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BMW: The Ultimate Chick Magnet
Posted on 04/22/2002 7:04:23 PM PDT by shaggy eel
A charity gala featuring former United States President Bill Clinton has been cancelled after motor company BMW snared an exclusive deal with him to promote it's new 7 Series model as his only public engagement in New Zealand on a visit next month.
Celebrity-backed children's Variety Club had booked Mr Clinton to speak to 2500 people at a $NZ180 a head gala night in the Christchurch Town Hall on May 28.
South Island Variety Club chairman Tony Stonhill announced the gala on March 27 and said tickets would soon go on sale.
But BMW New Zealand managing director Geoff Fletcher professed no knowledge of the Variety event yesterday when he said Mr Clinton would speak to 700 people paying up to $NZ800 a head on May 27 at a gala event at the Hilton Hotel in Auckland. "We have an exclusivity contract with him," Mr Fletcher said.
It means he will appear only for BMW. He can't appear in any other public occasions."
Staff at Variety's Auckland headquarters declined to comment on the fate of the Christchurch function.
One, Nicole Bassett, said "Things are still being negotiated and I can't say anything." She said the tickets had not gone on sale.
In Christchurch, Mr Stonhill would only say "I can make no comment except that the Christchurch visit is cancelled." He would not discuss BMW's function or say if he was disappointed Mr Clinton would now not be speaking in Christchurch.
Speaking at BMW's Auckland headquarters yesterday, Mr Fletcher said tickets for the May 27 event would cost between $NZ600 and $NZ800. That was less than people usually had to pay to hear Mr Clinton because BMW were making "a substantial contribution" toward the cost.
Since his presidency ended in January last year, Mr Clinton has travelled the world celebrity speaker's circuit raising money for legal bills amassed during his presidency.
American newspapers have reported his going rate for a speech is about $NZ365,000.
The Christchurch gala would have raised about $NZ450,000 in ticket sales if all 2500 were sold. Assuming the Auckland price is $NZ700, the BMW function would raise $NZ490,000 if all 700 tickets sell.
Mr Fletcher said none of the money raised would go to charity. He had looked at that, but the all-up $NZ700k cost of the event did not leave enough margin.
BMW hoped to sell at least 100 of the $NZ208,900 luxury 7 Series cars in New Zealand this year, he said.
I thought that while President, any legal defense was paid by US.
Has anyone seen any figures on what his legal bills came to?
I think this is a scam, none of what he gets is going to anyone but Bill.
could you please let me know why you have engaged the services of a known sexual predator to sell your 7 series cars?
Looking forward to your reply
best regards
Byron
http://www.bmw.co.nz/frameset.asp?content=contact&image=contact.gif
I disagree. You'd prefer he came back to the States? More time on foreign soil for Bill sounds just fine to me.
Of course, he can't be expected to pay for HIS OWN legal defense, out of HIS OWN POCKET now, can he ?
Not true. Find him a halfway-decent looking lady, and he'll offer her all sorts of things.
Ok, she doesn't need to be halfway-decent looking...
BMW: The Ultimate Chick Magnet
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