Asahi Beer Backs Whatsonstage.com Awards

Premium niche beer brand Asahi beer is to sponsor the 2012 Whatsonstage.com.Awards. The Whatsonstage.com Awards, now in their 12th year, encourage theatregoers to vote for their favourite performers and productions during the calender year.

Promoted by Whatsonstage.com 2011 winners included household names like David Suchet, Cameron MacIntosh, Meera Syal, Adrian Lester, Zoe Wannamaker and Sheridan Smith. The Whatsonstage.com Awards secures over £300,000 worth of media value every year and has featured on BBC Breakfast, Ant and Dec’s Takeway, ITV, London Tonight, Now, OK and the major Nationals.

The awards themselves already receive support from the theatre world where sponsors include Dewyntyers, Really Useful Group, Spotlight, Equity, AKA and the Ambassador Theatre Group.

Terri Paddock, managing director of Whatsonstage.com said. “We are delighted to welcome Asahi to the 2012 Whatsonstage.com Awards. The event has grown year on year and we now attract over 40,000 voters and great media coverage. The theatregoing demographic is very desirable and theatre is uniquely experiential so we can see why consumer brands are starting to look seriously at the opportunities that presents.”

Asahi’s sponsorship will cover two events. The gala concert, at the Prince of Wales theatre will be held in February 2012 and is attended by the winners, nominees and many celebrities. The nominees party occurs in early December 2011 and is a “must attend” event for the theatre business. It is staged at the ever popular Cafe De Paris.

Christian Hamilton Head of Marketing Asahi UK commenting on the sponsorship said: “We are really looking forward to developing our partnership with the Whatsonstage.com awards and the theatre. The awards complement a programme for Asahi support ing the arts and continues its sponsorship of leading events.”