Marathon’s global hunt
Search for big-name partner as airport contract ends
THE Gold Coast Marathon is looking for a global brand to be its next naming-rights sponsor after deciding to end its 15-year top-level deal with the Gold Coast Airport.
The marathon wants an interstate or overseas brand with global recognition and reach to take over the 40th edition of the event.
Events Management Queensland said it wanted to ensure the growth and expan- sion of the iconic sporting classic with plans to increase participant numbers from 25,000 to 30,000 by 2020 and introduce pre and post-event activities.
The Gold Coast Airport will still be involved in the Gold Coast Marathon, sponsoring the 5.7km Challenge.
“They’ve been able to deliver fantastic results for the event,” Events Management Queensland CEO Cameron Hart said. “But the event is now at the point where it needs to look beyond Gold Coastbased sponsorships if we are really going to take the event up to a whole new level.
“(We are) looking at partners to grow this event even further.”
Gold Coast Airport’s CEO Chris Mills said the airport “fully supported” EMQ’s decision to pursue different naming-rights opportunities.
“... It’s one of the longest naming-rights partnerships in Australian sport,” he said.
“On the back of ongoing event growth we understand the desire and need to elevate the event and position it for ongoing growth by aligning with a new brand of global recognition and reach.
“We are excited to commence this new era of support, and our desire to see the event prosper is confirmed with our commitment to the event and the Gold Coast community by sponsoring the Gold Coast Airport 5.7km Challenge from 2018.”
The new arrangement comes after Gold Coast Airport announced itself as a sponsor for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.
“We are also currently examining other sponsorship opportunities to be announced in the near future,” Mr Mills said.
Mr Hart said the marathon’s aim of attracting more international runners was because they tended to stay longer and spend more money on the Gold Coast.
But marathon organisers want to look at ways to ensure Gold Coasters enjoyed the event, by developing plans to re-engage with the community.
Mr Hart was “very confident” a new partner to take the event beyond 2020 would be announced by the end of the year or immediately after the Commonwealth Games.