Korean media arrive for Saipan Marathon

Five representatives of two Korean media outlets arrived on Saipan yesterday to cover the 7th Saipan Marathon on Saturday, March 3. Their coverage will bring $740,000 in ad exposure in Korea for this beach resort destination.

The Saipan Marathon continues to grow in size and regional popularity, attracting the largest contingent yet of runners for the marathon, half-marathon, 10K, and 50K ultra-marathon.

The Marianas Visitors Authority, organizer of the event, is also assisting Elle on TV and Lady KyungHyang with airline tickets, visa processing, film permitting, and ground handling.

“The [familiarization] tour of Elle on TV and Lady KyungHyang is a double win for the Northern Marianas,” said MVA marketing manager Bruce Bateman. “Not only are they helping us get the word out about the Saipan Marathon, but they will also feature other attractions our islands have to offer visitors, whether athletes or not.”

ELLE Korea is the nation’s best selling monthly fashion magazine with a circulation of one million copies every month. In addition to the magazine, ELLE Korea launched the cable TV channel ELLE on TV in January 2010. The channel airs fashion, culture, art, travel and lifestyle shows, reaches 8.5-million households, and is also available via satellite TV, Internet and IP TV platforms. In addition to producing a 30-minute TV show with 15 re-runs, four sister magazines will each run a one-page article on the marathon: Elle, Elle Girl, Luel, and Avenuel.

Lady KyungHyang is a monthly fashion and lifestyle magazine targeting women ages 25-35. The magazine shares its contents with four major Internet portal sites, and it’s the most-read and most-searched Korean magazine on the web. Lady KyungHyang will produce a 6-page article on the Northern Marianas.

The media group will spend its first day and night on Tinian, taking in a stargazing tour, an island tour via all-terrain vehicle, and a turtle-watching snorkeling tour. Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino will welcome the group with a teppanyaki dinner.

On Saipan, the group will stay at Pacific Islands Club Saipan, with a representative of Lady Kyunghyang running in the Saipan Marathon on Saturday. Other stops on their itinerary include the Garapan Street Market, the SandCastle Saipan Las Vegas-style cocktail show, Hanamistu Spa, shopping at DFS Saipan, and other shops in downtown Garapan, a tour of Saipan, and bottom-fishing. Restaurants are also included in the tour; the Seaside Grill at PIC, Café at the Park, Hyatt Regency Saipan, and a Chamorro sunset dinner are among them. (MVA)