The Phoenix Partnership celebrates success of Cape Argus PicknPay Cycle Tour and One&Only Cape Town

The agency completed the much-talked about launch of One&Only Cape Town, hot on the heels of the most challenging Cape Argus Pick n Pay Cycle Tour ever.

“This was our fourth year handling the Cycle Tour account and one of the most challenging tours to date,” said founder Wendy Masters.

The months leading up to the event were dominated by uncertainty about the 109km route and whether Chapman's Peak would be open. Race Day dawned, presenting the Cycle Tour with gale-force winds as well as the participation of several high profile celebs, most notably the Damon brothers. “These factors all contributed to the fact that media interest in the 2009 Cycle Tour was at an all-time high.”

The agency began working on the One&Only Cape Town account in close consultation with Kerzner International's New York office several weeks before the resort opened on 2 April. The grand opening has been dubbed “the party of the year” and saw the likes of Sharon Stone, Mariah Carey and Robert de Niro enjoying the music of Hugh Masekela, Sibongile Khumalo and Yvonne Chaka Chaka on the evening. The resort sports restaurants by top chefs Gordon Ramsay and Nobu Matsuhisa, as well as spa treatments by world-renowned pedicurist Bastien Gonzalez.

“As the resort opened four months ahead of schedule, the agency had to work to very tight deadlines in order to meet the client's objectives. We oversaw all aspects of guest list management in addition to our PR function for the glamorous launch party.”

The Phoenix Partnership has also been appointed to provide South African PR services to One&Only le Saint Geran (Mauritius), One&Only Reethi Rah (Maldives) and One&Only Royal Mirage (Dubai) as destinations within easy reach of South Africa.

The firm also handles Constellation Wines South Africa (the biggest alcoholic beverage company in the world that oversees Flagstone, Fish Hoek and Kumala wines); dhk Architects (one of the most successful commercial architecture firms in South Africa); Accelerate Cape Town (a business organization that has 32 of the country's top corporates as members); Cape Town Film Studios (the brainchild of award-winning movie producer Anant Singh); Workaway International (a successful gap-year company now in its 10th year) and Eurocape (owners of Mandela Rhodes Place, among other prime Cape Town property). In addition, The Phoenix Partnership offers ad hoc PR services to the Rotary Club of Claremont for their outstanding charity projects throughout the year.

The Phoenix Partnership was founded by Wendy Masters, who has considerable experience in the corporate and travel sectors, having worked on the launch of Cape Town International Convention Centre and with Sun International. Senior Account Managers Adele Kruger and Angela Aschmann both come from strong media backgrounds, having worked at Independent Newspapers, Avusa, Touchline Media and Media Nova between them.

The Phoenix Partnership can be contacted on 021 686 2331.