Client: MAC Group
Location: on the road, from Milan to Sanremo
Typology of the project: Automotive - Car race management - Coordination and organisation - Organisational secretary - Partnership e comarketing - Regional marketing - Integrated Communication
Objectives
- Ensure the competitors re-live the historic tradition of a race that characterised Milanese and other competitions on four wheels for a long period of time between the 30s and the early 70s
- Enhance and promote local economic development of the areas through which the event passes, placing in the foreground the typicality and values of the territory
- Activate new contacts and foster those that exist
- Develop new business relationships in co-marketing
Strategy
As the organiser, the MAC Group elaborated a strategic project (strategic planning) to entertain and involve competitors in an event of exclusive and strong emotional tone. The following were programmed: service needs, relations were arranged with suppliers (production) and competitors (customer relations management); all the operative, administrative, logistical and creative (project management) phases were organised directly, as were communications - media plan, press relations, acceptance/decline of invitations - that were entirely managed internally (press office).
A programme was adopted that kept in the foreground the importance of the event's eco-sustainability, in line with the eco-business policy adopted by the company.
MAC Group elaborated a territorial marketing programme to determine and differentiate the economic development of the local organisations with a project able to enhance the economic and environmental characteristics of the territories and to attract attention, creating value and catalysing interest in distinctive subjects.
Concept
A regularity race for vintage cars in the FIA/C.S.A.I. calendar, sustained and promoted by the Automobile Club of Milan and organised by the MAC Group: the route extended for about 500 km and the event included 20 timed tests. The race took place during three days and two nights and was a single leg from Milan to Sanremo over a new road discovered among the Piedmont hills, to then reach the sea: the route crossed 80 municipalities in Lombardy, Piedmont and Liguria and among the principal stages were Acqui Terme and Imperia.
Actions
Race day was preceded by a period of lapping and test driving on the Monza Autodrome, which was followed by a parade along the roads of central Milan. The inauguration dinner of the eighth Historic Commemoration of the historic commemoration of Coppa Milano-Sanremo was held at the Hotel Principe di Savoia, where participants also stayed overnight. The actual competition began the following morning with departure from piazza Duomo in Milan and the finish in the City of Flowers that evening: Acqui Terme welcomed the competitors and their vintage cars at the Grand Hotel Nuove Terme for a pause in driving during the event before crossing the Piedmont hills and the Passo del Sassello on their way to the sea. The finish of the first race day took place in the San Remo city centre: each of the competing cars and their crews were presented to members of the public by a leading Sky TV journalist and personality, Savina Confaloni. The following morning, the challenge came to an end with final timed tests and laps of the Ospedaletti circuit set up ad hoc for the event. The eighth historic commemoration of the Coppa Milano-Sanremo was won by Moceri-Labate aboard an Alfa Romeo 6C 1500 Super Sport: the awards ceremony was held in the Royal Hotel, Sanremo.
MAC Group had arranged an additional optional programme for participants who wanted to conclude their weekend in the suggestive scenario of Monte Carlo, with dinner and accommodation at the exclusive hotel Fairmont Monte Carlo.
The Coppa Milano-Sanremo is a 'driver' territorial marketing project that enhances and promotes the environmental, cultural and eno-gastronomic patrimony of the lands of Lombardy, Piedmont and Liguria through which the event passes.
The Coppa Milano-Sanremo is the first vintage car competition that has adopted an eco-sustainable mission, having adhered to the Impact Zero® project of LifeGate since 2009. The commitment to this "green mission" has been made by undertaking three concrete actions:
- To reduce CO₂ and carbon dioxide emissions, avoiding superfluous consumption - for example, in plastic materials - and adopting virtuous conduct that involves all its protagonists, organisational staff, competitors and suppliers through: printing communications matter on ecological material, the use of cars of low environmental impact for staff movements, promotion of car pooling, agreement with catering organisations for the preparation of km zero menus.
- Re-forestation of 51,000 square metres in Costa Rica: this is the "green" equivalent of the race's CO₂ emissions, calculated at 268,816 kilograms (2009 data).
- Make the public aware directly and through the media and inform them of those which are the eco-sustainable driving behavioural guidelines with ad hoc messages and communications.
The numbers
- 80 municipalities crossed
- A route of about 500 km with 20 timed tests
- 80 competitor cars built between 1906 and 1973
- 11 countries represented
- 51 Italian crews
- 29 foreign crews
- 111 members of staff for the route and management of the cars
- 73 C.S.A.I./race marshals/time keepers
- 30 people devoted to accreditation
- 16 members of the traffic police
- 20 people devoted to scene set-ups
- 45 service and support vehicles
