AVIS Partners with Dryland Event Management

AVIS Car Rental is arguably the most recognisable name in vehicle rental market, with its red and white logo easily identifiable at airports both in South Africa and around the world. From the world’s first airport car rental location in 1946 – at Willow Run Airport, Detroit, USA – to over 5,000 locations in 165 countries today, Avis is a truly global company. Dryland Event Management’s stable of mountain biking and trail running events, which take place across South Africa, bring athletes from urban centres to remote areas and create significant business for car hire companies. The partnership is a perfect fit and going forward Avis will be a Dryland headline sponsor and official car rental partner.

With a number of events taking place in the Southern Cape town of Oudtshoorn, Dryland Event Management’s base of operations, mountain bikers and trail runners fly from across the country and around the world into George Airport. In the case of the Tankwa Trail and Momentum Medical Scheme Tankwa Trek, presented by Biogen taking place near Ceres, they fly in to Cape Town International, while for the Glacier Waterberg Traverse the choice of Oliver Tambo or Lanseria International Airports exists. For the Glacier Storms River Traverse, participants often elect to land in Port Elizabeth.

Regardless of the destination, Dryland competitors will have the choice between hiring a vehicle or making use of the race’s premium upgrade service at certain events. Both of which will now be supported by Avis. In fact, event participants will be able to book Avis vehicles at a preferential rate.

At the Momentum Medical Scheme Cape Pioneer Trek, presented by Biogen, for example, the riders making use of the Platinum or Gold Upgrade packages accounted for almost 20% of the total field. These riders, in groups of two to three teams, were transported from their hotels to the race village on a daily basis in Avis vehicles. The access to luxurious and spacious people carriers tremendously improved the overall race experience of those competitors. Not only did they have the space to stretch out en route to and from their hotels, but they were also in a climate-controlled environment; which was particularly beneficial when the temperatures plummeted to below zero ahead of Stage 3 and climbed to the mid-30s after Stage 4.

“We’re excited to be working with Dryland Event Management across their stable of mountain biking and trail running events. Sport is known for nation building and bringing people from all walks of life together. At Avis, we are all about bringing people together and inspiring better journeys through our wide range of mobility offerings and exceptional customer service. Being affiliated with Dryland will therefore, allow us to bring participants together in a seamless manner and make their experiences memorable,” Anda Peter, General Manager of Avis Marketing and Communications, said. “Not only will we be supplying them with vehicles to transport riders, runners and crew on events, but we will also be providing Dryland participants with added benefits and discounted rates when they hire cars to take them to races. We see the partnership as an opportunity to build brand loyalty among a group of frequent travellers.”

“Avis is an iconic global brand and we’re excited to work with them across all our events,” Henco Rademeyer of Dryland Event Management stated. “At Dryland, our foremost priority has always been to enhance the participant experience at our events. Our partnership with Avis, will undoubtedly elevate this, as their support will ease our logistics and provide participants with a range of added benefits.”

“Our premium upgrade packages have become increasingly popular in recent years and the ability to book appropriate vehicles through Avis is an essential element in ensuring luxury from arrival to departure,” Rademeyer added. “For those hiring cars and diving themselves, Avis is the vehicle hire provider of choice for our events. Given where many of the races take place having the option to stay on and take in the beauty of the Waterberg, Koue Bokkeveld, Tsitsikamma or Klein Karoo is something we’d like to encourage. With Avis’s discounted vehicle rentals this is now more affordable and provides participants with the freedom to plan their own adventures around the Dryland events.”

“This partnership underscores our commitment to creating extraordinary moments and unforgettable memories for our valued participants,” Rademeyer concluded. “We look forward to delivering an exceptional and seamless event experience with Avis by our side.”

The collaboration will be effective later this year, where competitors entered in Dryland events will enjoy the benefits of convenient transportation solutions to special discounts and perks that will make their experience even more memorable. For a comprehensive list of Avis outlets and to browse their offerings visit www.avis.co.za. To enter a Dryland Event Management mountain or gravel bike race, or a trail run, click through to www.dryland.co.za.