DIEHARD
02-04-10, 05:24 AM
Memo Melbourne: Coast aims for sports hit
http://www.goldcoast.com.au/images/uploadedfiles/editorial/pictures/2010/04/01/hands-up-love-sport.jpg
GOLD Coast Tourism will brand the city as the sports capital of Australia in a multi-million dollar marketing blitz to attract cashed-up footy fans.
Tourism chiefs have decided to pour money into the campaign to cash in on the Coast's four national teams.
Gold Coast Tourism CEO Martin Winter said the success of the city's teams had created a new area of tourism opportunity.
The city's high strike rate in delivering national sports stars had been neglected by previous tourism strategies.
"For a city of 600,000 people, the Gold Coast can, without a doubt, claim to be Australia's new sporting capital," said Mr Winter.
"We have arguably the strongest junior participation levels in the country; we have become the Asia Pacific training base for many international teams and we have the sporting infrastructure to rival the capital cities."
Mr Winter said they would be investing in print, radio and on-line media to 'expose and sell the message'.
"For the first time, we'll be creating packages for the hundreds of thousands of rival team supporters to come to the Gold Coast, watch their team lose to our team, then go out and enjoy all the things to see and do here," he said.
The packages will be aimed at Victorian and NSW footy teams who will compete against the Gold Coast Football Club, making its AFL debut next year, Gold Coast Titans, Gold Coast Blaze and Gold Coast United.
The strategy also focuses on the growth of junior sports carnivals.
Source: http://www.goldcoast.com.au
http://www.goldcoast.com.au/images/uploadedfiles/editorial/pictures/2010/04/01/hands-up-love-sport.jpg
GOLD Coast Tourism will brand the city as the sports capital of Australia in a multi-million dollar marketing blitz to attract cashed-up footy fans.
Tourism chiefs have decided to pour money into the campaign to cash in on the Coast's four national teams.
Gold Coast Tourism CEO Martin Winter said the success of the city's teams had created a new area of tourism opportunity.
The city's high strike rate in delivering national sports stars had been neglected by previous tourism strategies.
"For a city of 600,000 people, the Gold Coast can, without a doubt, claim to be Australia's new sporting capital," said Mr Winter.
"We have arguably the strongest junior participation levels in the country; we have become the Asia Pacific training base for many international teams and we have the sporting infrastructure to rival the capital cities."
Mr Winter said they would be investing in print, radio and on-line media to 'expose and sell the message'.
"For the first time, we'll be creating packages for the hundreds of thousands of rival team supporters to come to the Gold Coast, watch their team lose to our team, then go out and enjoy all the things to see and do here," he said.
The packages will be aimed at Victorian and NSW footy teams who will compete against the Gold Coast Football Club, making its AFL debut next year, Gold Coast Titans, Gold Coast Blaze and Gold Coast United.
The strategy also focuses on the growth of junior sports carnivals.
Source: http://www.goldcoast.com.au