China Southern Airlines to sponsor Sydney Festival from 2013
China Southern Airlines has announced a three-year sponsorship deal with the Sydney Festival, as 0f 2013.
The announcement:
MEDIA RELEASE JANUARY 23, 2012 China Southern Airlines announces three year partnership for Sydney Festival
China Southern Airlines announced over the weekend that it will sponsor Sydney Festival for the next three years from 2013.
This major announcement was made by Executive Vice President of China Southern Air Holding Company and President and CEO of China Southern Airlines, Mr Tan Wan’geng on his arrival in Sydney on the eve of Sydney Festival’s Symphony in the Domain, one of the 2012 events supported by the airline.
“China Southern’s $600,000 sponsorship of Sydney Festival 2012 was the airline’s largest single marketing initiative in the Australian market, and came about because the airline saw Australia not just as a very important source of travellers to China but also to the rest of the world on its global network. China Southern will also continue the sponsorship of the Sydney Festival for the next three years,” said Mr Tan.
In July 2011 while leading a delegation to China for a Joint Economic Meeting between NSW and Guangdong province, the NSW Premier, The Hon. Barry O’Farrell announced that China Southern would join Sydney Festival as Official Airline and Leadership Partner for the 2012 Festival. This commitment made the airline the first significant overseas based sponsor and the first by a Chinese company.
Commenting on the extension of China Southern Airline’s sponsorship, Premier Mr O’Farrell said he was “delighted that the strong foundations laid during the 2012 Festival have led to such an immediate and substantial renewal of the airline’s commitment. The announcement to continue the sponsorship recognises the positive outcomes and future potential of this partnership with one of the Asia Pacific region’s key cultural events, and Australia largest performing arts festival.”
As Official Airline for Sydney Festival 2012, the partnership with China Southern Airlines focused on support for The Domain Concert Series alongside co-sponsor ANZ and Sydney Festival’s Principal Sponsor, Zip Industries. The Airline’s other associations include the Ferrython on Sydney Harbour on Australia Day. The details of the partnership across the forthcoming Festivals are yet to be finalised.
Lieven Bertels, incoming Festival Director of Sydney Festival 2013-2015 added, “We are thrilled with the opportunity this brings to invite Cantonese performing arts to the Sydney Festival and to share China’s rich cultural heritage with our audience. Through this extended collaboration Guangzhou will become an increasingly important gateway into Asia for Australian arts lovers.
Guangzhou-based China Southern Airlines (code CZ) has operated into Australia for more than 10 years. It now flies twice daily between Sydney and Guangzhou, twice daily from Melbourne, four times a week from Brisbane and three times a week from Perth. It also offers daily direct services from Guangzhou to Auckland. China Southern Airlines is a proud member of SkyTeam and SkyTeam Cargo. China Southern operates the largest airline fleet in Asia and with more than 80 million passengers carried in 2011 it is the third largest carrier in the world.
Sydney Festival 2012 continues until 29 January.
Source: Sydney Festival press release
