ROYAL GEELONG YACHT CLUB

2018 FESTIVAL OF SAILS PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

www.festivalofsails.com.au @festivalofsails

MESSAGE FROM THE FESTIVAL CHAIRMAN

The Royal Geelong Yacht Club's Festival of Sails is the largest yachting event in Australia and the biggest keel boat event in the southern hemisphere. We welcome your interest in becoming involved in this exciting, highly regarded event held in the heart of Geelong in January every year.

In 2018 we celebrate a significant milestone with the 175th anniversary of the first Melbourne to Geelong Passage Race. The prospect of up to 300 yachts vying for bragging rights will see a spectacular start off Williamstown and a grand entry to Corio Bay later in the day to begin the Regatta. With expectations of the regular sea breeze filling in for a fast spinnaker entry into

Corio Bay it is certainly a spectacular sight as the fleet converges on the channel and the final quick leg to the finish off Geelong’s waterfront.

The Festival of Sails with its international reputation as a major race week is considered one of those bucket list events for yachties around the world. This is the yachting event for everyone to be part of and we host sailors and their friends from yacht clubs around Australia as well as many international competitors. We boast regular entrants from around Australia who plan their summer around this event and in 2018 it will be an even bigger drawcard. With the Australian Yachting Championship in Melbourne just prior to the 2018 running, the fleet is expected to see even greater number of Interstate entries from high profile yachts who will add Australia’s biggest regatta to their program. The added media exposure and national and international promotion of the 2018 event and the 175th anniversary of the Melbourne Geelong Passage Race will ensure great exposure for your brand and provide terrific opportunities for unique corporate hospitality and entertainment for your clients and guests, as well as activations for your brand or product. This year the Passage Race start and Festival featured on National TV coverage and was covered by International sailing media.

The Festival of Sails is strongly supported by the Victorian Government, the City of Greater Geelong and our long term presenting partner, Rex Gorell Land Rover. We are also pleased to have the support of many other local and national businesses, making our festival bigger and better every year. More than 300 yachts with 2500 competitors are on the water, and 120,000 visitors are attracted to the Geelong Connected Communities Waterfront Festival.

The Festival of Sails provides an exciting backdrop for sponsors to link their brand to a sport that breeds Australian Olympic Gold Medallists, National and even World Champions. Our event builds on the atmosphere surrounding yacht racing with the fun of the entertainment which runs day and night. We provide numerous bands, roving events, interactive displays and fairground attractions blended with diverse food stalls and casual wining and dining. The Festival of Sails program and the Regatta Village caters to the interests of the local community and visitors from around the world.

The 2018 Festival of Sails will again see new dimensions to the sailing events and innovative activities along the waterfront. We are positive that the impact of the event will be greater than ever and your partnership with us will be rewarding. Being on the VIP spectator boat at the finish is a memorable experience and

something only a select view get to experience, so reserve your berth now!

Thank you for considering becoming a partner in the Festival of Sails at Royal Geelong Yacht Club. We look forward to you joining us, perhaps even on the water!

Peter Alexander Chairman

Festival of Sails

Steve Hassell Commercial Partnerships

Manager

PARTNERING WITH THE FESTIVAL OF SAILS

Partnering with the Festival of sails provides your business with the opportunity to

position your brand and connect with competitors, event visitors and other sponsors.

The Festival of Sails implements a comprehensive communications campaign using

both traditional and digital channels to communicate with its participants, commercial

partners and the broader community. Generating wide event exposure benefits all

partners with the opportunity to enhance their own brand awareness.

Access to one of

Victoria’s major

VMEC events

Geelong’s

premier

waterfront

event Targeted

marketing and

advertising

opportunities

High profile

exposure through

digital, national,

TV, radio & print

media

Networking

opportunities with

other high profile

sponsors

Access to

2,500 +

competitors

120,000

People attending

over event period

FESTIVAL ACTIVITIES

The Festival of Sails is an iconic, fun-filled event which seems to get bigger and better every year. It offers

something that no other regatta in Australia does - combining first-class racing with a huge Waterfront

Festival over the event.

The event Is traditionally opened by the Victorian Premier with the Melbourne to Geelong passage race.

