Event Activation | Ballina Byron Airport & Bluesfest
Ballina Byron Gateway Airport has been the Official Airport Sponsor of Bluesfest, Australia’s largest blues and roots festival, since 2018.
In 2024, the As the airport’s marketing partner for 14 years, Town Creative identified an opportunity to take the sponsorship beyond pre-event promotion. In 2024, it expanded to include naming rights and activation of the Bluesfest VIP Lounge, creating a stronger on-ground presence for the airport..
In 2024, the As the airport’s marketing partner for 14 years, Town Creative identified an opportunity to take the sponsorship beyond pre-event promotion. In 2024, it expanded to include naming rights and activation of the Bluesfest VIP Lounge, creating a stronger on-ground presence for the airport..
Approach
An airport lounge and a festival VIP lounge share the same purpose: welcoming guests and making them feel looked after.
We brought that idea to life by recreating key airport journey touchpoints. Guests checked in, received a boarding pass featuring the festival playlist and were guided to the stages by airport team members and themed talent.
Town Creative developed the activation from concept through to delivery, integrating the VIP Lounge with the airport’s broader sponsorship, communications and consumer promotions.
Results
The five-day activation formed part of a four-month program spanning communications, consumer promotions and on-ground activity.
Bluesfest’s post-event survey showed awareness of the airport as a sponsor increased by more than 400% year on year. Ballina Byron Gateway Airport ranked third for sponsor recall, ahead of brands with significantly larger budgets.
Next Project.
Airport Marketing Campaign | Virgin Australia 20-Year Anniversary
For two decades, Virgin Australia has been a key partner of Ballina Byron Gateway Airport, carrying close to 2 million passengers and establishing the Ballina-Sydney route as the 8th busiest intrastate route in Australia.
