{"id":81005,"date":"2023-11-06T00:31:03","date_gmt":"2023-11-06T00:31:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/posterboyedit.com\/?p=81005"},"modified":"2023-11-06T00:31:03","modified_gmt":"2023-11-06T00:31:03","slug":"corporate-pecking-order-at-the-cup-whos-in-and-out-of-the-birdcage","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/posterboyedit.com\/world-news\/corporate-pecking-order-at-the-cup-whos-in-and-out-of-the-birdcage\/","title":{"rendered":"Corporate pecking order at the Cup: Who\u2019s in and out of the Birdcage"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Alongside the Reserve Bank\u2019s Cup Day interest rates decision on Melbourne Cup Day the other economic barometer this week is how full the exclusive Birdcage enclosure at Flemington is.<\/p>\n
Luxury jeweller Kennedy and streaming service Paramount + (Channel Ten) are out this year while Crown and Schweppes are in, both returning after several years absence.<\/p>\n
The enclosure is where politicians rub shoulders with celebrities, athletes and business leaders, while waiters pour champagne and shuck oysters inside invitation-only marquees put on by Australia\u2019s biggest corporates.<\/p>\n
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Lexus Australia general manager Yolande Waldock in the car company\u2019s marquee last year. <\/span>Credit: <\/span>Tash Sorenson<\/cite><\/p>\n To mark its return Crown has constructed a towering three-storey marquee in the front row, dubbed \u201cMillionaires row\u201d, of the Birdcage which is cheekily even taller than that of principal sponsor Lexus.<\/p>\n Crown Melbourne chief executive Mike Volkert would not comment on why Crown had left the Birdcage back in 2012 but said the casino operator was excited to return with an \u201celevated\u201d trackside experience.<\/p>\n \u201cOur return to The Birdcage coincides with our recent brand relaunch for the first time in nearly a decade,\u201d he said. \u201cThe Birdcage is a cultural and lifestyle attraction in its own right, and we felt it was the ideal location for guests of Crown to experience all that the Cup carnival and Crown Melbourne are known for.\u201d<\/p>\n A marquee in the Birdcage makes it clear that a corporate has plenty of cash to splash with no brand willing to reveal exactly how much the venture costs.<\/p>\n Penfolds chief marketing officer Kristy Keyte said brands \u201cdon\u2019t look at it like that\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe haven\u2019t gone through and worked out cost per head we\u2019re very much focused on making sure that the right people are in the marquee,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n A sampling of the food on offer in the Crown marquee.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Eddie Jim<\/cite><\/p>\n A spokeswoman for Schweppes said in a statement that the brand\u2019s return to the exclusive enclosure marked its 45 year partnership with the Victoria Racing Club.<\/p>\n Like Schweppes most of the brands prepared to stump up the huge cost of a marquee in the Birdcage are partners of the VRC.<\/p>\n All the brands provide product in the form of drinks such as wine (Penfolds), champagne (Mumm), beer (Furphy), catering (Crown) and betting (Tabcorp) with Lexus the only exception.<\/p>\n The only other brand which was not a product partner was luxury jeweller Kennedy which pulled the pin on its marquee this year after seven years and will end its naming rights sponsorship of Oaks day.<\/p>\n Kennedy chief commercial officer Glen Schlehuber said in a statement that a marketing review had led to the jeweller\u2019s decision to abandon its marquee.<\/p>\n \u201cLike all businesses we regularly review our marketing mix and after seven years we are re- Instead, Kennedy has signed a long-term sponsorship deal with the AFL and a partnership with the National Gallery of Victoria.<\/p>\n Once a partnership ends brands are quick to exit the Birdcage with Ten hastily pulling the plug on its Paramount + marquee even before its broadcast deal with the VRC expires at the end of this year.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Schweppes marquee has returned to the Birdcage.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Eddie Jim<\/cite><\/p>\n Some brands are reluctant to be associated with an event of such excess in a cost of living crisis and corporates are wary of the falling attendance numbers at racing along with the apathy or opposition of younger generations to horseracing on a variety of grounds, including animal welfare concerns.<\/p>\n Others are concerned that the Birdcage has lost its edge as a place to make corporate connections with reality television stars and influencers more likely to be in the marquees than the business leaders who used to frequent the Birdcage like Gina Rinehart, Anthony Pratt and James Packer.<\/p>\n Long gone are the days of Emirates, Myer, Lavazza, Swisse, Hilton having marquees in the champagne soaked enclosure and it\u2019s even longer since big corporates like NAB, BlueScope and Macquarie hosted marquees.<\/p>\n However some A list glamour did return this year with movie star Matt Damon\u2019s surprise appearance at the Birdcage.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Liza Minnelli in the Myer marquee in the Birdcage with Jennifer Hawkins and Rebecca Judd in 2009. <\/span>Credit: <\/span>Rebecca Hallas<\/cite><\/p>\n The VRC has plugged the gaps in the Birdcage footprint with its own marquees and launched Gwen and Lucky\u2019s this year where attendees can eat from a menu devised by Curtis Stone for a price of up to $1700 per person.<\/p>\n VRC chief executive Steve Rosich said despite the reshuffle of marquees the Birdcage was still going thriving.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s always an evolution from time to time,\u201d he said. \u201cCorporate interest in the Melbourne Cup carnival has never been stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n Rosich said there were record numbers of corporate attendees last year and it looked like the Melbourne Cup carnival would beat that this year with around 35,000 of the attendees over the four days of the carnival buying a corporate package.<\/p>\n \u201cOver the four days they\u2019ll showcase a bigger bolder presence in the Birdcage and including that central area where VRC members and their guests alike can be engaging with that unique Birdcage area,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Keep up to date with the best AFL coverage in the country. <\/i><\/b>Sign up for the Real Footy newsletter<\/i><\/b>.<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
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