Stena Match Cup Sweden 2015
EVENT REPORT
Highlight of the summer After a sparkling anniversary in 2014 and a number of world class events to compete with for the attention of the world of sailing, what was to be in store for Stena Match Cup Sweden in 2015? With an increased number of visitors, a new hospitality and lounge set-up and higher ratings than ever, the event turned out to be a true success. After 20 years in Marstrand, we humbly look forward to the future and how we can continue to develop Stena Match Cup Sweden. Yet, as you will see in this Event Report, the event continues to attract partners and visitors, to get great coverage in local and international media and give fans unforgettable sailing memories. Stena Match Cup Sweden is one of Sweden’s most successful annual events and Brandspot is proud to produce one of most respected regattas in the world.
We worked hard...
9000 working hours by the volunteers
3565 hospitality meals served
...and played hard
The event area race dock main stage
welcome desk
vip parking vip moorings
race village
spectator hill hospitality lounges
89 vip boats 3 hospitality lounges
17371 m2 event area
33 exhibitors in the event area
Source: Rubin Research public survey
Marstrand - the home of arena sailing ”Stena Match Cup Sweden is the biggest sport event of the year in Kungälv. This is when the world comes to visit and the whole municipality lives up. For many, both citizens and businesses, it’s an important event and a highlight. It’s also a important part of our efforts to endorse sports in the region.” Håkan Karlsson, Kungälv Kommun
4,6 out of 5 rating for the atmosphere at the event
”Stena Match Cup Sweden means a lot to Marstrands Havshotell and to the whole island as a destination. The community is energized, the island is full of visitors and it brings a lot of companies to us that have become important partners of ours the whole hear around. Also, the media puts Marstrand and the municipality of Kungälv in the spotlight during the event, and this strengthens the image of the venue as one of the world’s best sailing destinations.” Daniel Svensson, Marstrands Havshotell
The arenas
Match Cup Lounge
5,3 out of 6 rating
The heart of the social events and the place to be when you want to get as close to the action as possible, both when it comes to sailing and socializing. Seating approximately 600 guests, the Match Cup Lounge hosts the Opening and Closing Dinners as well as several partner events. The new layout with a large bar area and a spectator stand contributed to the improved rating in the partner survey.
Source: sponsor evaluation
5,0 out of 6 rating
Courtyard Lounge
The Courtyard Lounge got a well-needed boost heading into the 2014 event, which is something that we wanted to build on for 2015 with a new After Sail concept. Few locations beat the Courtyard Lounge on a warm summer evening and the event partners and crew enjoyed both the Match Club and Under-21 Football Euro final here during the event this year.
The arenas
Race Village & Race Arena
4,1 out of 5 rating**
We wanted to increase the awareness of our brand, especially in the business class segment and we have done that these last couple of years. A couple of years ago, few people knew the high level quality at Turkish Airlines, that’s why we wanted to be a partner to Stena Match Cup Sweden and we have seen clear positive results. We also want to promote our global network of flights and at Marstrand we reach a lot of people. Tobias Andersson, Turkish Airlines
* Source: sponsor evaluation ** Source: Rubin Research public survey
4,9 out of 6 rating*
Rooftop Lounge
With an unbeatable overview of the race course and a relaxed atmosphere, Rooftop Lounge is ideal if you want to socialize while still keeping an eye on the action on the water.
Junior Arena
5,1 out of 6 rating*
The social events
1410 guests at official functions
4296 staff meals served during the week
Opening Ceremony
5,5 out of 6 rating
Source: sponsor evaluation ”The Midweek Party works very well for the purpose to increase our engagement in the event. It’s very fun to work with and it’s a perfect way for us to show our hotel and our restaurant to all the partners of Stena Match Cup Sweden. We hope it inspires to use our hotel for events during not only during Stena Match Cup Sweden but during the rest of the year.” Daniel Svensson, Marstrands Havshotell
Midweek Party
4,9 out of 6 rating
378,000 SEK raised for the World Childhood Foundation
Childhood Race
4,8 out of 6 rating
The social events
Match Club
4,7 out of 6 rating
11307 VIP accreditations
Innovation Forum
4,9 out of 6 rating
Source: sponsor evaluation
5053 drink tickets used
Closing Ceremony
4,4 out of 6 rating
*Source: Rubin Research public survey
�Stena Match Cup is definitely one of our favourite events on the World Match Racing Tour. The unique Swedish archipelago creates the perfect natural stadium for the racing to be viewed by thousands of spectators each day� Taylor Canfield, USone Sailing Team
4,6 out of 5 rating for quality of sailing*
One for the books Stena Match Cup Sweden has a strong record of attracting the biggest names in sailing to Sweden and this year’s event was no exception. BjÜrn Hansen, Swedish sailing legend, five time champion of Stena Match Cup Sweden and the newest member of the events Hall of Fame. You won Stena Match Cup Sweden for the forth consecutive year, what did you think about the event this summer? �It has always been a great event but this year it really felt like an extraordinary celebration with great weather and a lot of fans following us through out the week. We had a new team this year and weren’t as well prepared as we have been previous years. In a way it’s unbelievable that we were able to go all the way. We didn’t dare to dream about it, but it was great to win Stena Match Cup Sweden for the fifth time.� How did it feel to get a spot in the Stena Match Cup Sweden’s Hall of Fame next to Pelle Petterson, Magnus Holmberg, Peter Gilmour and Peter Klock? �It’s a great honour even if it still feels like i still have some way to go to their level of achievements. My team has won the event five times, that’s not easy, and we are proud that we have been able to put our footprint in the event’s history. Without the people that have sailed with me in the team, I wouldn’t have a place in the Hall of Fame, it’s a testimony of what we have done together.�
