IMAGE asia bows out of Koh Samui Regatta

by Event Media on 26 Sep 2007 IMAGE Asia has decided not to pursue its option to continue organising the Koh Samui Regatta into 2008 and beyond.

The company took on management of the 2007 event on a one-year contract with options for the future but, as part of a strategic realignment of its business activities, has chosen not to exercise those options.

‘It was a difficult decision,’ said IMAGE Asia MD, Grenville Fordham, who has been involved in regatta organisation in Thailand for several years. ‘From the feedback we received, Koh Samui Regatta 2007 went well for both participants and sponsors. We were especially pleased by the tremendous support from so many island businesses, particularly the commitment of the host venue, the recently renamed Centara Grand Beach Resort, Samui,’ he added.

Fordham explained that the decision not to move forward with Koh Samui Regatta was down to internal company restructuring which, this year, saw the company transfer ownership of the Phuket Boatshow (PIMEX), Thailand’s first international boat show launched by IMAGE asia in 2003, to Andaman Marine Consultants – the Phuket marine specialist company that consults to IMAGE asia on regatta race management.

While IMAGE Asia’s core business is publishing, the company has become increasingly involved in the boating scene over the past few years with PIMEX, Phuket Raceweek, Koh Samui Regatta and the yachting title Andaman Sea Pilot, now in its second edition.

‘We’re a fairly small company and had to think hard about our focus,’ said Fordham. ‘While our team gets a huge buzz out of organising events, we were reaching the point where our management resources were stretched. Regatta organisation in Thailand has yet to reach the point where it is profitable for the organiser and we concluded that we owed it to our shareholders to concentrate on our core business.’

Representatives of Koh Samui Regatta rights holders, Marc Ribail and Peter Plant, expressed their appreciation for IMAGE asia’s work on the 2007 event. ‘The support of quality sponsors and media partners, together with the backing of island businesses and the local community, helped IMAGE asia maintain the high standards that participants have come to expect from this event,’ noted Ribail. ‘We’re disappointed that IMAGE asia is not able to continue, but we understand that the company must prioritise its business commitments,’ added Plant.

Fordham stressed that his company is not pulling out of the marine scene completely. ‘We’re continuing to organise Phuket Raceweek – we now have confirmed the dates as 23-27 July 2008 – and our decision not to run Koh Samui Regatta again means we can devote resources to the growth our own regatta as one of Thailand’s top boating events,’ he said.

On the future of Koh Samui Regatta, Plant and Ribail are upbeat. ‘Discussions are already underway with a number of companies and organisations that have expressed a keen interest in running the event,’ they said, adding that many previous sponsors and partners have already indicated a desire to continue supporting the event into 2008 and beyond.

‘We at IMAGE Asia wish all involved with the Koh Samui Regatta all the best for the future development of the event and – as we have done in three of the regatta’s six years – we hope to field an IMAGE Asia racing team at Samui in 2008,’ said Fordham.