TKZN CEO Miller Matola says his organisation regarded the move to the South Coast from decade-long venue Sun City as a major tourism and business coup for KwaZulu-Natal: "TKZN is delighted that The Loerie Awards has chosen Margate as the venue for this year's awards weekend extravaganza in October and are excited about the tourism and revenue-earning opportunities the event promises South Coast businessmen in and around Margate.
"Firstly, let's recognise this for what it is - a chance to make Margate the advertising capital of the country. Obviously, not in a sense that all the agencies are based in Margate but in the way that Grahamstown is the hub of the cultural scene thanks to the Grahamstown Arts & Culture Festival, and Oudtshoorn has become synonymous with Afrikaans 'kultuur', thanks to the Klein Karoo Nasionale Kunstefees.
"They are both major success stories for small towns far from major economies - the KKNK, for example, started as a two-day event but now takes place over 10 days. We look forward to working with the Loerie Committee and its suppliers to make this event a resounding success and to make sure it stays in Margate for many more years."
About 2 500 people are expected to converge on Margate for the awards and most will be high-fliers and high-earners from the advertising and design industries.
This is not only an opportunity for people within the traditional hospitality sectors of accommodation, food and beverages to get involved but for local visual artists and crafters to sell their wares, for those with the ability to offer cleaning services to help out at the self-catering facilities and, of course, there'll be a large work force helping with the event, acting as hosts and hostesses, serving behind the bars and more.
Managing Director of The Loerie Awards, Andrew Human, says: "If Margate makes a success of The Loerie Awards 2005, it is highly likely it will become the venue of choice for the annual event for the foreseeable future.
"TKZN's sponsorship reinforces the tremendous support and commitment we have already come across on the South Coast and I'm sure the community will pull out all the stops to ensure Loerie guests have a wonderful time."
Major sponsors for this year's event are M-Net, Media24, The Direct Mail Centre and The South African Breweries Limited. Other sponsors are Tourism KwaZulu-Natal, Kulula.com, brandhouse, YFM, Cell C, Beith Digital, OpenAd, Sappi, Lithotech, Lightworks, Ugu District Municipality, Hetzner Internet Hosting, Paygate Internet payment gateway, King James RSVP, Six Million Dollar, and the Ornico Group. The Design Indaba is a partner of The Loerie Awards in the newly formed Creative Alliance.
