Montana and WOW to continue Award Winning Partnership
Award winning partnership to continue
A 10 year partnership which has been described by Tourism New Zealand as “exemplifying New Zealand at its creative, innovative best” is to be extended for a further three years with today’s signing of a new naming rights sponsorship agreement between New Zealand’s leading winemaker Montana and the World of WearableArt™ Awards.
Announcement of the new agreement also received plaudits from the Ministry of Economic Development’s Major Events Manager, Vito Lo Iacono who says the Montana World of WearableArt™ Awards (Montana WOW® Awards) is not only a valuable generator of economic activity for the region. “These awards are also a world-class demonstration of the New Zealand events industry and what our creative producers are able to achieve,” says Vito.
Founder and Creative Director of the World of WearableArt™, Suzie Moncrieff, and Montana’s internationally acclaimed chief winemaker, Jeff Clarke, announced the new agreement at Montana’s flagship Brancott Winery to coincide with the launch of public ticket sales for the 2007 Montana WOW® Awards.
Suzie Moncrieff says the partnership with Montana has been critical to the event’s dramatic growth during the past 10 years. “What started as a small event run out of a tent in Nelson attracting about 200 people is now an internationally recognized venture with ticket sales exceeding 30,000 and delivering economic benefits to Wellington in excess of $8 million a year,” says Suzie.
“The growth rate is also reflected in the increasing number of international designers who enter the awards with nearly 20 percent of entries now coming from overseas designers. Our ability to grow and continually develop the Montana WOW® Awards is in no small way a direct result of the ongoing support and commitment of Montana and is reflected in accolades such as our 1999 Supreme New Zealand Tourism Award, the only event to ever win the supreme title.
“Knowing we have the support of Montana for the Montana WOW® Awards has also allowed us to focus on our other activities such as the World of WearableArt™ museum in Nelson which now attracts around 60,000 visitors a year, of which 60 percent are from overseas.”
Montana’s internationally acclaimed chief winemaker, Jeff Clarke, says it is the shared vision and values of his company and the World of WearableArt™ that delivers such a powerful and unique event.
“Montana, like the World of WearableArt™, is a pioneer of innovation locally and internationally and both organizations continue to push the boundaries to deliver experiences which put them at the forefront in their respective fields,” says Jeff.
“One such example is the introduction in 2005 of the Montana Edible Art Awards which allows Wellington restaurants to demonstrate and showcase their creativity in food design and wine matching during the Montana WOW® Awards month.”
In the 10 years of Montana’s partnership with the World of WearableArt™, it has maintained its position as this country’s leading wine exporter and has continued to lead the way in driving New Zealand’s international wine reputation through its innovative and distinctly New Zealand styled new products, such as its acclaimed Terroir range and recently launched first ever méthode traditionnelle, Montana Brut Cuvée.
It has also taken a lead role in international wine tourism with its backing of the world first Footprints Wine Travel Guide to the World, a unique publication combining wine and travel experiences in more than 80 countries which has been described by New Zealand tourisms chief as a smart move at a time of burgeoning interest in Kiwi wine tourism.
Public tickets are on sale from today from www.worldofwearableart.com for the 2007 Montana World of WearableArt™Awards to be held in Wellington from 20th to 30th September.
