CHIP & PIN - IGTM 2012

CHIP PIN

2012 “busiest year yet� for Azalea

Awards rain down on clients

Tourist board strategies a success

Pan-European digital campaigns

creative solutions

Golf

Time to play

positive media | intelligent marketing AZALEA Tel:

0044 (0) 1730 711 920

Email:

info@theazaleagroup.com

Web:

www.theazaleagroup.com

ANDY BARWELL

SEAN NOBLE

A

meet the two men behind azalea...

zalea is delighted to be attending its sixth IGTM. Chip & Pin is the Azalea magazine and we hope this issue will give you a flavour of the work we do for our fantastic clients in the golf tourism industry.

The past 12 months have proved extremely busy for the Azalea team, taking us to all corners of Europe and seen us empowered by our growing portfolio of clients to go forth and ‘make media’ that was both on-message and cost-effective, while also providing them with a sound return on investment.

Value-for-money is a key consideration for all of you and we have continued to demonstrate great returns for our clients this year.

Our knowledge of the market and our creative genes have enabled our clients to stay ahead of the game in PR and marketing terms.

We look forward to meeting with you during the show and discussing how Azalea can help you achieve your golf tourism goals.

If you don’t have an appointment with us yet, feel free to give us a call, and we’ll make time to see you.

SEAN NOBLE Cell + (0) 7748 012 414

ANDY BARWELL Cell + (0) 7961 315 520

AZALEA Upper Cowgrove, Heath Farm, Heath Road East, Petersfield, Hants, GU31 4HT, UK Tel: 0044 (0) 1730 711920 Email: info@theazaleagroup.com Web: www.theazaleagroup.com Twitter: @golfbiztweets 3

WELCOME TO

THE FOUNDING members of the Leading Golf Courses of Spain collection, Mallorca’s Club de Golf Alcanada and Son Gual, continue to enjoy rave reviews.

Alcanada was recently voted the best golf course in Europe for the second successive year by visitors to leading German website www.1golf.eu, while, six months earlier, it received the same honour for the fourth time from leading German magazine Golf Journal.

Meanwhile, just four years after

Best: Alcanada has been voted the top course in Europe 4

Golf Son Gual opened it was recognised by Golf World magazine as its number one on the island and the ninth best in Spain. And both courses featured in the prestigious second edition of the Rolex World’s Top 1000 Golf Courses – the only two courses from Mallorca to feature and two of merely 23 Spanish courses to make the ‘cut’ in the weighty tome. www.son-gual.com www.golf-alcanada.com

‘OUR’ ISLAND

Founder : Son Gual was one of the first clubs to be accepted into the Leading Golf Courses of Spain

‘‘

Azalea has brought a number of press tr ips to Son Gual on our behalf.

They have proved ver y beneficial and we have no hesitation in recommending the company’s ser vices...

ANDREAS PAMER

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Donnafugata is top for travel magazine DONNAFUGATA Golf Resort & Spa’s growing status in the game has been confirmed after a momentous year which has seen it claim a hat-trick of top accolades, including being named top golf resort in Italy for 2012.

The deluxe five-star venue in south-east Sicily beat off strong competition to win the top honour from prestigious travel magazine Conde Nast Traveller – and

‘‘

Within six months of engaging Azalea, our visibility within the UK mar ket increased tenfold.

They are highly professional and a pleasure to wor k with...

GUY ROBERTS

became the first venue in Italy to be invited to join IMG Prestige, an exclusive collection of some of the world’s most celebrated golfing destinations.

Situated 90 minutes’ drive from Catania airport, the resort offers the perfect solution for people seeking a relaxing holiday in five-star surroundings on the largest island in the Mediterranean.

Donnafugata boasts two 18hole championship golf courses – the Links Course

and the Gary Playerdesigned Parkland Course – with the latter staging the 2011 Sicilian Open, won by Frenchman Rafael Jacquelin.

As well as its golf courses, Donnafugata offers a 202room five-star hotel, spa and wellness centre, swimming pools and fine-dining in three restaurants, and is the ideal Below left: Donnafugata destination for a holiday focused on sport and is the ideal relaxation in a truly exclusive destination setting. www.donnafugatagolfresort.com

in numbers

other awards have been quick to follow.

Donnafugata, which opened only two years ago, was included in Rolex World’s latest list of the top 1,000 global courses while it

Exclusive: The five-star Donnafugata sits in glorious Sicilian scenery

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€178,000 15

worth of media coverage in six months press visits

Monte da Quinta is Wright spot for stars

estate, including four championship golf courses, it’s little wonder Monte da Quinta continues to set pulses racing across Europe.

It boasts a collection of 132 self-catering suites and a range of two and threebedroom townhouses and spacious villas – the houses and villas have private pools.

Options The facilities and accomodation at Monte da Quinta are outstanding

Above: Celebrities were out in force for the 2012 Ian Wright Golf Classic

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Azalea has made a great difference to our business. Since we began wor king with them we have noticed a mar ked increase in traffic from the UK and Ireland...

