Auckland Airport joins Southern Hemisphere’s biggest winter party

Helping to spread Queenstown’s winter messages while joining the local community for the party that kicks off winter in the resort, Auckland Airport has signed up as the Community Partner to the American Express Queenstown Winter Festival 2012

As a minority shareholder in the Queenstown Airport Corporation, Auckland Airport wants to play its part in the local community and has much to offer in terms of marketing and promotion resources.

Auckland Airport’s general manager corporate affairs, Charles Spillane, says the festival is a useful marketing tool for promoting Queenstown as a winter holiday destination in long haul markets.

“It’s a wonderful, fun event that is great for anyone that loves a real winter and there’s lots of ways we can help. We can promote the festival and Queenstown to Aucklanders and international visitors at our airports and on our billboards, spread the word throughout New Zealand and off-shore markets through our trade and marketing partners including airlines and connections we work with across the world.

“We’re very keen to be useful and we’re also keen to get to Queenstown and join in the fun.”

Festival Director Simon Green welcomes the airport in a new sponsorship category. “For us the establishment of a community sponsorship allows us to acknowledge the spirit behind the partnership offered by Auckland Airport. This relationship has been squarely focused on helping us deliver the festival events such as the Family Fun Day and Mardi Gras that are really core to our community and as such, are very precious. It’s difficult to secure purely commercial sponsorships for these events, but they are integral to the community nature of festival.

“We are delighted to welcome Auckland Airport to this role and sincerely thank them for their commitment on two levels - to help deliver our events and also to help us promote the festival in Auckland and around the world. We look forward to an ongoing partnership that delivers value and understanding to all parties,” he says.

This festival sponsorship is just one of a number of Queenstown Lakes District community activities that Auckland Airport has supported over the last year, including the Festival of Colour and the Winter Games.

“We are looking forward to getting to know people around the town and working together to further raise Queenstown’s profile as an internationally renowned tourism destination that is attractive year round for visitors from New Zealand, Australia and around the globe,” says Mr Spillane.
ENDS

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