Jet Aviation showcases rare planes for charitable cause

Jet Aviation

Business aviation company Jet Aviation is paring down its guest list for this year’s annual La Bella Macchina event Jan. 21 in Palm Beach, FL.

The 16th annual event will take place at Palm Beach International Airport alongside the Cavallino Classic. The revamped event is a chance for Jet Aviation to say thank you to its clients and community and keep interest in aviation alive in future generations.

“The focus is very much on aviation,” said Shamin Abas, president of La Bella Macchina event planner and Jet Aviation’s PR firm Shamin Abas Public Relations, New York. “And it’s really more of a client event than it is just the fantastic, big branding event that the whole town came out.

“It’s a very glamorous and outrageous display of planes and cars, but it’s about aviation at the heart of it,” she said.

First class
La Bella Macchina features a wide display of rare business aircraft models, including the G280, G450, Falcon 2000S, Legacy 500, Lineage and Pilatus PC-12NG. The event also serves as a fundraiser for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County.

The rarity and decadence of the aircrafts and automobiles on display has led the event to swell in popularity over the past several years with 1,500 attendees for the 2015 event, but this year will have a guest list limited to 650 individuals, including sponsor guests and Jet Aviation clients.

Jet Aviation La Bella Macchina

“As the event grew in popularity and in size, our approach was most certainly to focus on making sure the crowd maintained a focus on private aviation,” Ms. Abas said. “So maybe they own a plane or they charter a plane

Because of the event’s emphasis on charity, a limited selection of ultra-high-net-worth clients is favorable compared to a larger group. Billionaires are often somewhat reluctant to attend large-scale events, but something smaller is more likely to draw them out.

Additionally, paring down the guest list allows for the addition of VIP experiences to the event’s silent auction that will raise funds for the Boys and Girls Club. The VIP experiences are three-day tennis excursion on Sir Richard Branson’s private island, a three-night “Escape to Another World” with unlimited golf at Ritz-Carlton’s Dorado Beach in Puerto Rico and a two-night trip to Montreal with the opportunity to race a Ferrari around Le Circuit Mont-Tremblant Formula One track with the assistance of an expert.

Charitable endeavors always look good to the public, but the small guest list ensures that attendees will already be loyal Jet Aviation clients. As such, La Bella Macchina functions primarily as a CSR initiative for the company.

Jet Aviation on October Robb Report

Fittingly, Jet Aviation will host a career seminar and tour for 60 children who are members of Palm Beach County’s Boys & Girls Club in addition to the charity auction. The kids will have an opportunity to tour the display grounds, enter the planes and learn about career opportunities in business aviation and the importance of the trade.

For Jet Aviation, which has a large presence in Palm Beach, the event is a chance to give back to the community.

“It’s not just about raising money [for the Boys & Girls Club],” Ms. Abas said. “It’s about how we make an impact on the kids and show them what is happening and how to get a grasp on the aviation industry.”

All aboard
Other companies have also helped put on extravagant, exclusive events with a small selection of UHNW individuals in the name of charity.

For example, near the end of 2015 travel and events group Premier Tennis served an ace for charity with the world’s “most exclusive” tennis match.

Sponsors of the 4th annual Necker Cup Pro-Am, which began Nov. 28 and featured charity tennis matches and numerous other activities, included Rolls-Royce Dom Perignon, Buckitdream, Ernst Benz and Inglot. The once-in-a-lifetime opportunity coupled with travel and philanthropy attracted eager participants and raised money for a number of good causes (see story).

The lack of direct revenue gain from philanthropic endeavors should not make brands weary of them.

Corporate social responsibility may be about relationship building rather than transactions, but that makes it more important for brands, not less, according to Christie’s executive at Luxury Interactive Europe 2015 Oct. 27.

The speaker offered a number of tips for brands looking to improve or get started on CSR, offering a number of Christie’s stories as support. In addition to quality craftsmanship and great service, being a luxury brand means using a highly visible and admired position to fulfill moral and ethical responsibilities (see story).

“This is a very, very important and proud night for Jet Aviation and for making a contribution,” Ms. Abas said. “They have a huge presence in Palm Beach; between their clients and all the clients coming in and out, it’s one of the busiest private airports in the industry, so a lot of the folks in the community are their clients.

“It’s a great way to be able to host a special evening for the community and give back.”

from Luxury Daily » Travel and hospitality http://www.luxurydaily.com/jet-aviation-showcases-rare-planes-for-charitable-cause/
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