Firm to market Pope’s visit

Press, 18 April 1986, Page 4

Firm to market Pope’s visit

By

ALLAN BARCLAY,

of NZPA Wellington A joint venture company assembled by an Auckland promoter of big name celebrities has won Catholic Church approval to market New Zealand the visit of Pope John Paul n in November. The raising of $1 million to offset Church expenses—as yet not fully known —will be one of the company’s main tasks. The formation and approval of Visitation Holdings, Ltd—comprising two Auckland companies, Paul Gleeson

agement, Ltd, and Baldwin Boyle and Associates, Ltd, and an overseas company, International Management Group—was announced yesterday by Mr Pat Gaines, the Church’s national director for the visit The mastermind behind the venture is an Auckland entrepreneur, Mr Paul Gleeson, who has promoted visits to New Zealand by the tennis players, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe; the golfer, Arnold Palmer; and opera star, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. Mr Gleeson, a Catholic,

is also head of the Church’s northern regional group responsible for organising the Pope’s functions in Auckland. LM.G. is the company which marketed the Pope’s visit to Britain. The joint venture won approval ahead of competitors who included a Melbourne company which bid to market the Pope’s visit to Australia. Catholic Communications national director, the Rev. Jim Lyons, said that Mr Gleeson would be in charge of marketing and fundraising. Public relations .would be directed by

Mr Malcolm Boyle, a partner of Baldwin Boyle and Associates. Father Lyons said Visitation Holdings would also be responsible for setting up a licensing system for Papal visit souvenirs. Licensing would offer Church sanction of entrepreneurial endeavours and protect the pastoral intention of the visit, Father Lyons said. The cost to the Church of the joint venture has not been revealed, but it is believed the company will take a percentage of money raised and that a

separate fee is to be paid for the public relations contract The company plans to disband soon after the visit when it will produce a commemorative book. Fr Lyons said liability for any losses would be held by the church, through a parent company, Papal Visit Aotearoa, Ltd. formed last year. Mr Gaines said that the Church hoped to recoup a significant part of the cost of the visit while maintaining the dignity and pastoral significance of the occasion.