Vexed Bermoothes

So the Premier is going to Washington for the inauguration!  I am sure it will be exciting.

Coincidentally, the Bermuda Department of Tourism will co-sponsor a party in Washington, DC over the inaugural weekend.  The black tie ball, called the Audacity of Hope Gala & Ball, costs $350 bucks a head (making it one of the priciest galas in town).

And apparently it will cost you and me $75,000.  Dr. Brown notes:

“Our marketing partner thought this would be a great opportunity to highlight Bermuda at a time when our Tourism industry has begun to feel the impact of the economic downturn.  The Director (of Tourism) and I agreed this is a rare opportunity to associate the Bermuda brand with people in our target audience at a euphoric time.”

Riggght.  This has little to do with marketing Bermuda tourism.  Like the Playboy sponsorship, this is about marketing the Premier.

(One benchmark to use in judging this sponsorship:  the Department of Tourism spends about $63 on marketing per air arrival to Bermuda.  So, for value for money, we should expect this event to attract about 1,200 new visitors.  Riggght.  The party capacity is 450 people.)