Brighton Festival bosses will today unveil a new fund-raising campaign for next year's events.

Outgoing chief executive Christopher Barron and his successor Nick Dodds will launch new sponsorship packages at the Pavilion Theatre Bar.

Three packages will be on offer costing between £2,000 and £10,000. Sponsors will get transferable tickets for festival shows.

They will announce attempts to bring festival action into Brighton's offices, which were successfully trialled this year.

Local firms will also be able to use the pavilion for corporate events at a cut price rate by sponsoring the festival.

Organisers hope the new packages will attract local firms. Of the 45 companies which sponsored this year's events, 30 were local.

Mr Dodds told The Argus: "Our new fund-raising campaign for 2001 is an innovative venture.

"Brighton Festival looks forward to extending and expanding its partnerships in the business community through the range of benefits and opportunities it offers."

Jessica Hepburn, head of business development for the Brighton Festival and Dome, said: "The face of sponsorship is changing.

"Arts used to be sponsored by big public companies which gave £30,000 and didn't want a return.

"It's not like that now. Companies need to see benefits."

She said the offer of transferable tickets would make it easier to sell sponsorship deals before acts are finalised.

Ms Hepburn is aiming to raise £250,000, around a quarter of the festival's total budget. The majority of the festival's money is spent on performers.

Waterstone's and Churchill Square have confirmed repeat sponsorship of the literary and street theatre programmes respectively.