You first competed at Marstrand in 1994, how has the event developed? �Stena Match Cup Sweden has become a institution and the success of the events starts with Marstrand being one of the best sailing arenas in the world. Sailors love the response we get from the fans on the cliffs and they really know a lot about the sport. At the same time, it’s obvious how the commercial platform for partners of the event keeps getting better each year, Brandspot and the Gothenburg Royal Yacht Club have done a great job through the years.� And what’s the secret behind your success in the event? �Happiness. It says a lot about both the event and our own strengths as a team. We have a lot of fun together when we sail, and it’s easy to smile when you are winning, Still, our high level of performance in Stena Match Cup Sweden the last couple of years comes from being a happy boat.�
BJĂ–RN HANSEN Age: 48 Team: Nautiska Racing Crew members: Mathias Bredin, Gustav Tempelman, Fredrik Aurell, Nils BjerkĂĽs. Record at Stena Match Cup Sweden: Winner 2007, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015
The results
3. Keith Swinton
4. Taylor Canfield
1. Bjรถrn Hansen
2. Ian Williams
5. Reuben Corbett
6. Phil Robertson
7. Johnie Berntsson
8. Simone Ferrarese
9. Joachim Aschenbrenner
10. Eric Monnin
11. Nicklas Dackhammar
12. Rasmus Viltoft
13. Sam Gilmour
14. Anna Ă–stling
A foundation to build on The Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club has hosted Stena Match Cup Sweden since the event started in 1994. The Yacht Club is responsible for the producing the regatta on the water and for the around 130 volunteers that work with the event at Marstrand. David Granath, Project Manager for the yacht club: How would you like to sum up Stena Match Cup Sweden 2015? We are very proud of how we worked with this year’s event and we had fantastic conditions with good winds and sun through out the whole week. Our goal this year was to make the production of the racing more effective, a request we have received from both spectators and the sailors. We are happy that me managed to speed up the pace, with shorter breaks between flights, while keeping the quality of the event. It’s very important for us to that the regatta is managed in the most professional way possible. It’s fantastic to see a Swedish team winning again, and for Björn Hansen to claim the cup for the fifth time is a truly spectacular achievement. Looking ahead, what is important for the event in the future? The Gothenburg Royal Yacht Club has worked with Stena Match Cup Sweden for over 20 years, and the event has evolved and improved each year. We now have a very stabile foundation. It’s important that we keep looking at possible improvements as the commercial interest for the event increases. We will continue to help our young match racing talents live up to their potential and we hope we will see many of our sailors compete in Marstrand for years to come. Also, the hard work from our volunteers cannot be underestimated. The event simply wouldn’t be possible without their efforts.
”For such a well managed event, it the sailors to show up and sail, no worry about any logistics because o volunteers that take care of Taylor Canfield, USone Sail
t is nice for ot having to of all of the us sailors.� ling Team
Sponsor activation
88% brand recall*
Stena
”It’s a pleasure for us to invite our most important clients to Stena Match Cup Sweden each year. In Marstrand we invite them to seminars where we talk about our business and to take part in discussions. It suits us very well as we get the opportunity to gather people in a more relaxed environment than we have otherwise. It’s a great opportunity to for discussions we normally don’t have time for” Lovisa Andersson, Stena Metall
*Unassisted brand recall Source: Rubin Research public survey
”We use the event mainly for customer activities, both in Gothenburg and in Marstrand and we think it works very well for us for this purpose. The first line of our current model year cars roll out from the factory just before the event, and this makes it a perfect timing for test-driving. The idea behind our exclusive parking area, only for Volvo cars, is that we want Volvo owners to feel like they are treated to something extra. We have gotten great feedback from this and we think it’s worth investing in our customers.” Bengt Magnusson, Volvo Car Sweden
Volvo
61% brand recall*
Tele2
Sponsor activation
Albert Riele
8% brand recall*
Turkish Airlines
38% brand recall*
DB Schenker
*Unassisted brand recall Source: Rubin Research public survey
39% brand recall*
Celsius
19% brand recall*
Poseidon
�We offered test diving to over 100 people and helped build the underwater scaffolding for the Match Cup Lounge. We also checked the race boats for marks after each day of racing.� Henrik Berntsson, Poseidon Diving Center
78 percent of the visitors say it’s very likely that they will return next year
68 percent of the visitors would recommend the event to friends
4,7 out of 5 rating for the
Source: Rubin Research public survey
4,3 out of 5 rating for the emotional experience at the event
viewing-friendliness
