New naming rights sponsor for Gold Coast 600

Vodafone Australia will showcase its globally renowned brand as the major naming rights partner of one of Australia’s most prestigious major events, the Vodafone Gold Coast 600.

This year’s Vodafone Gold Coast 600, Queensland’s largest annual sporting and entertainment event, is set to reach new heights with the best music line-up in the history of the iconic weekend, it was also announced.

Australia’s most acclaimed hip hop artists Hilltop Hoods join Queensland’s own indie rock success story Violent Soho in a huge night of Broadwater Sounds, powered by Sea FM. Aussie songstress Delta Goodrem headlines the Friday night show.

Supercars Australia and Vodafone have agreed a deal to build on the relationship with the sport which previously attracted worldwide exposure and proved to be a winning partnership.

Vodafone is also the naming rights partner of the Porsche safety, course and medical cars of Supercars with their striking Vodafone red branding a major presence on track this year.

The Hilltop Hoods were on hand for the announcement

Supercars CEO James Warburton, also announcing the biggest entertainment line-up in the events history, said the company’s commitment to the Vodafone Gold Coast 600 connects one of Australia’s hottest telecommunications companies with the fastest Australian sport.

“It is a natural fit for one of Australia’s leading communications providers which prides itself on speed and reliability for its customers, just as our race teams do for their drivers,” Warburton said.

“Vodafone is a blue-chip partner for our sport and we are delighted they are teaming up with such an iconic event which receives world-wide exposure for our partners.”

Vodafone’s Consumer Business Unit Director Ben McIntosh said the Vodafone Gold Coast 600 was the ideal brand partner with its reputation as a premier sporting and entertainment event.

”Since we ramped up our partnership with Supercars Australia this year as the official telco partner of the series, on top of sponsoring the Porsche safety, course and medical cars, the response has been phenomenal,” said McIntosh. “The cars look amazing, the team at Supercars is astounding to work with and the national fan base is huge and passionate.

“We’re pumped at becoming the naming rights sponsor of the Gold Coast 600 to bring the Vodafone brand to the hundreds of thousands of fans who attend the weekend, in addition to the millions of people who watch it on big and small screens across Australia and around the world,” continued McIntosh.

“Anticipation is already high for this year’s event and we’re proud to align the high-performance Vodafone brand with the passion and excitement of the Gold Coast 600.”

Hilltop Hoods and Violent Soho will be joined by Sydney song-writers Montaigne, Dean Lewis and DJ Trials for a huge Saturday night festival at Broadwater Parklands. Gold Coaster Brooke Evers is among the DJs confirmed for the hugely popular Club 600 on track.

Warburton said the entertainment factor of the event was why it had become so successful with crowds touching on 200,000 people in the past three years.

“This is more than a motor race, it is a massive major event on and off track,” Mr Warburton said.

“The Gold Coast 600 is a festival of the best motorsport’s categories on the planet combined with world class music which appeals to a very wide audience and demographic.

“It is why this event continues to grow in stature as one of the biggest and best in the country.”

Minister for Tourism and Major Events Kate Jones said she welcomed the 2017 Vodafone Gold Coast 600 event and the anticipated economic benefit it would deliver for the region.

“Last year the GC600 injected more than $40 million into the local economy and generated more than 90,000 visitor nights, furthering the city’s reputation as a world-class events destination,” she said.

“We know the people of the Gold Coast and Queensland are passionate about live sport and forecasts of a crowd of up to 200,000 people for the GC600 reflects that passion.

“This event will be broadcast into 94 countries and 263 million homes across the globe which is the perfect opportunity to further showcase the Gold Coast ahead of next year’s Commonwealth Games.”

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate was thrilled to once again play host to the iconic event.

“This is more than just world-class motorsport racing … we now boast the best program of any supercar event,’ Mayor Tate said.

“To secure these headline acts shows how organisers have taken the Gold Coast event to the next level. If it’s music, racing, and family fun ... it’s the Supercars in October.’’

Free public transport is available on select services to and from the event with a pre-purchased ticket, meanwhile, kids 12 and under receive free trackside admission with a paying adult.

The Vodafone Gold Coast 600 is proudly supported by the Queensland Government through Tourism and Events Queensland as part of the It’s Live! in Queensland events calendar. Queensland is just the place to experience Australia’s best live events.