Client Targa Florio Foundation, a non-profit organization
Location Itinerant, from Palermo and round in a tour of Sicily
Typology of the project and activity Automotive - Car Race Management - Strategic Planning - Coordination, Organisation and Production - Organisational secretariat and Costumer Relation Management - Partnership and comarketing management - Territorial Marketing - Integrated communications and Media Relations
Objectives
- To enable competitors to relive the legend and historic tradition of the oldest race in the world.
- To celebrate the famous automobile race born in 1906 and competed 95 times to this day in events ranging from World to European and Italian championships, in endurance, rally, and regularity forms.
- To perfect the aspects that increase the race's quality, internationalization, image, and satisfaction for those who participate and those who attend, while maintaining respect for its identity.
- To make Sicily the stage for a conference on sustainable mobility, uniting the theory and practice of eco mobility.
- To develop new business relations through sponsoring, co-marketing, and sub-licensing.
- To transform the event, not only into a gathering, but into a tool for business and strategic communications through side events created ad hoc before and after the race, and throughout the year, to amplify b2b and public relations meeting opportunities.
Strategic guidelines
The Fondazione Targa Florio Onlus, in collaboration with the Automobile Club Palermo, wished to relaunch the Eco Targa Florio event with a project that would capture the attention of the media and international participants and audience.
Research into eco-sustainable solutions for the future of the Automobile and the 'green' key were the leitmotif of the event, matching the values that have defined the Targa Florio since its beginning: in fact, the goal of the race declared by Vincenzo Florio himself was not to glorify speed so much as it was to extol the development and perfecting of the car.
To give the Targa Florio's legend the full spotlight it deserves, MAC Group focused on internationalizing the event, emphasizing the attention aimed at people, cars, thrills, and the race's historic sites.
Action
A modular event composed of four individual events created a sweeping, large-scale project.
- 6th Eco Mobility International Forum.
- Eco Targa Florio Green Prix.
- Eco Targa Florio Classic.
- Ferrari Tribute to Targa Florio .
A laboratory of ideas and solutions was created with the 6th Eco Mobility International Forum, where scholars, researchers, manufacturers, and political representatives interested in the matter of alternative energies explained the goals achieved so far and outlined the future of sustainable mobility. In Palermo's captivating, centrally-located Villa Malfitano Whitaker, the discussion addressed the theme of 'Focus on New Automotive EcoSolutions: which sustainable car?', that is, which technology should we set our stakes on: hybrid, electric, or eco-fuel systems.
MAC Group contributed to all aspects of the forum, choosing the location, deciding the subjects for discussion, and identifying the experts who would participate.
Three races were then held: two regularity rallies on the C.S.A.I. calendar, and one that qualified for the FIA Alternative Energy Cup International Championship.
The route that retraced the famous Circuito delle Madonie as well as a lap of Sicily wound along the historic competition's roads, passing through some of the most beautiful and striking sites of the island: in three days, over 800 kilometres were travelled, passing through 64 towns. Competitors were engaged in 40 timed trials, 16 time controls, and 4 recorded time checks.
The three race days were preceded by the Eco Targa Florio's opening dinner, held in Villa Malfitano Whitaker in the neoclassical 16th century villa's extensive park. The following day, participants registered and submitted their vehicles to technical inspections: the true competition began in the early afternoon. Over 100 automobiles ranging from classic cars, to modern and alternative energy vehicles paraded through the Cerda neighbourhood of Floriopoli, so beginning the intense three-day race: an evocative, meaningful start from the site that witnessed today's automotive legends come to life and grow. The race went straight to the Piccolo Circolo delle Madonie in the direction of Ragusa Ibla, the finish line of the first stage. The route included the Pergusa Circuit and a special stop in Piazza Armerina for an exclusive visit to Villa Romana del Casale and its mosaics, a UNESCO world heritage site. The second stage travelled the Ragusa-Taormina leg with a stop for lunch in the centre of Catania. In the heart of the city, at the University Rector's Office, the crews were welcomed by teams of flag throwers, hundreds of admirers, and important institutional figures: from the Mayor of the City, the Senator Raffaele Stancanelli, to the Undersecretary for Economic Growth, the Honourable Catia Polidori. Then it was back to more curves, those of Mount Etna all the way to the Sapienza refuge and returning to the sea at Taormina: the cars' arrival and parade took place along the centrally-located Corso Umberto I. The final stage brought the crews back to Palermo, by way of Bronte, Acquedolci, and Cefalù. At the end of the last trial, participants had the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in the history of the Targa Florio with a special visit to the Targa Florio Collesano Museum, home to a considerable, evocative collection of photos, rare documentaries, artefacts, and relics from the car race competed on the most difficult, striking roads of all time. Lastly, the finish line in Piazza Politeama in Palermo and the parade of each car and the crews on board concluded the event.
Three competitions means three first prize winners: the Massara-Schira couple took first place in the Eco Targa Florio Classic aboard a 1966 Lancia Fulvia HF 1.2; the Ferrari Tribute to Targa Florio was won by Verghini-Fuso driving a 1992 Ferrari 512 TR; and the Liverani-Strada crew won the Eco Targa Florio Green Prix aboard a biodiesel-powered 2005 FIAT Croma JTD. The Eco Targa Florio awards ceremony and closing lunch enjoyed yet another exceptional setting: Castello Utveggio, an Art Nouveau jewel of Palermo located on the promontory of Monte Pellegrino ('the most beautiful promontory in the world,' as Goethe described it in his famous 'Italian Journey').
To emphasize the role that car companies have played in the success of the Targa Florio's historic events, a joint presenting sponsorship formula was adopted, involving two brands that have written the history of the race: Alfa Romeo and Porsche. Ferrari's presence with its tribute to the race is not to be forgotten either.
Eco Targa Florio numbered an exceptional assembly of drivers, including three names that have left their mark in the race's hall of fame: Nino Vaccarella, Antoine Hezemans, and Arturo Merzario.An entirely green approach was applied to Eco Targa Florio, following protocols that allowed for the event to be recognized as 'sustainable' in every respect.
Thanks to a collaboration with Multiutility (a national certification body offering integrated services and solutions in the energy sphere), Eco Targa Florio obtained '100% CO2 free' certification: CO2 emissions produced by the vehicles involved in the event are being compensated through a project operating on a macro-system scale. Eco Targa Florio 2011 is contributing to the creation of a biomass reutilization system for producing biogas in South Korea: besides reducing greenhouse gases, this project dramatically improves the area's air quality and results in savings equal to 29 thousand tonnes of oil.
The numbers
- 64 municipalities crossed.
- Over 800km of route with 40 time trials, 16 time controls, 10 checkpoints.
- 31 different marques.
- 19 nations represented.
- 104 Italian entrants.
- 101 foreign entrants.
- 30 escort cars for the competitors in the race made available by the municipal and traffic police.
- 225 people within staff, time keepers and technicians.
- 231.913 total accesses to the website - www.ecotargaflorio.com.
- 109.000 results in 0, 23 seconds on Google for Eco Targa Florio.
