Clients and Projects

BT

For 2008 Into the blue will support in the event management of two of BT’s events.

BT is the title sponsor for one of the UK’s biggest annual music events – The Isle of Wight Festival. Into the blue organise the logistics, travel, entertainment and accommodation for 400 BT corporate clients over the three days. Into the blue also organise BT’s corporate sailing days during Cowes Week.

http://www.bt.com >    

Alex Thomson Racing

Into the blue work with Alex Thomson racing to maximise PR coverage for Alex’s sponsors, including title sponsor HUGO BOSS, and increase his presence in the national and international arena.

At the age of just 25 years, Alex became the youngest skipper to win a round-the-world-race.  After this amazing achievement, his success continued, including smashing the 24 hour world distance record for a 60ft monohull yacht and the 24 hour monohull world speed record.  This year he proved he is a serious British contender for a podium place in the world’s toughest sailing race – the Vendee Globe - when he came 2nd in the Barcelona World race.
 
On November 9th 2008 Alex will set sail single handed in the Vendee Globe.  This will be Alex’s second attempt to achieve his goal to be the first Briton to win the Vendee Globe.

http://www.alexthomsonracing.com >    

Volvo Car UK

Into the blue has worked with Volvo Car UK since 2000, delivering day to day press & PR, research and consultancy for the Volvo Sailing programme's. In November 2006 we became Volvo Car UK's sole sailing sports marketing agency, responsible for the activation and promotion of Volvo's large portfolio of sailing sponsorships in the UK.  Volvo is one of the biggest sponsors of sailing, both in the UK and globally, supporting everything from the grass roots of the sport to Olympic medallists through Team Volvo for life, and the Volvo Ocean Race.

Other Volvo sailing sponsorships include the Volvo RYA Keelboat Programme, Volvo Musto Optimist Championships and the Volvo RYA Champion Clubs scheme, along with supporting sponsorships of the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race and Skandia Team GBR.

http://www.volvocars.co.uk/sailing >    

JPMorgan Asset Management

In December 2005 Into the blue were appointed by JPMorgan Asset Management to maximise media coverage of the JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, the third largest sporting participative event in the UK, sailing’s equivalent of the Flora London Marathon. Our results have increased media coverage of the event by over 50% in the past 2 years.  Into the blue has been retained to manage the media and PR for this spectacular Isle of Wight event in 2008 and have produced a sailing strategy to increase their sponsorship of sailing in the UK.

http://www.roundtheisland.org.uk >    

The Green Team

Into to the blue have been tasked to handle all team specific and race specific media enquiries for The Green Team entry during thier Volvo Ocean Race campaign 2008/09

http://www.greenteam.ie/ >    

Ben Ainslie, double Olympic gold and silver medallist

Company director Jo Grindley is the personal publicist and sponsorship manager for double Olympic gold medalist Ben Ainslie.  Jo has negotiated and managed all sponsorship agreements for Ben since 2001, seeing him successfully secure his second gold medal at the Athens Olympics, and now focused on the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.  Into the blue look after all Ben’s press and general management, and worked with OC Vision to create Bens new website www.benainslie.com, continuing to manage and update this site.

http://www.benainslie.com >    

Shirley Robertson, double Olympic gold medallist

Shirley Robertson was the first British athlete to win consecutive gold medals at the Olympic Games in Athens 2004.

Into the blue has worked with Shirley since 2000, securing sponsorship for Shirley's successful bid for a second gold medal at the Athens Olympics and has again secured her sponsors for the 2008 Olympics. Into the blue manage all content on  www.shirleyrobertson.com.  All media enquiries for Shirley Robertson are managed by Into the blue.

http://www.shirleyrobertson.com >    

Mike Golding Yacht Racing

Into the blue work with Mike Golding Yacht Racing to promote his new Yacht, Ecover III. Into the blue will be working proactively on the future PR plan to keep Mike and his sponsorship profile at a high level before the start of the Vendee Globe 2008-2009. Mike Golding will be completing unfinished business when he sails Ecover III in the Vendee having finished 3rd and 7th on previous occasions.

http://www.mikegolding.com/ >     http:// >     http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/ >    

Volvo Eco Challenge

The Volvo Eco Challenge is a new inspirational project which has been set up to help sailing clubs become more environmentally friendly, with £20,000 of grants available for Volvo RYA Champion Clubs.

Sailing Clubs have a legal duty for waste, pollution and contamination that their members and visitor activities produce. Research has proven that sailing clubs around the UK are struggling to comply with current environmental legislation; and with wildlife under constant pressure from climate change, human development and disturbance this is an important issue which needs addressing.

The scheme which is sponsored by Volvo Car UK Ltd and supported by The Green Blue will provide individual grants of between £100 - £1000 to Champion Clubs for a project carried out by young people aged between 10-16 who undertake an environmental initiative at their club.

For more information download the Volvo Eco Challenge booklet or email ecochallenge@intotheblue.biz

http://www.volvocars.co.uk/ecochallenge >    

Ellen MacArthur Trust

Into the blue is tasked with maximising PR and marketing for the Ellen MacArthur Trust, including producing a DVD and renewing all literature and promoting the Trust.  We are helping to raise the profile and therefore increase donations to the Trust, which is now the official charity of Skandia Cowes Week from 2006 - 2008.

http://www.ellenmacarthurtrust.org >    

Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta

Into the blue have been contracted run the press office and maximise coverage for the Skandia Sail for Gold Regatta. The event takes place at Weymouth and Portland Sailing Academy, the sailing venue for the 2012 London Olympics. At the first ever Sail for Gold Regatta was held in 2006, which 264 boats from 22 nations entered the event.

Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship

Into the Blue has been contracted since 2006 to manage the Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championships on behalf of Volvo Event Management. The 2006 championships took place at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy, UK. The 2007 championships took place at the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour, Kingston, Canada and the 2008 championships will take place in Århus, Denmark between 11 - 19 July.

http://www.youthworlds2008.org > >    

North Sails UK

Into the blue has been appointed by North Sails UK to co-ordinate their public relations.  Almost every technical advance in modern sails has come from North Sails UK.

http://www.northsails.co.uk >    

Pirates of the Caribbean

Into the blue were contracted to provide a travelling press officer for Disney's Pirates of the Caribbean entry into the Volvo Ocean Race 2005/06.

http://www.volvooceanrace.org >     http://www.blackpearlracing.com >    

Isle of Wight Economic Partnership & South East Development Agency (SEEDA)

Formulation of ideas and event management for the 'Make your Mark - Round the Island Race' project 2005 & Inspire High Schools Challenge - Round the Island Race' project 2006. Teams from each of the IOW's five High Schools raced and managed a team in the 2005 & 2006 JPMorgan Asset Management Round the Island Race. Teams are tasked with marketing, raising sponsorship and organising logistics for their teams. Each team receive top-level sail race coaching, marketing, sponsorship, meteorology workshops, media training and experience of working with TV and a professional marine photographer. The idea was formulated to fit in with SEEDA’s objectives to inspire young people to become involved in an entrepreneurial project that combines fun, hard work and serious business thought.

http://www.starttalkingideas.org >     http://www.iwep.com >     http://http://www.inspirehighschoolchallenge.co.uk> >    

Cinema Show for Enterprise Insight Week

Into the blue organised a cinema screening to showcase the 2005 Make your Mark - Round the Island Race project for the Isle of Wight Economic Partnership and SEEDA.  This event also introduced new plans to make the project even bigger and better in 2006. 

http://www.starttalkingideas.org >     http://www.seeda.co.uk >     http://www.iwep.com >