First of a three part series on the Irish Open
How Tourism spending generates value
Tips and tricks for sponsors to make their mark
Golf is a sport where the audience at a major event is likely to be narrowly focused, but no less valuable to sponsors by being so.
The Irish Open at Carton House concluded yesterday with victory for one time Ryder Cup star and world number three Paul Casey. He was presented his trophy in front of an appreciative crowd on the 18th green by an Taoiseach Enda Kenny.
He was there representing the Government of Ireland credited by the European Tour as being of such importance to the success of the tournament. This is primarily through the top level sponsorship of the tournament by Golf Ireland.
There are those who would say the Government sponsorship is wrong and that it papers over cracks in a product that cannot secure the same level of support commercially. But look at the facts.
In 2012 Ireland attracted 163,000 golfing holidaymakers to Ireland. Their average spend was €1200, two and a half times the average. They left with an average satisfaction rating of 94% which indicates a high propensity to return. The overall value of golf tourism then is worth over €200 million each year.
The pictures beamed around the world yesterday from Carton House will have tipped the balance for many more to come to Ireland for Golf as opposed to Scotland or any of the many other rival destinations competing for the same global business.
Spending less than €1 million to secure value of more than €200 million would be seen as good investment by any standard.
The Open is hardly short of commercial support either. Among those to gain special prominence yesterday and through the week were BMW, Emirates, Waterford Crystal, Rolex, Heineken and Tullow Oil.
BMW secured their value through the ability to provide a special car park, closest to the course for the general public, the only access requirement to which was you were driving a BMW. Golf is demographically at the upper end of the scale and small touches like this add immeasurable value to the brand positioning within not only its but also its rival customers minds.
The same demographic appeals to Emirates who were entertaining travel trade executives overlooking the 18th and hosting the longest lines of people to enter competitions within the tented village. The ‘walkabout’ presence of Stewardesses in striking uniforms was perhaps a throw back to another age of ‘glamour’ travel but again very effective within a tightly targeted audience.
Heineken are in year two of an extended deal with the Open which also gives exclusive pouring rights so it was Heineken and Murphy’s only for any thirsty visitors to Carton, and a sales spike for the business as a result.
For Carton House, the hosting of an event like this is like a gold plated brochure or invitation to the world. US golf tourists in particular spent an average €1,800 on their trips here in 2012 and this niche is very much a sweet spot for the Mallaghan Family that own the resort and have always identified sport as a key driver of its success.
The US Golf Channel carried full live coverage of the event and the spectacular setting will have registered with next year’s tourists travelling from Florida, California and New York.
Tuesday: How the Irish Open became a local success story in Kildare
Wednesday: The Roller Coaster Story of Carton House
September 19th: Sport for Business Round Table on Sports Tourism
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Open Success Yields Financial Return
