- 1,010 vehicles provided for Australian Open tournaments
over 11 years of sponsorship
- More than 400,000 kilometers expected to be clocked by
specially-trained volunteer drivers
- On- and off-line Kia related events round out the
Australian Open 2012 experience
(SEOUL) January 12, 2012 - As the major sponsor of Australian
Open 2012, Kia Motors handed over a fleet of 101
specially-equipped official tournament vehicles to Tennis
Australia during a ceremony in Melbourne today attended by
executives from Kia Motors Australia and Tennis Australia, as
well as Kia's global brand ambassador, Rafael Nadal. This
year celebrates Kia's 11th consecutive sponsorship of the
Australian Open and the handover ceremony brought the tally
of Kia vehicles provided to the tournament over the last
decade to 1,010.
"The Australian Open is the biggest sporting event in the
world in January, and I'm pleased to again accept the fleet
of Kia vehicles which will effectively keep the tournament
moving over the next few weeks," said Steve Wood, CEO of
Tennis Australia.
The fleet of vehicles on location this year ¬¬- the Kia
Sedona (Carnival) people movers, Sorento CUVs, all-new Optima
sedans and all-new Rio sub-compact sedans and hatchback
models - will transport players, officials and VIPs to
matches and other activities throughout the year's first
grand slam tournament. "It's a huge logistical exercise to
move all our players, officials, media and staff around
Melbourne during the event and it's great to know we can
rely on Kia's support," Mr. Wood concluded.
**more**
"As a proud sponsor of the Open, we're delighted to do our
part by providing safe, stylish and comfortable
transportation for players and participants to stay on the
move throughout the tournamanet," said Kia Motors Australia
President and CEO C.W. Kim.
The Kia courtesy fleet will be driven by approximately 215
specially trained volunteer drivers who expect to clock more
than 400,000 kilometres over thousands of journeys during the
Australian Open 2012.
In addition to supplying vehicles, the Kia Fan of the Day and
Fan of the Tournament events are in their sixth year. Every
day, a Kia Fan of the Day will be chosen as the most
creatively dressed or painted fan and be projected on giant
screens in Rod Laver Arena then put to online votes on the
Australian Open website (www.australianopen.com). Each winner
of the Fan of the Day will be awarded a digital camera and
entered into the Kia Fan of the Australian Open 2012 to
compete for the grand prize of an LCD television.
"We are very proud of our long association with Kia Motors as
major sponsor of the Australian Open," said Mr. Wood. "The
sight of the Kia fleet ferrying players and officials around
Melbourne contributes enormously to the excitement and buzz
the Australian Open brings to the city of Melbourne. I know
the fans will also enjoy Kia's exciting new activations and
competitions both onsite here at Melbourne Park and at the
Live Site at Fed Square."
The Kia live site will continue to give fans in Melbourne the
opportunity to view the tournament. In addition, Kia will
host marquee activities at the Grand Slam Oval equipped with
a Kia car display and other promotional activities to expand
the Kia brand experience for tournament attendees. Throughout
the tournament, Kia vehicles will be displayed around
Melbourne Park, alongside the Grand Slam Oval, Kia experience
kiosks and Kia face painting stalls.
**more**
Kia also continues to support grassroots tennis through the
Kia Amateur Australian Open, which is held during the second
week of the Australian Open. Through Tennis Australia, Kia
supports the junior coaching program to help recognize and
advance future generations of Australian Open stars. "The Kia
Amateur Australian Open exemplifies our brand identity as
being human-driven, spirited and a challenger. It's an
opportunity for young players to share this essence by
competeing amongst qualifiers from 17 countries," said Mr.
Kim.
Another online contest prior to the tournament was held
through Kia's official Facebook fan page
(www.Facebook.com/KiaMotorsWorldwide), whereby four winners
were granted an all-expenses paid trip for two to the
Australian Open 2012.
###
Photo Caption: (left to right) Steve Wood, CEO Tennis
Australia; Rafael Nadal; CW KIm, President & CEO of Kia
Motors Australia participate in the Kia VIK Handover Ceremony
at Melbourne Park.
Kia Motors Corporation (www.kia.com) -- a maker of quality
vehicles for the young-at-heart -- was founded in 1944 and is
Korea's oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. Over 2.1
million Kia vehicles a year are produced in 13 manufacturing
and assembly operations in eight countries which are then
sold and serviced through a network of distributors and
dealers covering 172 countries. Kia today has over 44,000
employees worldwide and annual revenues of over US$20
billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Open and
an official automotive partner of FIFA -- the governing body
of the FIFA World Cup™. Kia Motors Corporation's brand
slogan - The Power to Surprise" -- represents the
company's global commitment to surpassing customer
expectations through continuous automotive innovation.
distribué par | Ce noodl a été diffusé par KIA Motors Corporation et initialement mise en ligne sur le site http://www.kia.co.kr. La version originale est disponible ici. Ce noodl a été distribué par noodls dans son format d'origine et sans modification sur 2012-01-12 07:29:14 AM et restera accessible depuis ce lien permanent. Cette annonce est protégée par les règles du droit d'auteur et toute autre loi applicable, et son propriétaire est seul responsable de sa véracité et de son originalité. |