lizampairee.com

Recent Projects

MICK FITZGERALD RETIRES

After 1280 UK winners and a career spanning 20 years, national hunt jockey Mick Fitzgerald retired through injury in August 2008 at the age of 38. Working alongside Stuart Higgins Communications and Jon Holmes Media, Liz and the team had 48 hours to put together the retirement logistics and press release.

This involved getting together quotes from Mick and trainer Nicky Henderson, as well as compiling extensive statistics and key winners from Mick’s successful career. Then, management of the announcement to the media, and co-ordination of the barrage of media requests that followed.

After being released at 9am on the 7th August, this news headlined the racing TV channels and internet within minutes, Mick spent all day giving interviews and it was reported in every national newspaper the day following.

Mick’s eagerly awaited autobiography, ‘Better Than Sex’ will be released in November 2008 and Liz will work with Racing Post books on the publicity for this. It will be available from the bookshop at www.racingpost.co.uk as well as on Amazon and good bookshops nationwide.

AMUNDSEN OMEGA 3 SOUTH POLE RACE PRESS LAUNCH

In December 2008 the first race to the South Pole for almost 100 years will take place in the footsteps of the great duel between the British Scott and the Norwegian Amundsen. Competitors from all over the world will take part including teams from Norway, Great Britain and the US. Competitors include Double Olympic Gold Medallist rower, James Cracknell, TV presenter, Ben Fogle, the first Irish woman to conquer Everest, Hannah Shields, and blind motivational speaker and adventurer, Mark Pollock.

To launch this to the media, working with the South Pole race team, a press event was organised on 10th July 2008 at the Absolut Ice bar in London. This involved inviting over 100 key media to experience the temperatures likely at the pole, tasting the food that the competitors survive on, meeting the competitors, a photocall in the Ice Bar and a presentation about the race.

Coverage following the event was extensive and appeared across national media and broadcast, and in publications around the world. The race itself will be extremely high profile and is also being filmed for a national television documentary to be shown next year.

KAUTO STAR
VERSUS DENMAN

The ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ of British Racing happened on 14th March this year when Kauto Star and Denman, the two mighty chasers of recent seasons, met in the Cheltenham Gold Cup. The team worked with the BHA, Stuart Higgins Consultancy, Johnno Spence Consulting and Totesport to get this story ‘off the racing pages’ and into the more general media to create excitement and interest in this race and racing in general.

When approached for what should be done, Liz’s first question was “Well have you seen Sam Thomas (Denman’s jockey) – he looks like Brad Pitt?!” leading to Jilly Cooper coining the phrase “He’s Brad Pitt astride a Brontosaurus” and the resulting headlines that ensued.

Coverage of the race was far reaching in all National media and even in Hello! magazine.

INTERCHANGE SHACKLETON SOUTH POLE EXPEDITION

On 18th January 2008, Richard Dunwoody MBE arrived at the Geographic South Pole conquering a route that had never been done before. The trip took him 48 days, travelling 680 miles at temperatures as low as minus 40 degrees and he lost three stone in the process. In spite of riding 1699 winners and a career spanning 17 years and three champion jockey titles, Richard hailed this trip as his ‘greatest achievement’ to date.

Liz and the team put together the sponsorship for Richard’s trip with Interchange FX, organized charity fund raising events, such as the ‘Cortaflex Retired NH Legends Champion Jockeys Ride Again’ race at Kempton Park in October 2007 and all the publicity for the trip itself. As well as across the sports and racing press, Richard featured on BBC1 throughout the trip, Sky News, all key radio stations and across the National Media.

Through Richard’s monumental achievement and the efforts back at base, £80,000 was raised for Richard’s three charities. Watch this space for what Richard plans to do next!