SIAF Marketing Chief : No partners no aviation days
Preparation of the biggest public event in Slovakia requires not only great effort of members of the organizational team but also a sizeable proportion of financial costs. The Slovak Aviation Agency covers these expenses exclusively by money flown from advertising partners. So that SIAF Marketing Director Martina Guzmická says, that quality of International Air Fest Days can be improved thanks to partners´ support.
Marketing awarded internationally
There is no event in Slovakia compared to SIAF due to its scope, quality and particularities. Taking an international view into consideration, SIAF can be compared to many airshows in Europe. It is proved by two awards received at the European Airshow Council Convention: the award for exceptional contribution to the world of European airshows and also the victory in the category Media & Marketing. “The partners we cooperate with feel very proud to support the event with the international recognition. After they had been informed about our victory, they congratulated us. This award is the result of long-time work and the set-up I took over. For me personally, it is obligation and motivation to keep and improve it,“ says Marketing Director of the Slovak Aviation Agency Martina Guzmická.
Exceptional approach towards partnership
Possibility to connect the brand with the biggest and the most quality event in Slovakia is not available for everybody who is interested. Respect to safety at the airport and restrictions regarding it are the most important. Every year Martina Guzmická participates in tens of meetings based on individual approach towards each potential partner: “We appreciate all support, so no business relationship is considered pragmatical and blunt. We try to meet our partners´ expectations by offering them services valuable for their business. Every year we improve the quality of the event and taking partners´ feedback into consideration we move possibilities of cooperation further.“
Marketing strategy is changed every year
When the list of SIAF participants is being created the Marketing Chief together with Director of the Slovak Aviation Agency Hubert Štoksa prepare new marketing strategy and presentation of aviation days for existing and new partners. “In January, February and March we start to cooperate with those who supported us in previous years and also to find new sponsors. It includes plenty of meetings, phone calls, mails and tailored offers. Based on an individual approach towards partners in April we draw up proposals of contracts and negotiate precise conditions. Many of them are interested in a speceific presentation at the airport and we try to live up to their requirements, “ explains M.Guzmická
Fifteen hours a day
As International Air Fest Days SIAF are organized usually at the end of August nobody from the organizational team goes on holidays. Fifteen-hour working time is usual also for the Marketing Director: “In July and August we intensively work to fulfil the object of the partnership. Within a media campaign covering not only regions but the whole Slovakia we inform about brands according to the level of partnership, prepare bilboards and radio spots and also prepare presentaion of sponsors at aviation days in detail – from branding or catering in Skybox through the choice of space in VIP or public zone to the type and size of space or attraction the particular company wants to be presented by. I provide VIP zone managers and sector managers responsible for precise realization of contract conditions with all information.“
Being part of SIAF means becoming visible in Slovakia and abroad
Every year the number of visitors of International Air Fest Days in Sliač exceeds 100,000. Thanks to an increasing reputation SIAF is the event with the international recognition what is interesting not only from the effectiveness of presentations of companies within this event. “The Banská Bystrica region becomes well-known in Slovakia and abroad thanks to foreign participants and visitors and owners of hotels, coffee bars and restaurants and also regional travel agiencies profit from the huge number ofvisitors, “states the SIAF Marketing Director. “Foreign visitors are fascinated by the beauties of Central Slovakia. Not only do they admire the beauty of the country from the sky but also they admire the beauty of Slovak girls from terraces of coffee bars in Banská Bystrica.“
International Air Fest Days SIAF are more and more attractive thanks to stable support
The Slovak Aviation Agency has organized aviation days in Sliač since 2011 on the basis of the contract with the Ministry Of Defence of the Slovak Republic. The event is financed by sponsors. “Some of our partners have cooperated with us from the very beginning and without their support avation days really could not be realized. The money from sponors´ contributions is used for the development and increasing the quality of the event. E.g. we can address more attractive participants who are booked and paid by the agency. And we also can improve services available at the airport. We declare our great appreciation of this support by Golden Wings Awards held on the eve of International Air Fest Days. At the gala evening organized as a mark of honour to authorities and inventions of a great importance within the aviation the important partners are invited and one of them is given an award for the contribution to the aviation,“ closes M.Guzmická.