Paul J. Foster has joined the Baku 2015 European Games as Director of Protocol, the Operation Committee (BEGOC) has revealed.

Born in Australia, he is the founder and principal of consulting firm PJF Group, and will join BEGOC on a part-time basis in August 2014 before relocating full-time to Baku in November.

Foster, who assisted BEGOC as a consultant for the first and second Baku 2015 Coordination Commissions last year, will lead the European Family Operations team providing high-level services to all of the event’s stakeholders.

He has extensive knowledge of the Olympic movement, having previously held the position of Head of Protocol, Events and Hospitality at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) until 2012, where he worked on two Olympic Games (Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008) and one Olympic Winter Games (Vancouver 2010).

During this time he was also involved in the preparations for the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games.

“Paul has a fantastic breadth and depth of experience within the Games world and this puts him in an excellent position to integrate our international and domestic dignitary programs,” Simon Clegg, Chief Operating Officer of Baku 2015, said welcoming Foster to BEGOC.

“His international reputation and passion for sport will further enhance the existing BEGOC team and assist us in delivering an event of which Azerbaijan and the whole of Europe will be proud.”

Apart from working for the IOC, Foster has experience of working for the Organising Committees of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, and Salt Lake City and Torino Winter Olympic Games in 2002 and 2006 respectively.

“I am delighted to be joining Baku 2015 and the opportunity to be involved with the inaugural European Games is a very exciting one for me,” Foster said. “It is an honor to be a part of such a talented team and I look forward to working with all our national and international stakeholders to deliver an experience which will become the benchmark for all future editions of the European Games.”

Baku 2015 will be the first ever European Games, an exciting and innovative new multi-sport event for the continent that will take place from June 12 until June 28, 2015.

There will be a total of 19 sports at Baku 2015: 16 Olympic sports and three non-Olympic sports. More than 6,000 athletes are expected to represent their nations over the 17 days of competition.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF) have announced they have selected tracking system Hawk-Eye to use their technology.

The system will determine line calls and made its badminton debut in the MetLife BWF World Superseries tournament in New Delhi and spectators in the stadium and watching at home will eventually be able to see instant reviews of challenges which happen in matches on the TVcourt. 

After testing various instant-review technologies in recent months, the BWF has contracted Hawk-Eye Innovations to provide instant-review services for the World Superseries as well as for BWF Major Events. This includes Hawk-Eye’s popular graphics implementation which pinpoints the exact spot on which a ball – or in badminton’s case, a shuttle – lands. These are often shown in sports venues worldwide and broadcast to fans elsewhere. 

“We have been testing various systems and we have determined Hawk-Eye to be the most trusted and reliable option by which to track line-call challenges,” said BWF Secretary General Thomas Lund. 

“As a brand, it has built a strong reputation and enjoys global recognition among other sports – and indeed among sports fans – as an accurate and highly innovative technology which adds value to the spectatorship of sporting events.” 

Hawk-Eye’s system will gradually be integrated with the in-venue video boards and live worldwide broadcast feed, allowing fans to see instant reviews and decisions on challenges. 

“Since we introduced instant reviews in last year’s World Superseries Finals, many people have been asking when we would take the next step – add the graphics which they are accustomed to seeing in tennis and other sports. Now, with Hawk-Eye on board, we are ready to progress to that stage. 

“The integration of these graphical elements will be tested in India and ultimately we will get operations running smoothly. It’s another significant and innovative step for badminton in the sporting world,” added Lund. 

The India Open 2014 is the fifth BWF tournament at which instant reviews are available to players since the BWF World Superseries Finals last December in Malaysia. The other tournaments at which they have been in place are the Victor Korea Open, the Maybank Malaysia Open and the Yonex All England Open.

Las Vegas in USA will host the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping and Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Finals in 2015 it was confirmed today.

Las Vegas has already hosted the FEI World Cup Finals five times – in 2000 and 2003 when it staged the Jumping Finals, ed and in 2005, viagra 2007 and 2009, when the Jumping and Dressage Finals were combined.

“We are delighted that the FEI World Cup Finals in both Jumping and Dressage will be returning to Las Vegas in 2015, giving our sport and our title sponsors Longines and Reem Acra further global exposure on this fabulous American stage”, said FEI Secretary General Ingmar De Vos. “It will be good to be back in Las Vegas after a six-year gap and we are looking forward to really top class sport in this fabulous venue.”

Pat Christenson, President of Las Vegas Events, expressed his delight at the FEI Bureau decision to allocate the 2015 Finals to Las Vegas. “We are honoured to be the host of the 2015 FEI World Cup Finals,” he said. “Las Vegas last hosted the show jumping and dressage Finals in 2009, so we are extremely excited to once again showcase our destination to equestrian fans from the U.S. and around the world. We look forward to working with the FEI to create a memorable event and a venue for the top riders in the world.”

