An independent survey has revealed that Edinburgh’s entry in the Clipper 09-10 Round the World Yacht Race, Edinburgh Inspiring Capital, gained a media exposure in excess of $10 million.
By bringing the Clipper 11-12 Race to the Capital, the city and country could build on this success – the 09-10 event hosted by Hull attracted more than 150,000 people and an independent evaluation estimated that £9.3m was generated for the region’s economy.
Laura Gordon, CEO of Corporate Connections International, is working with race organisers Clipper Ventures to help them identify suitable corporate partners for the Scottish entry for the 2011-2012 race.
She says, “The Clipper Race provides a unique marketing platform for international business promotion at 15 ports of call across the world over a year-long period. A Scottish entry will create a powerful focus for a global business initiative that will not only boost trade and international brand recognition for the commercial sponsors but will also raise the profile of the country as an international destination.”
First Minister Alex Salmond has offered his support. He said:
“Last year, I was delighted to officially name Edinburgh’s entry and welcome the yacht to the 09/10 race. The crew of Edinburgh Inspiring Capital took the Homecoming message to ports across the world and encouraged visitors to come to Scotland long after the year’s celebrations. They were wonderful ambassadors for Scotland, as well as an inspiration to others who are striving to overcome personal challenges or to achieve their ambitions.
“The Scottish Government was proud to support this fine venture and I hope that this tremendous competition continues for many years to come.”
Figures delivered by Sports Marketing Surveys, the independent evaluation agency used by FIFA and McLaren, reported that the city’s entry in 09-10 featured in 783 media stories and reached an audience of over 40 million people worldwide during the ten month race. The total audience for the race (and all entries) exceeded half a billion people, with the overall media value estimated at more than $100m.
Council leader, Jenny Dawe, has previously made the case to business leaders for the city to join the likes of New York, Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town in hosting a leg of the biennial round-the-world race.
“Not only did the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race prove to be a fresh, innovative way of marketing Edinburgh internationally, it made a real difference to the lives of the young Capital crew members who participated. I fully support Clipper in their efforts to not only continue Scotland’s participation in this unique event but also to explore the exciting possibility of bringing the race here to Edinburgh”, she said.
Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, the first man to sail solo, non-stop around the world and Chairman of Clipper Ventures, added: “There is a real opportunity to build on the 09-10 campaign, generating further investment through activations in the race ports from key business locations of California and New York to Singapore and China. It would also be a real first for Scotland, to bring an international round the world yachts race and its influential sponsors to the capital for a celebration of Edinburgh as a world-class destination.”
