Drinks partnerships transform Westpac Openair into something more

Westpac OpenAir, now a stalwart of Sydney summers after 26 years of exhibiting films upon Sydney Harbour, is all grown up. 

The event’s tagline, 'The world’s most beautiful cinema', still remains in place but in its lifetime, Westpac OpenAir has transformed from ‘simply’ impressing audiences as its Swiss-built giant screen rises up from Sydney Harbour. Today, it is like a floating village into which high-end brand experiences are neatly interwoven.  

Back in 1997, the site at Mrs Macquaries Point housed a screen, a bar, a VIP section and a 1200 seat stadium. Since then, OpenAir has been the beneficiary of brands' intent on building their direct interactions with consumers by creating immersive consumer experiences.

In 2023 the campaign tagline for OpenAir is about being 'Open to' experiences, such as falling in love, or sunsets and moon rises thanks to a brand re-vamp by design agency Alphabet Studio. OpenAir is no longer something to see, it is something to be a part of. 

This shift has meant that Managing Director Rob Bryant and his team have been able to create more creative brand partnerships with brands spending more than they ever have. Sponsorship investment at the event has grown exponentially which has helped a night out at OpenAir to become a special occasion and an essential Sydney summer experience. 

“When new partners come on board, there is an expectation that their brand activations will contribute to enhancing the patron’s OpenAir experience ,” Bryant said. 

Once the gates open at 6.00pm, ticketholders stream to the Hendrick’s Bar and Deck area at the event's north end, are shown to their tables in the premium Lounge by Whispering Angel or take their seats in The Chandon Garden to enjoy some bubbles in the more casual reserved dining area.  

William Grant & Sons – owners of Hendrick’s and Glenfiddich - signed on with the event last summer and have now recommitted for a further two seasons while Moët Hennessy re-enters the event after a 6 year hiatus, to profile its brands: Chandon Spritz, Whispering Angel and Cape Mentelle (to be acquired by Endeavour in the coming weeks). 

Their drinks are served on site – along with Stella Artois and Fever-Tree - and their sponsorship deals are substantial enough to give them naming rights to the on-site venues. There is also the Audi Deck, Nespresso Café, Westpac Terrace and The Point – the general admission dining area serving up meals by one of Sydney’s favourite chefs, Mike McEnearney (Kitchen by Mike). 

All mixed drinks are stirred with Fever-Tree mixers (who are also a partner) and there are non-alc options with Heaps Normal XPA and non alcoholic pre-batched cocktails. Drinks are served in sturdy Westpac branded glasses. 

I was there last week there as a guest of Mr Yum’s which works with all seven of the on site food and drink venues collectively catering for up to 1600 patrons each night for 44 nights. The site is entirely cashless. 

Mr Yum CEO Kim Teo says offering at-table mobile ordering at Westpac OpenAir both elevates the overall guest experience and expedites the delivery of food and drinks. 

“Serving up to 1600 people in just a couple of hours before screening each night is a mammoth feat for the teams in the bars and kitchens across the site.  

“Mr Yum helps by eliminating queues and driving back-of-house efficiencies during service, while increasing spend-per-head through suggested menu upgrades and provides sophisticated reporting for the team to monitor best-selling items and trends across the season,” she said. 

Mr Yum’s data shows that the best selling drinks for the season so far are the Hendrick's Gin + Fever-Tree Tonic and bottles of Cape Mentelle Brooks Chardonnay. While Mike McEnearney’s most popular dishes are Double Black Angus Burger, Tandoori chicken and battered flathead. 

Westpac OpenAir runs in Sydney until Tuesday, 21 February. Tickets available here.