Turf wars

We expect action on the track at the Melbourne Cup Carnival but in the lead-up to the big races, there's plenty of entertainment to be had - and just as much jockeying for position - in Flemington's fabulous, multimillion-dollar marquees

We expect action on the track at the Melbourne Cup Carnival but in the lead-up to the big races, there's plenty of entertainment to be had - and just as much jockeying for position - in Flemington's fabulous, multimillion-dollar marquees

The Melbourne Cup, the race that stops the nation, pulls crowds of more than 400,000, plus 700 million TV viewers worldwide over the week-long carnival. But for the glitterati, the most important event is off-track: a competition that could be named the Marquee That Starts The Party.
 
Each year, millions of marketing dollars are funnelled into extravagant corporate marquees within the Birdcage, that exclusive enclosure in Flemington racecourse. For eight days at the start of November, fine French champagne and lavish finger food is served in the most sophisticated tents imaginable. Some of these are as snug as 6mx6m and pretty much standing room only, but the most ambitious feature mind-boggling internal structures, artworks, ice sculptures, international DJs and the coolest, most enthusiastic partygoers in Australian sport.

Some of the lucky guests, who travel from all corners of the world to the event (and spend thousands on fabulous outfits, hair, make-up and limos), never glimpse a horse in motion, even though they stand metres from the thundering hooves. If it’s not all about the Melbourne Cup Carnival, why do the sponsors do it? According to Brendan Ford, general manager of sponsorship and corporate development for Victoria Racing Club: “Sponsors understand the impact a marquee in the Birdcage has, but also how an association with this prestigious area can complement their brand. It provides a unique and highly exclusive area to entertain clients and celebrities alike.”

Sponsoring a corporate marquee in the Birdcage is a long-term and expensive commitment. Budget estimates for these small but perfectly formed temporary party tents hover around the $1 million mark. A brand that has invested heavily in the Melbourne Cup and has the pricey privilege of being naming sponsor is Dubai-based airline Emirates.

Stephen Pearse, who is vice-president of Emirates Australia, says: “The investment, like all of our sponsorships, is about connecting with our passengers, both current and potential. We place huge importance on sharing and supporting their interests. The carnival is a key way of building closer relationships.”

Amanda Henderson, the force behind Melbourne-based production company Gloss Creative, has been responsible for some of Flemington’s most successful marquees. In the past seven years, she has been commissioned by brands such as Moet & Chandon, National Australia Bank, Myer, Longines and Lexus to pull their mobile architecture projects together on deadline and make each one more exciting than the last.

“To complete one marquee I typically work with two graphic designers, a co-ordinator, three different shop-fitting companies, a signage company, laser cutter companies, an interior designer, a graphic agency, two catering companies, a scaffolding company, a hiring company, an army of installers and visual merchandisers,” Henderson says. That personnel list doesn’t include the staff working in the marquees during the carnival.

“Over the past five to eight years, there has been a shift in marketing departments using ‘experiences’ as part of their top-line strategies,” she explains. “The art of the marquee is interpreting the personality of the brand into a 3D expression. The experience of the brand has now become very important, and all the brands I work with have products that need to be experienced rather than looked at. Marketing managers need to be thinking, ‘OK, so if I’m a champagne, I know what I look like in a magazine – but what do I look like when you walk into a room?’”

On the other hand, says Henderson, for many sponsors it’s just about having a good time. “Some marquees are simply about entertaining and networking with customers; others are about creating desire and beauty. Every marquee has a different reason for being.”

Even if the concept behind the marquee is as simple as being a venue for corporate entertaining, it’s still part of a considered marketing strategy that goes beyond champagne swilling and air-kissing. “None of the companies I work with say, ‘Right, let’s just throw a party and throw money around’,” she says. “They go into the Birdcage with a commitment for a number of years. And those that do it well, like Longines, Myer and Moet, have a long-term strategy of experiencing the brand not only at the Birdcage but at other events as well. They are focused on creating a beautiful experience when people come to the marquees. Some of the interiors are very uplifting and create a really special environment.”

Of course, the marquees need to be as beautiful and as memorable on Derby Day as they are several days – and several thousand people – later on Stakes Day. “After one day we might replace the carpets and there’s possibly some steam cleaning, too; we’ve had people throw red wine against white walls,” says Henderson. “And we potentially need to redo all the flowers because at the end of the day people take them when they shouldn’t.”

The carnival is no party for Henderson and her team. “I obviously don’t drink at all so I can have the pleasure of driving out of there. I have a team who looks after the day-to-day running of the festival and we do all kinds of things – there’s a whole other side to the ‘pretty stuff’. Some of the guests forget they are out in a paddock; it can get quite messy at times in terms of the Melbourne weather, alcohol and the high number of Occupational Health and Safety issues that go into the set-up. It’s huge. We work with risk assessors on things like making sure all the stairways are safe.

