Australia’s favourite culinary event, the Noosa International Food and Wine Festival will celebrate its tenth anniversary in style with Westpac signing up as one of its main sponsors for the forthcoming 2013 celebration.
The annual tie-up with Australia’s first bank is the first in a three-year deal that will underline the growing importance of the festival in the global “foodie” calendar.
Announcing the new sponsorship arrangement, festival director, Jim Berardo, said he was delighted that Westpac had agreed to team up with the event to showcase thevery best of food and wine that Australia has to offer.
“This is the most significant partnership ever announced for the festival and reflects its growth on both the national and international stage. In celebrating our 10th year we are now finalising the details of the program, which is sure to offer something for everyone.”
The 2013 program will prove that the Sunshine Coast is the place to be not only for food lovers but those who seek a great reason to relax, eat and be entertained during the four-day festival from 16-19 May.
The event will pull out all stops with some spectacular surprises and culinary creativity that will out-do this year’s event to keep the Festival at the top of the foodie chain.
Michael Wright, Westpac’s State General Manager for Queensland, said the bank was excited to be partnering with the festival given its importance to the regional economy and its reputation both nationally and now globally.
“As we approach our 200th anniversary in 2017, we couldn’t have thought of a better way to underscore our support for the food and wine industries by sponsoring this great event as it prepares to celebrate its tenth birthday,” said Mr Wright.
“From its small beginnings in 2003, the festival can now rightly claim to be one of the food and wine world’s most prestigious events and we look forward to helping Jim and his wonderfully creative team build on this renowned success.”
Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Small Business and the Commonwealth Games, Jann Stuckey, said the Newman Government is proud to support the festival through Events Queensland.
“Visitors travel from interstate and overseas for the Noosa International Food and Wine Festival and this provides a real boost to Queensland’s tourism industry,” said Ms Stuckey.
“Investing in events like this will help us achieve our goal to double overnight visitor expenditure to $30 billion by 2020 and establish Queensland as Australia’s number one tourist destination.
