Underneath a red Mount Gay tent, Andy Dobbie poured drinks for a crowd of sailors and supporters at the opening of the BVI Spring Regatta and Sailing Festival last Thursday.
The sales and marketing representative, like all of the sponsors of the annual event, had a two-fold mission: support the community and hopefully increase his company’s sales.
Giving out product samples at the event’s opening party raises awareness of the brands and boosts direct sales, said Mr. Dobbie, an employee of Road Town Wholesale Trading Ltd., Mount Gay’s distributor.
Those sales come at the regatta village during the event at Nanny Cay and at the company’s stores before and after the event through tie-in promotions.
Mr. Dobbie said that half of the total contribution the company makes to the event is paid by RTW, and the rest comes from several brands such as Mount Gay and Heineken.
RTW was a founding sponsor of the regatta, a link forged by company founder Peter Haycraft, who also co-founded the regatta and has sailed in it every year.
Judy Petz, the regatta’s director, said the event’s 11 sponsors contribute more than one third of its annual operating revenue. The rest of the monies to run the not-for-profit event comes from race fees and bar and village income.
See the April 7, 2011 edition for full coverage.