Opening Spectacle as Marketing Investment

“When Sol proudly announced to his investors that construction had come in well below budget, they were thrilled – that is, until he told them, and not for the last time in his life, that he would blow the difference on the opening party.”

“On 6 December 1964, The Beverly Hills opened with a splash. Sol organised the biggest fireworks display that South Africa, at that point, had ever seen. Pictures of the hotel, the party and the glamorous invitees were plastered all over the front pages of every newspaper in the country and beyond. Articles soon appeared in magazines and journals in countries that had been carefully selected by Sol as potential sources of business. Back then, the printed word or photograph was the most important means of promotion, long before social media and influencers. Sol was demonstrating what would become one of his most potent tools: his ability to promote his unique products.”