Case Study: Community Gateway
The Situation
The Moore County Airport is the closest Fixed Base Operation (Private Airport) to the Pinehurst area. The airport services the community for their 120+ base customers and for the area Resorts and businesses that benefit from inbound and outbound private flights and charters. The airport business levels are cyclical to the Resorts occupancies, with peak business occurring in the Spring and Fall seasons. The number of flights increase with major events that are hosted in the community with the pinnacle events being the U.S. Open Championships.
The Objective
Establish a “Community Gateway” that enhances the arrival/departure experience for travelers that route to the Pinehurst area through the Moore County Airport during events and peak travel times.
The Solution
Tarheel Communications Solutions, in partnership with the Moore County Airport, developed a comprehensive plan for the 2014 Men’s and Women’s US Open Championships to enhance the arrival/departure experience for the golf professionals, corporate sponsors and general public. In addition, the “Community Gateway’ project was designed to generate revenues for the Airport to defray operations expenses. Tarheel Communications Solutions created a turn-key support system for the airport to include onsite hospitality for guests and pilots, coordination and facilitation of outbound flight catering, coordination of ground transportation for airport guests, organization of needed support volunteers, development of sponsorships to provide goods and services for the facility and to serve as the liaison between the USGA, sponsors, media security, and the Moore County Authority and airport staff. We serviced over 900 inbound/outbound flights during the two-week period generating nearly $100,000 in sponsorships for the Moore County Airport for just those two weeks. The “Community Gateway” was considered by many of the pilots and guests as one of the best FBO experiences they have ever had.
Moore County Airport has contracted Tarheel Communications Solutions to partner again for the 2024 Men’s US Open Championship.