Agencies try outdo each other on the party front

The local South Coast community has also rallied round the awards, as Bizcommunity.com discovered when we visited Margate as preparations got under way, trying to accommodate media owners, sponsors and agencies as far as possible, even changing certain street fittings to accommodate one media sponsor!

There will be a host of special media on route and at the venue as sponsors and rival media take advantage of this annual opportunity to reach the eyeballs of the most influential advertising folk in town.

Sponsors are pulling out all the stops - some have really 'blue sky-ed' and come up with innovative and outrageous concepts to paint the town red... or any other colour... literally and figuratively speaking!

Ambush marketing is rife and one media group isn't speaking to another media group after their plan to buy up all the lamp posts along the beachfront was foiled - but look out for targeted mobile advertising driving into town!

The first special Loerie Kulula.com flights leave Johannesburg and Cape Town on Friday morning, 14 October. They will be met by the friendly patter of the green-clad Kulula.com staff. Look out for the special billboards at Johannesburg and Cape Town airports sponsored by Kwazulu Natal tourism in a unique investment in their region.

Of the 2500 people who have booked through the Loerie committee for accommodation, the majority will have arrived by Saturday mid-morning, but for many of us, the party starts Friday with a host of team and client dinners and cocktails in and around Margate. The South Coast has some excellent restaurants - see Bizcommunity.com's recommended list below from the Margate Loeries liaison on the ground: Wozani Africa.

Apart from the official Loeries programme and beach sports, there are sponsor events planned in the hub: along the Margate beachfront and at the event tent on St Michaels-on-Sea.

Party season

Margate cinema

During the day, many agencies are hosting parties for clients and their teams in everything from a yacht, quarry, a forest and on several local blue flag beaches, with even a foam party planned!

The showoffs have hired helicopters to ferry them between the main events and their luxury accommodation outside of Margate.

For those who haven't yet arranged anything, I hear karaoke is big in Margate... visit the Seven Seas pub & diner for more!

Of course on Sunday it's the golf: The Pilsner Urquell Loerie Golf Tournament will be held at San Lameer on Sunday. Tee-off is at 8.30am and the dust will have settled by 3pm. After you've cleaned up on the course, you'll still have plenty of time to pick up your statues on Sunday evening. If you're too handicapped for golf, then relax and join the fun in the sun on Margate beach where everything from music, massages, rugby and beach sports will be laid on.

Accommodation

There were various tiers of accommodation and certain media owners and agencies even sent scouts to check out the accommodation. For those who are in holiday flats on the beaches, bear in mind that although for sale for over R1 million, they are more 'Sun City Cabanas' in style, than the Cascades, and cane furniture is hot right now in Margate and along the coast. Bring your own towels and bog roll! But, c'est la vie, they are on the beach and within a stroll of everything else!

On the boardwalk...

Lifeguard Cyril Mkize on Margate beach

In true big top style, the worst kept secret was the fact that the venue was a circus tent on Margate beach - well we all know how that plan turned out after bad weather this week forced an alternative site: a grassy outcrop on next door St Michaels-on-Sea beach. The awards ceremony will be hosted in a cinema-style environment - no drinks and food - so make sure you line your stomach before at the pre-drinks venues and afterwards at the after-parties.

More detail will be presented at registration and in the Goody bags for all visitors.

The Loerie Awards committee and event organiser, Unplugged are doing their best to keep much of the entertainment a secret in order to surprise us all - suffice to say that the entire community of Margate is involved in a "local is lekker" production of note.

Hint: make sure you choose a good viewing spot during the pre-awards drinks!

A permanent reminder...

One intrepid Margate entrepreneur, Clint Pacheco has even designed a limited edition PERMANENT tattoo of the Loerie bird for all Grand Prix winners! Find him at his gazebo stall on the Margate beachfront!

He specialises in henna tattoos as well.

Also, check out his shop in The Alley - running up from the beachfront road - for some really kiff accessories and anything you need in tie-dye!

Fashion emergency!

Fashion gurus: Stephen van Belkum will sort out any fashion emergencies

And dahlings, should you crack a seam or strip a zip on that designer frock at the last minute, Margate has its very own haute couture team on standby! Contact Stephan van Belkun Creations and you will be ferried to their studio for a quick fix. No fashion faux pas too strenuous!

And let's not forget that there is life outside of Loeries, so for those who want to sneak off and leave team mates behind, there are various sights to see: The Butterfly Farm; the Crocodile Farm; various arts and crafts; but of course, the beaches - I mean that's what we're really here for, a company sponsored weekend in the sun with a bit of an event thrown in?! There are five blue flag (an international standard for top beaches) on the coast and actual warm water for those who haven't ventured out of their usual holiday spots of Plett, Knysna and Cape Town in recent years.

A blogpost on one of Bizcommunity.com's other Loerie forums, wonders if Margate has any realistic idea of what is about to descend on them? 'Luigi' writes: "This reminds me of when the Buffalo Rally finally returned to PE, the locals thought it was great... for about five minutes. The admen and girls are going to make the Buff bikers seem like pussy cats..."

Meow.