Pond Island:--- Carnival Corporate sponsor, TelEm Group, has delivered on its promise to become an active partner in the promotion of St. Maarten's premier event – Carnival 2013.
With the official launch of carnival yesterday and tonight's Night of the Hit Makers concert hosted by TelEm Group, the company is satisfied that it has played its part in raising awareness about Carnival this year.
According to TelEm Group Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Brian Mingo, the company has delivered as a main sponsor for Carnival this year and may even have redefined the tone of Corporate Carnival sponsorship on St. Maarten.
"It's not only about the thousands that we donate each year, but also about getting people moving and talking about Carnival and what it means to the economy, to the culture of the island and how you get the people of St. Maarten and visitors alike involved," said Mr. Brian Mingo.
He said this year, on top of a large financial donation to carnival, an entire program was put together by a volunteer team of TelEm Group personnel to get into the community and raise awareness about this year's carnival event – and all at a cost to St. Maarten premier telecommunication provider.
The group's activities has included a Road to Carnival series of parties at various nightspots around the island each week and for several weeks leading up to the opening of carnival.
It has also included:
- Sponsorship of the opening night of carnival.
- Official sponsor of the Miss Mature Pageant, Teen Pageant and Senior Pageant contests on April 22 and April, 24 respectively.
- Title sponsor of the Youth Extravaganza on April 25.
TelEm Group will also be making a special showing during this year's carnival parade to keep carnival fever rolling right through to the end.
The company will also have a VIP section at the Festival Village and other areas which will promote TelEm Group's products and services.
"Our relationship with Carnival and our confidence in the importance of the annual event really took off a few years ago with our $1.2 Million investment in the construction of the Festival Village stage," said the Commercial Director.
He said at the time TelEm Group believed in what the Festival Village would have to offer St. Maarten in general and the island's carnival-loving followers in particular.
"Today you will see TelEm Group's name on the stage as a testament to that confidence and our continue relationship with carnival on St. Maarten," said Mr. Mingo.
The Commercial Director says a closer working relationship with the carnival organizers, the St. Maarten Carnival Development Foundation (SCDF), still needs to be developed in order to continue with new methods of corporate sponsorship for the annual event by TelEm Group.
"By getting out into the community ourselves as a partner in carnival we are supporting SCDF's efforts to give us the best carnival event the island can give each year and in this way we can say we are truly redefining the way corporate sponsorship of such a major event should work," said Mr. Mingo.