4,6 out of 5 rating for an event to enjoy with family and friends
PR & Media Stena Match Cup Sweden, the Volvo Ocean Race and the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series created a super sailing summer on the Swedish west coast in 2015. But rather than competing for the attention from media and fans, the events boosted the interest for sailing as a sport in Sweden. The event in Marstrand can take advantage of this for years to come. Local print media continued to cover the event with reporters on sight (50 accredited media representatives in total) and with the help from the 28 press releases distributed from the event press office. Daily telegrams from the Swedish news agency TT during the event contributed a lot to the coverage in newspapers and online media in the whole country. All in all, there were over 480 online articles published nationally during the event. With prime time TV-segments in both SVT Sportnytt and TV Sport, and radio coverage in both Mix Megapol and Swedish Public radio, we reach out to audiences on a national scale. We believe that the great video production of the event has a lot of potential and moving forward we will work hard to increase the TV-coverage. Our online platforms attracted more followers than previous years. Stenamatchcupsweden.com attracted 20 000 unique visitors during June and July, adding up to almost 90 000 page views. The website featured updated information to visitors and fans as well as live TV-coverage from the Race Arena together with exciting interviews on Match Cup TV. Our fan base on Facebook increased from 3 400 followers to over 10 000 and social media is an increasingly important way for us to interact with everyone who likes Stena Match Cup Sweden. We want to continue to be creative in how we reach out to people on social medias, not only on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. We are always looking out for new platforms where we can tell our story and build our brand.
480 articles 50 accredited journalists 297% increased Facebook following Selected media: Göteborgs-Posten, May 10 Dagens Nyheter, June 29 Göteborgs-Posten, July 2 Aftonbladet, July 4 Göteborgs-Posten, July 4 Expressen , July 4 SVT, July 4
Marketing
With long running partnerships with partners like Gรถteborgs-Posten and SBS Radio, Stena Match Cup Sweden has a solid a widespread foundation for its marketing communication. An insert was produced together with Stampen Local Media and was distributed to almost 200.000 households prior to the event. New this year was the studio show in addition to the live production, visited by guests such as competitors and participating commercial partners. The main purpose of the studio show was to use the gaps in the sailing schedule to analyse the sailing, closely present the event partners and to provide the viewers with relevant content about the event and Marstrand.
Stena Match Cup Sweden continued to develop a full coverage of the event, offering new alternatives both to the people visiting Marstrand and those who follow the event from elsewhere. Apart from the high-quality live production together with Red Handed TV, fans could now follow their favorite teams via the new onboard audio interface on the official website, developed together with IT partner HiQ.
Moving on to greater things This summer, we proved once more that Stena Match Cup Sweden deserves its place amongst the best international sailing events in the world. Unforgettable moments on the race arena, great weather, fantastic efforts from our partners and hard work from our many fantastic volunteers made it stand out in the competition from the Volvo Ocean Race and the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series in Gothenburg. 21 years after the start of the event, we stand firmly as one of the most appreciated B2B-events in the region. We have a great family of partners who trust us and that we appreciate working with. We are also very happy that so many people and partners like the event and continue to return to Marstrand year after year. But it is important for us not to take this for granted, we want to keep surprising visitors to Stena Match Cup Sweden, and making sure that our partners feel that the event evolves and is an interesting platform every year. We have to keep producing a great event where we explore new ways to enrich the experience from the race arena for spectators. Thanks to the great efforts by GKSS, we hope to see young Swedish sailors get the chance to cultivate their talents and challenge the elite match racing stars in the future. We put a lot of resources in evaluating the event each year, as we think this is the way for us to keep improving. It is clear that there are areas for improvement. Now we enter a phase where we take the results from this year’s evaluation and use this knowledge when we start to plan for 2016. We will keep focusing on our partners. Working towards a more publicly attractive event will be done together with our main partners as well as the municipality of Kungälv and local business in Marstrand. We can still do a lot to make Stena Match Cup Sweden an event that is richer in content and add value for everyone involved for a larger part of the year. We look forward to producing an even better edition of Stena Match Cup Sweden next year. We hope to see you all back at Marstrand in 2016! Erica Berghagen. Senior Project Manager
Publisher Erica Berghagen erica@brandspot.com +46-735-09 18 34
Project Manager Frida Bengtsson-SeldĂŠn frida@brandspot.com +46-735-88 47 01
Editor & Layout Patrik Hermansson patrik@brandspot.com +46-735-07 04 17
Writer Fabian Bengtsson fabian@brandspot.com +46-704-59 72 12
Photo Credit Emmy Jonsson Robert Hajduk (c) 2015
See you in 2016!
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