On Being a Buddy

The Air Guitar World Championships, the mischievous offspring of the Oulu Music Video Festival, has succeeded in awakening the attention of international media, being one of the most acknowledged Finnish events on the Globe. The festival is annually visited by dozens of foreign reporters; including some of the largest dailies in the world, music magazines, lifestyle publications, news agencies, broadcasting channels, radio stations and production companies. Stories on Air Guitar have been world-widely published and broadcasted in the international media from The Peking News to CNN.

In a decade the Air Guitar World Championships has grown into a network of national championships held in Austria, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, the Netherlands, the United States, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, Greece, Switzerland, Mexico, Estonia, Russia and Kenya. OMVF & AGWC is controlling the use of the internationally registered Air Guitar World Championships trademark. The organization also administers the established concept of the competition and grants new licences for event organizers.

The local target group of OMVF & AGWC is young music and film enthusiasts. Every year the festival is visited by a crowd of 15 000. The Air Guitar World Championships attracts the attention of a 2500-people live audience. Sponsors can place their ads on the championships stage (see image below).

In addition the event reaches yet a wider crowd of rock-oriented young adults through the international media coverage and the events arranged by the National Air Guitar Championships Network.

The Air Guitar World Championships is arranged by Oulu Music Video Festival, which is an independent non-profit association.