CRISTINA PIC ARRA

www.montedaquintaresort.com

in numbers

MONTE DA QUINTA was as popular as ever in 2012 with a host of stars from the world of sport and entertainment flocking to the Algarve to enjoy the resort’s fantastic facilities.

The luxurious venue was the setting for the Lawrence Dallaglio Foundation golf event in June, with Will Greenwood beating his former World Cup-winning rugby teammate to the title.

And Monte da Quinta earned glowing praise three months later as ex-Arsenal and England striker Ian Wright returned to host the 2012 Ian Wright Golf Classic.

With its wide variety of accommodation options and leisure facilities on the spectacular Quinta do Lago

€138,000 10

worth of media coverage press visits

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LA MANGA CLUB BIRTHDAY WITH

in numbers

TO COMMEMORATE the 40th anniversary of the outstanding La Manga Club resort, in Murcia, Spain, Azalea arranged for specialist golf course photographer Mark Alexander to take some new course shots in the early summer.

With three outstanding golf courses, the five-star resort has always been popular since it first opened 40 years ago. And Alexander produced some stunning new images to celebrate.

What sets La Manga Club apart is the sheer scale of its sports and lifestyle facilities. In addition to a wonderful five-star hotel and serviced four-star apartments, there are more than 20 bars and

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€408,000 28

worth of media coverage press visits

restaurants to explore, while sports enthusiasts have a superb 28-court tennis centre, football and cricket pitches, professional fitness facilities and many other options to choose from, including mountain biking and road cycling.

Professional academies are available to brush up on tennis or golf skills and the Junior Club – which is open Monday to Friday all year round – takes care of the smaller members of the family groups.

To relax, the resort has its own luxury spa, complete with an extensive treatment menu, indoor pool, saunas and fitness centre. www.lamangaclub.com

TH

CELEBRATES 40 FRESH IMAGERY

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Azalea has displayed great attention to detail and a hardwor king attitude.

Their wor k, across golf and other spor t sector s, has helped put the resor t back on the map...

MACU HERNANDEZ

New look: The renowned 11th hole on La Manga Club’s prestigious South Course 9

And the winner is: Onyria Palmares...

‘‘

We’d like to thank...: Onyria Palmares now has a ‘tourism Oscar’ to add to its other recent accolades ONYRIA PALMARES Beach & Golf Resort picked up Portugal’s ‘national tourism Oscar’ for ‘best golf course’ at the recent Publituris Portugal Travel Awards.

It was the latest in a stream of accolades for the resort which has also been acclaimed the best ‘Private Rehabilitation Project’ by Turismo de Portugal, named the country’s second-best course by readers of Today’s Golfer magazine, become a new entry, at 26th, in Golf World’s poll of the Top 100 European Golf Courses, and listed as the third best course in Portugal by Golf Digest – and all a little more than a year after opening.

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Azalea has been highly beneficial for Onyria Golf Resor ts.

Their knowledge and dynamic approach has played a huge role in boosting awareness of our cour se in record time ...

JOAO PINTO COELHO

And, what’s more, the course was one of just two Portuguese new entries in the second Rolex World’s Top 1000 Golf Courses.

The latest honour was bestowed upon the Robert Trent Jones Jnr course by tourism professionals and Palmares was in good company, as other award winners included TAP,

Portugal’s national airline and the Sheraton Algarve.

The resort’s operations general director, António Pinto Coelho, said: “The Publituris Portugal Travel Awards are known in the industry as the ‘national tourism Oscars’ and to be acclaimed by your peers is especially gratifying. To be recognised as the best is very special.” www.onyriapalmares.com

good luck

Azalea wishes all our friends and colleagues at Onyria Palmares good luck in their quest to be named golf tourism supplier of the year at this week’s gala awards

Media entranced by Ireland’s golf courses

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We were aware of Azalea’s growing presence in the mar ket and were impressed with their range of innovative ideas to promote our Time to Play brand...

DAVID BOYCE

In addition to weekly press releases and monthly newsletters highlighting new golfing initiatives, courses and travel packages, Azalea also organised six golf press trips to Ireland during the summer, featuring media from leading national and regional newspapers, golf and lifestyle press.

And Azalea helped Tourism Ireland display its continued commitment to the game by

Shore thing: Royal Portrush, home to the 2012 Irish Open, won by Wales’ Jamie Donaldson being at the forefront of events taking place during the ever popular Open Championship week at Royal Lytham and St Annes.

As well as supporting the annual Association of Golf Writers’ dinner two days before the Open action began, Tourism Ireland was on hand to co-host an Open

industry party with Golf Monthly magazine just 24 hours later. www.discoverireland.com

in numbers

WORLD NUMBER one Rory McIlroy was not the only Irishman hitting the headlines this summer as Ireland’s credentials as a global golfing destination were put on show thanks to a targeted four-month PR campaign by Azalea.

The Emerald Isle grabbed the spotlight for all the right reasons after Azalea was recruited by Tourism Ireland to promote all aspects of its Time to Play initiative to a wider UK audience.

