John Leone, Production Director of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, cuts the 40th anniversary cake as Event Manager Leonde Vermeulen (left) and Promo Girl Bernice Bruning (right) assist at the Heineken Regatta sponsor party held last night in Orient Bay. (Robert Luckock photo)
MARIGOT--Heineken has created forty different-coloured labels on its bottles to celebrate the fortieth anniversary of the St. Maarten Heineken Regatta, Production Director of the regatta John Leone disclosed last night at the annual regatta sponsor party.
“The bottles are numbered one to 40 and it will be interesting to see how the public interacts with it,” said Leone. “Everyone can select their favourite colour and match it to a shirt or whatever. There’ll be a social media campaign behind it and it’s a fun way to celebrate and we appreciate Heineken doing this for St. Maarten.”
Each case will contain 24 bottles with different labels, starting Monday. In bars everywhere these different shades of Heineken will be seen, representing the diversity of the people and the years that have gone by.
“Heineken stays close to St. Maarten and there’s not many places in the world that have a close relationship with such a big brand like we do,” Leone said. “We are lucky Heineken appreciates St. Maarten, the regatta, and the legacy that’s been in St. Maarten for so long.”
Also unique to the sponsor party last night was the presentation of a 40th anniversary cake decorated in the Heineken colours. “I think the cake just symbolises a moment of reflection, from where we have come from to where we are today,” Leone said. “We’re grateful for the past and looking to the future.”
The well-attended sponsor party was held in a private villa in Orient Bay. Leone introduced two key people who will be taking Heineken forward: new Marketing Manager Tanvi Goklani and new Heineken distributor Sunny Khatnani, Managing Director of Divico.
Veuve Cliquot represented by Caribbean Liquors and Tobacco was announced as the official champagne of the regatta.
Also introduced was new Race Director Marc van Dongen who gave a brief overview of his sailing career.
Former Race Director Paul Miller was thanked for his service to the regatta.
Sponsors were invited to walk a green Heineken carpet and have their photo taken by professional photographer Souleyman with a framed poster of the regatta which they will get to keep. There was no speech this year from Robbie Ferron, although he was present.
Conspicuous by her absence was Heineken Regatta Director and Yacht Club General Manager Michele Korteweg, who was mourning the sudden passing away of her father in the Netherlands.
The party was emceed by Jeffry “Dr. Soc” Sochrin.