“There is a big pack-down involved and we have spreadsheets of where every single piece of the marquee is going. We need to know what’s being recycled, what’s being kept for next year. We need to make the budgets work so there’s a lot of reincarnation and renaissance with the furniture – things that were blue this year will be black next year. It’s a seven-month process from initial concept to pack-down.”

Given that Henderson works on marquees for several brands each year, how does she juggle possible conflicts of interest? Who is her favourite? “You love each one for different reasons but don’t make me choose between my children,” she laughs. “That’s how I feel. We love Longines because it’s such a focused brand and really easy to do something that’s attention-seeking and also chic. Myer has been extraordinary, too, because of the fashion overlay there. We’ve loved Moet because of extraordinary collaborations with architect Chris Bosse, artist Bill Henson and designer Emma Jane Pilkington.

“Last year, Bill Henson got us to make an additional soft-veiled curtain that we pulled across the Moet marquee because the light was too much. You couldn’t actually see out at all – but for the big race we pulled it back.”

So, is the day about the horses or the champagne and finger food? “We like to think we get the right balance of fun and creativity and respect for being at the races. We never lose sight of the fact we’re at a race meet but whether people decide to look out the window and see the horses or not is up to them,” says Henderson. “For me, the most important expectation to fulfil is that the guest has an uplifting, memorable day while enjoying the environment. Exceeding that expectation is the measure of success.”

In Tent City 2008
EMIRATES
Theme Austria, one of the airline’s premier destinations
Visuals Walking into this marquee will be like walking the cobbled streets of Vienna. Part of the marquee will be an authentic Austrian kaffeehaus (cafe) complete with custom-made wallpapers and a grand piano played by pianists from the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. There will be a sweeping staircase and chandelier. There will also be a cable-car bar. The facade will feature a backdrop of snow-capped mountains and the summer terrace will be inspired by Salzburg, with fresh wildflowers cascading over the balcony. As you might imagine, the menu will be Austrian-inspired. Get ready for beef goulash, beetroot and apple noodles with smoked trout, and decadent kaiserschmarren (emperor’s pancakes) with stewed plums.

MYER
Theme Carnival
Visuals Myer’s marquee is always the party hub on race day, possibly because it holds the most champagne-drinking merry-makers. This year, it’s a modern interpretation of a chic, stylised merry-go-round that incorporates Myer’s black and white colour scheme. Slightly surreal and detailed ornate ceilings and walls surround a lighting installation featuring a canopy of thousands of carnival lights, while the bar is situated at the centre of the merry-go-round. Myer holds the widest frontage (20m) and arguably the best viewing position.

SAAB
Theme Move your mind
Visuals Built as a four-level sensory experience, the construction of the walls will create moving shadows as the day progresses. The upper level is a luxury penthouse with the best racetrack views, the mid-level is the social zone with bar and lounge areas, and the lower level is the cedar-lined Saab Song Sauna, a bar complete with sophisticated karaoke set-up. The ground level will feature an appropriately champagne-coloured Turbo X Saab 9-3 convertible specially flown in from Sweden for the event. A champagne and roses theme for the menu has been created by George Calombaris from The Press Club.

LONGINES
Theme Sportswatch
Visuals It’s one of the smaller marquees, just 6mx6m, but attention to detail ensures the Longines venue is always one of the most chic. Entering the marquee will feel like walking into the internal workings of a watch, with a huge and intricately detailed watch-face covering the ceiling in black and metal hues. A sports model from the prestigious Admiral series is the featured watch this year. This marquee will be an intimate haven, almost cocoon-like, with luxurious and welcoming seating in warm charcoals and blacks, ensuring the ambience is quiet and sexy. The menu is being put together by Melbourne caterers The Big Group; the champagne of choice will be Moet.

MOET & CHANDON
So deeply ingrained in Melbourne Cup marquee culture is Moet & Chandon that it can host events off-site, away from the track, and still retain serious race-day cachet. This year, Moet will celebrate three eves at different locations. On Derby eve, about 200 people will enjoy a champagne supper at couture salon Le Louvre, in Collins Street; on Cup eve, it will create a French-inspired bistro for a ladies' luncheon at Mossgreen Gallery in South Yarra; and on Oaks eve, there will be an intimate dinner at Bistro Guillaume on Southbank. Celebrities will be presented with Swarovski-emblazoned bottles of Moet. The view of the racetrack may not be the best but the champagne will be perfectly chilled and plentiful.