€290,000 33

worth of media coverage in five months press visits

Wor ld class: Royal County Down, one of the greatest of all courses

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Trade is thriving thanks to Estoril’s golf days HEYTHROP Park, in Oxfordshire, was the setting for the Estoril Golf Coast’s fourth annual golf day in May. The event brings together UK tour operators with representatives of golf courses, resorts and hotels

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I love wor king with Azalea.

We can always be assured that ever ything is done with their great professionalism and attention to detail...

SANDRA BRAZ

from this fantastic golfing region of Portugal.

It’s an opportunity for the buyers to find out more about the destination in a relaxed workshop and networking environment.

And, on the golf course, it’s a chance for the golf tour operators to battle it out for one of two qualifying spots in the Estoril Nations Cup. Karl Humphrey, from Your Golf Travel, and Scotney Jarvis, from the Aspirations Group, claimed those spots, and travelled to Estoril in October representing Team UK, to take on other golf tour operator teams from Europe.

They finished in a respectable fourth place, with Ireland taking the 2012 title.

It was the fourth time Azalea Left: Oitavos has organised the event on Dunes is one behalf of the Estoril Golf of the many Coast and it is proving to be outstanding an effective way for the destination to engage with its courses on the Estoril buying market.

Golf Coast www.estorilgolfcoast.com

Award-winning resort continues to impress

THE REPUTATION of Legend Golf & Safari Resort, in the Waterberg area of Limpopo, continues to spread far and wide after it was featured in three exclusive top-10 reports.

Online giant MSN included Legend in its travel section’s feature on the ‘world’s most beautiful golf courses’, timed to coincide with the Ryder Cup. And, just a few days later, it was listed among some of the sport’s most iconic venues in a feature titled ‘Around the world in 10 courses’, by The Financialist, a website presented by the financial services company Credit Suisse.

Meanwhile,Yahoo! Travel also included Legend in its ‘10 must-play courses’,

completing an impressive hat-trick for the stunning South African resort.

Legend Golf & Safari Resort’s CEO, Peet Cilliers, said: “It’s heart-warming to learn that experts worldwide are starting to rank Legend alongside some of the best known and most highly rated courses on the planet.

“It’s certainly unique: with its 18-hole Signature course featuring a different designer for each hole, and, the Extreme 19th, the world’s longest par-three, it definitely also captures the imagination of everybody we have visit here, whether they’re professional or amateur golfers, celebrities or families on holiday.” www.legendgolfsafari.com

A hit: Legend Golf & Safari Resort continues to win plaudits 13

Web campaigns put Algarve on the map ESTABLISHED golf destinations still need to ensure they remind golfers of why they’re so popular.

The Algarve is no exception, and, in 2012, Associação Turismo do Algarve (ATA) has continued to invest in pan-European website banner advertising.

Azalea has worked with ATA for five years, and helps the team to create strong messages and promotions to encourage

‘‘

Azalea always impress us with their efficient, professional and friendly manner.

The golf industr y is specific – Azalea under stands our needs and provides the right solution MARIA MANUEL DE SILVA

golf courses, and the current campaign – which features an online game – focuses on the message “Looking forward to winter?”.

The campaign reminds golfers of how bad the weather can be ‘at home’, and counters it with imagery of the sun-drenched courses of the Algarve.

in numbers

Northern European golfers to think of the Algarve when planning their golf escape.

With year-round sunshine, the weather is a strong selling point for the Algarve’s

Multi-lingual: Associação Turismo do Algarve commissioned Azalea to produce creative for the new campaign

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5

Through October, golfers were treated to a free beer at Faro Airport in a Super Bock promotion. The banner campaign supported this promotion too with a strong message for the offer.

The campaigns run in the UK & Ireland, Holland, Germany, Sweden and Denmark. www.visitalgarve.pt

3,000,000

countries

4,000 languages

500,000

ad impressions so far...

2

unique users

click-throughs to ATA website

campaign has been running for

months

Press trip illustrates all region’s delights

WHILE MURCIA boasts a wide range of fantastic golf courses and resorts, the region has a huge amount to offer tourists beyond the fairways.

Its culture and history, food and wine, and breathtaking landscapes can combine to offer tourists a rich and varied Spanish holiday And so the Azalea Group was commissioned by the tourist office of Murcia to assemble a team of “quality travel journalists” for a five- day tour of the region.

From the mayhem of the Wine Horses Festival in Caravaca de la Cruz, to the splendour of the Roman theatre in the Cartagena, and finishing off among 25,000 Spaniards at the SOS 4.8 music festival, jumping up and down to

Mar Menor : Murcia has ‘something for everyone’ including some outstanding golf options

Pulp, this press trip demonstrated there genuinely is something for everyone in Murcia.

The results of the trip speak for themselves: a total of eight image-rich, full-length feature articles in lifestyle magazines and leading regional newspapers.

Delightful: Playa de Calabardina

Although Azalea has an international reputation as a golf PR and marketing specialist, it can certainly turn its hand to great effect in other areas of tourism. www.murciaturistica.es

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positive media | intelligent marketing

@golfbiztweets Chip & Pin is published, written and designed by The Azalea Group. All rights reserved