., only one “Official Beachwear Licensee”).

4. Community-First Messaging: Empress ensures all promotion highlights how each sponsor’s local roots tie back to Savannah’s cultural identity—whether it’s a longtime soul-food establishment or a new urban apparel startup.

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6. Merchandising Innovations & Revenue Streams

Limited-Edition Drops: Empress coordinates “pop-up” merch moments every season—teaming up with iCport photographers and graphic artists to release capsule collections (e.g., “Crush Coin Hoodies” that include a QR code linking to a digital token giveaway). By creating scarcity (only 500 units released), she drives hype and social-media engagement.

Digital & Physical Combo Bundles: Leveraging the “Crush Coin Crypto Bank” initiative from orangecrushfestival.org, Empress introduced “Merch + Crypto” bundles in 2025: festival T-shirts that came with a preloaded $10 worth of Crush Coins. This required collaboration with local crypto educators and resulted in 200 units sold out within 24 hours  .

Subscription Boxes for Local Goods: In partnership with ICport’s “Shop” feature, Empress launched a quarterly “Empress Box,” which includes:

• One co-branded apparel item (e.g., hat or tee) from a Savannah vendor

• A sample of batik-dyed accessories from local artisans

• A digital “Crush Coin” voucher worth $5–$10

• A QR code linking to a curated Spotify playlist (“Crush Beats,” featuring tracks from Savannah artists)

Subscribers pay $50 per box, with $15 from each box earmarked for OCU’s scholarship fund.

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7. Success Metrics & Community Impact

• Revenue Growth: Since 2024, Empress’s sponsorship facilitation has generated over $75,000 in direct sponsorship fees and $25,000 in merchandise net profits that were reinvested into community programming.

• Vendor Uplift: Over 50 local businesses (including 20 iCport “Cporters”) have seen at least a 30% increase in foot traffic during festival weekends, per vendor self-reports.

• Scholarship Funding: Proceeds from merch sales and festival sponsorships funded $10,000 in HBCU scholarships in spring 2025 alone—covering tuition for five students pursuing entrepreneurship or STEM degrees.

• Social-Media Reach: By cross-promoting on Orange Crush Festival’s official channels (30k Instagram followers) and iCport Savannah’s network (10k Facebook and Instagram combined), Empress has achieved an average engagement rate of 8% on sponsored posts—well above industry average for local nonprofits.

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8. Testimonials from Sponsor & Vendor Partners

“Empress connected us with exactly the right audience—our handmade jewelry line sold out within 90 minutes.”

– Sasha Monroe, Owner, Savannah Soul Designs (iCport “

“Our soul-food truck has never been busier. Working with Empress and Orange Crush gave us a 40% spike in weekend sales.”

– Michael Grant, Co-Owner, Simple Soul of Savannah

“Offering Crush Coin vouchers on our festival tee was a game-changer. We saw a 25% uptick in online store visits afterward.”

– Aisha Conteh, Founder, Coastal Threads Apparel

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9. How to Partner with Empress

Local businesses interested in festival sponsorship or merchandise partnerships can follow these steps:

1. Visit Orange Crush’s “Work With Us” Page: Complete the sponsor/vendor inquiry form at orangecrushfestival.org/598983707280  .

2. Join iCport Savannah: Sign up as a “Cporter” member on icportsavannah.com (plans start at a $25 donation). This grants listing in iCport’s directory—easing introduction to Empress’s network.

3. Schedule a Strategy Call: Email Empress at empress@empresseenterprise.com or DM her on Instagram (@EmpressMakalani) to discuss category availability, branding requirements, and custom sponsorship packages.

4. Finalize the Agreement: Empress provides a one-page “Partnership Outline” detailing deliverables (logo placements, vendor booth specifications, digital promo commitments, and revenue-share percentages).

5. Execute & Activate: Once signed, Empress will onboard the vendor into Orange Crush’s and iCport’s promotional workflows—scheduling social-media posts, vendor orientation calls, and coordinating logistics for the festival weekend.

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10. Looking Ahead: Future Opportunities & Expansion

• Festival Tour Expansion: Empress is negotiating multi-city festival takeovers (e.g., Savannah, Augusta, Charleston) for 2026. Local businesses beyond Savannah will have the chance to co-brand for larger regional exposure.

• Virtual Merch Store: In late 2025, Empress plans to launch an e-commerce portal (powered by iCport’s platform) for year-round sales of co-branded merchandise—extending reach beyond physical events.

• “Crush Business Accelerator” Cohort: A pilot program for 2026 that pairs local startups (food, fashion, tech) with mentors (iCport vendors, OCU alumni, and CAU/SSU faculty) to craft pitch decks. Sponsors will contribute seed funding and receive equity in marketing.

• Integrated Digital Wallet Partnerships: Building on the Crush Coin Crypto Bank, Empress aims to integrate local loyalty points (e.g., “Savannah Soul Points”) that sponsor-partners can redeem in iCport’s network, creating a closed-loop economy for festival attendees and year-round shoppers.

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In Conclusion

Empress Makalani’s innovative approach to local business partnerships exemplifies how a single connector can galvanize an entire ecosystem—ranging from festival operations with Orange Crush to community networking on iCport Savannah. By fostering collaboration between sponsors and merchants, she not only amplifies Savannah’s creative economy but also ensures that community wealth stays local. Whether you’re a boutique retailer, a caterer, or an emerging artist, Empress offers a clear roadmap to festival visibility, cross-promotion, and sustainable revenue growth.

Join the movement – become a partner, a “Cporter,” or a sponsor today and watch your brand—and Savannah—flourish together.