First the VRC revealed it’s unveiling a Mumm bar at the Spring Racing Carnival, now Piper-Heidsieck has announced the construction of a Champagne House on Grand Slam Oval for the Australian Open.
Mumm recently extended its sponsorship agreement with the VRC for another five years, making it the official champagne of the Melbourne Cup Carnival and Flemington until 2023. The Mumm bar, pictured below, will be a world first.
Piper-Heidsieck was announced last week as the Official Champagne Partner for the Australian Open for the next three years.
Australian Open Tournament Director, Craig Tiley, said: “We are delighted to partner with such a premium and internationally awarded Champagne House like Piper-Heidsieck,” he said.
Tennis Australia Chief Revenue Officer, Richard Heaselgrave added: “Piper-Heidsieck is recognised around the world for their excellence and prestige and we are very excited to welcome them on board for the Australian Open, starting in 2019,” he said. “The Australian Open is now about much more than world-class tennis – it’s a sports and entertainment festival that attracts over one million fans to the precinct each year.
“Socialising and celebrating are a key part of our event’s appeal, and this new partnership with Piper-Heidsieck, and their Champagne House activation at Grand Slam Oval, will add a fun, new element to the event for our fans.”
Australia now Piper-Heidsieck’s largest market globally
Piper-Heidsieck’s Executive Vice President, Benoît Collard told The Australian that Australia was now Piper-Heidsieck’s largest market globally, exceeding even France. He is confident the sponsorship will take the brand to even greater heights.
“We believe it can help us reach sales of one million bottles a year in Australia in the next five years,” he said.
“This is our first sports sponsorship in Australia. But we didn’t pick it because it is a sports event. We picked it because the experience and the event it creates goes beyond tennis only. There is no other sports event anywhere where outstanding chefs are partnering with the event, and opening pop-up restaurants on site, and also … concerts with the leading singers and stars.”
Champagne sales in Australia have hit an all-time high, rising 16% in 2017 to 8.5 million bottles.
Paul Kind, CEO of sponsorship agency Total Sports and Entertainment, said champagne was now entering into a domain once dominated by beer as a growing number of professional Millennials attend the Australian Open and major horse races.
“Fifteen years ago, beer companies were the predominant investors in sport sponsorship,” he said. “At one point a couple of decades back you had the Foster’s and Tooheys New Melbourne Cup. Now you’re seeing champagne brands increasing their sponsorship footprint in sport, because consumption is rising.”
He also saw it as a more natural fit than other consumer brands.
“They’re part of the celebration,” he said. “They get exclusive rights to be consumed in their category at the sporting event. Contrast that with, say, a car company, where they’re trying to sell cars through signage and promotion, but they don’t actually sell any at the event.”