As the fleet arrives at the Royal Geelong Yacht Club, the festivities begin! 'Yachties', and residents come

together to celebrate Summer with an abundance of activity and entertainment on the waterfront.

Initiatives include:

Live music with headline acts in the SteamPacket Gardens and RGYC Club precincts

Free 'Come and Try' activities like our Discover Sailing program

Arts and crafts as well as specialty food stalls

Family-friendly activities such as camel rides and kids shows.

An incredible fireworks display to mark Australia Day

Water ski shows

A new event app which allows people to plan their visit and find attractions

Our sponsors also add to the excitement, with pop-up bars, giveaways and terrific activations like the Land Rover Terrapod experience, which again in 2017 gave hundreds of visitors the chance to try out the latest in 4WD capability. We are more than happy to work with our sponsors to ensure that they maximise their event marketing opportunities by delivering outstanding brand experiences.

WATERFRONT FESTIVAL MAP

Proudly brought to you by Geelong Connected Communities

INCORPORATING SPONSOR ACTIVATION OPPORTUNITIES

SPONSORSHIP BENEFITS

INVESTMENT LEVEL (All + GST) MAJOR

$ POA

(2 Only)

EXCLUSIVE CATEGORY

EG Wine, Travel, Security, Energy, Includes tailored sponsored zones and activations from $10,000

MAJOR ATTRACTION EG Water ski,

Fireworks From $10K

SUPPORTING

From $6,000

ASSOCIATE

From $3,500

Race Series Naming Rights √ √

Flags & Event signage √ √ √

Key sponsor signage in club & competitor event area

√ √

Entertainment precinct branding for attraction

√

On-water brand recognition (on Competitor boats in main media view)

√

Exhibitor stall – 3 x 3m in Steampacket or Regatta Village

√ √ √ √

Social Media Promotion √ √ √

Logo displayed on FOS Website Event Tiered Signage FOS Newsletter

RGYC Internal TVs

√

√

√

√

√

Advertisement across LED outdoor screen in Regatta Village

√ √ √ √

Ability to supply promotional offers for inclusion in Skipper Packs.

√ √ √ √ √

Access to skipper & competitor database via FOS email (not direct)

√ √ √

Brand name on trophy for key race

√ √ √

On-water exclusive sponsors’ hospitality

√ √ √ √ √

VIP Sponsor Functions invitations

√ √ √ √

Full regatta passes all days

club access to pass holder only areas & entertainment

√ √ √ √ √

SPONSORSHIP LEVELS

REX GORELL LAND ROVER

Presenting Partner

Festival of Sails 2016, 2017 & 2018

Rex Gorell Land Rover and Land Rover Australia, saw significant value and benefit, in partnering with the Festival of Sails as the key sponsor (naming rights), for a multi- year period.

There is a deep linkage between Land Rover and sailing globally, as is there long and traditional links with

the Rex Gorell Group and their passion for the Greater Geelong Community.

The presence of such a strong, global brand in Land Rover, and indeed, that of the Rex Gorell Group in Geelong, shows tremendous confidence in the Festival of Sails event, and is testament to the continued

growth of this iconic, major Victorian event.”

Geelong Connected Communities

Waterfront Festival Partner

“Since its inception in 2013, Geelong Connected Communities have assisted many Geelong business and charities with more than $900,000 donated throughout the region.

From very early on, there was a clear partnership between GCC and RGYC, in presenting the waterfront festivities to the greater Geelong community.”

SPONSORSHIP CATEGORY CURRENT STATUS

Major (2 only) 1 Available

Supporting Partners Available

Associate Partners Available

Water ski show sponsor Available

Official Beer Partner Carlton Draught

Fireworks sponsor Avalon Airport

Official Wine Partner Wolf Blass

Official Marine Insurance Partner Club Marine

Official Timepiece Partner Bausele

Security Partner Available

Media Partners Geelong Advertiser / Bay93.9

Taxi Partner Geelong Taxi Network

Super screen advertising Available

www.festivalofsails.com.au

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WHERE TO FROM HERE?

If you are interested in partnering with the Festival of

Sails, please contact

Steve Hassell Commercial Partnerships Manager (03) 5229 3705 or 0413 425 273

Email: steveh@rgyc.com.au

25 Eastern Beach Road, Geelong

www.festivalofsails.com.au

@festivalofsails