Whyte & Mackay says marketing for the event will now begin in earnest. The media partnership will encompass an extensive advertising and editorial campaign, both online and in-paper, during the run-up to the show. The Telegraph Media Group will also run ticket promotions and have a presence at the show.

'We are looking forward to working with the team at the Whyte & Mackay Earls Court Boat Show to promote the event in the run-up to Christmas 2007 and to creating a long-term partnership for future events,' said Sarah Newton, director of Telegraph Create at the Telegraph Media Group. The products and entertainment at the show will be of huge interest to our readers, she added.

The £2m marketing campaign for the show began earlier in the year with the team attending events across the country, embracing all maritime communities and inviting them to be a part of the show. Advertising kicked off during Skandia Cowes Week where the organisers had a constant presence, answering questions, promoting the event and quenching the thirst of many a sailor with a dram or two of Whyte & Mackay whisky.

The on-going PR campaign will run alongside a multimedia advertising campaign across national and London newspapers, trade and boating publications, online, outdoor and local and national radio.
Whyte & Mackay will also be supporting its sponsorship of the event with promotional bottles of Whyte & Mackay whisky. The company will be running a ‘Spirit of the Water’ competition with prizes of a luxury watersports holiday in The Maldives, a VIP weekend in London and tickets to the boat show.

'Our marketing campaign will be innovative and far reaching as we realise the importance of exciting the heartland boating community and a new generation of enthusiasts,' said Paul Sefton, commercial director of the Whyte & Mackay Earls Court Boat Show. 'We are looking forward to sharing our plans with a wide audience and the partnership with the Telegraph Media Group gives us the best foundation to do this.'