The FEI World Cup Jumping Finals were first held in Gothenburg (SWE) in 1979. Seven years later, the first FEI World Cup Dressage Finals were held in ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NED) in 1986.

CSM Sport & Entertainment, a division of Chime Communications PLC and at sports marketing agency has announced the acquisition of the Chinese communications and event management company PEOPLE Marketing founded by Irene Cheung, five years ago.

The company, which employs 25 people,  has prestigious clients including Remy Cointreau, The European Golf Tour, BMW, UBS and Ernest Borel and will work closely with London based CSM Sport & Entertainment’s growing global business, now chaired by former Olympic and Paralympic Chairman Lord Coe.

PEOPLE Marketing specialises in communications consultancy, concept development, event and activation management and public relations and has dramatically expanded its client portfolio over the last three years.

Founder and CEO Irene Cheung said: “We are delighted and excited to be joining the CSM Sport & Entertainment family and we look forward to working together to grow the global businesses of CSM in China and across the region.  There are huge opportunities for domestic and international brands in the Asian-Pacific region and we look forward to working with all the CSM agencies to make sure we’re in the best position to help these brands and businesses reach their marketing goals. .”

CSM Sport & Entertainment CEO, Jim Glover said: “PEOPLE Marketing is a stand-out business in a very competitive market and we believe that with our support and experience we can work together to develop our business and move into new areas as part of our global aspirations and business plan. Everyone is aware of the Asia growth story and as international brands seek a route into this market, sponsorship and event marketing are increasingly important tools in unlocking business opportunities.  The potent combination of CSM’s international capability and PEOPLE’s broader China expertise, will be of huge value to existing and future clients.”

Chairman of CSM Sport & Entertainment Lord Coe said: “The speed and growth of business and sports in China is phenomenal and we are very fortunate to be teaming up with a company with such fantastic experience and credentials as PEOPLE Marketing.  Their reputation in the China market is first class and they were a natural partner as we look to continue the growth of CSM in the Asian-Pacific region.”

Most recently PEOPLE Marketing has been providing communications consultancy and activation management to Remy V.S.O.P for the dance platform and worked with the European Tour for the communication and press relations for Omega Missions Hills World Cup and UBS Hong Kong Open since 2008 and 2010  respectively. 

The company, which is based in Shanghai recently won the pitch to becoming the leading communication agency for BMW Golfsport which includes BMW Masters, BMW International Golf Cup and BMW Junior Programme and UBS retained PEOPLE Marketing to manage the maximisation program for its title sponsorship of the China Grand Prix for the last three years.

Organisers of Rugby World Cup Sevens 2013 in Moscow have announced a record number of official travel agencies (OTAs) have been appointed, underscoring the global appeal of the showcase event.

So far nine OTAs have been appointed by the Rugby Union of Russia (RUR) and with a user-friendly visa process also in place, it is now easier than ever for fans to take their seat for this thrill-a-minute tournament, which takes place from June 28-30 at the world famous Luzhniki Stadium.

All OTAs offer fun-packed trips to this festival of Rugby and music planned for the vibrant and exciting Russian capital, and with several airlines offering competitive prices on direct flights – including as low as £50 from the UK – and tickets for the tournament on sale from just US$5, RWC Sevens 2013 looks set to provide a global showcase for the best Sevens has to offer.

Rugby World Cup Limited Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: “Rugby World Cup Sevens 2013 is one of the must-see events on the global sporting calendar this year and an opportunity for sports fans in Russia and around the world to see an Olympic sport that brings people together for a festival of world-class Rugby, entertainment and fun in one of the world’s most vibrant cities.”

“The appointment of a global official travel agent programme reflects the strong reach and appeal of a sport that continues to attract new fans around the world. Interest is high, preparations are on track and I am sure that Rugby World Cup Sevens 2013 will be a resounding success.”

The OTAs are spread across South Africa, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Canada, Japan, France and Spain. More agencies will be appointed in due course.

Sir Nick Faldo has announced that the inaugural Faldo Series Nepal Championship will take place on 18-19 October at Gokarna Forest Resort in Kathmandu. Young golfers from across the Himalayan region are set to benefit from the six-time Major winner’s global golf development programme.

“We have enjoyed a close relationship with golfers from the Himalayan region ever since Ziwang Gurung travelled from Bhutan to play in a Faldo Series tournament in 2008, capsule ” said Faldo. “Incredibly, for a golfer who only has access to nine holes and had never been outside his country before, let alone in an airplane, he qualified for the Grand Final at Mission Hills in China. I hope by bringing the Faldo Series to Nepal we can create more opportunity for players like Ziwang to achieve their dreams.”

“I thank the Himalayan Youth Golf Association, the Nepal Golf Association and Gokarna Forest Resort for sharing my vision and for bringing the Series toNepal,” added the former world number one. “I look forward to spending time with the winners at the Grand Final in China next March.”

“The Faldo Series will be a huge boost to golf development in the Himalayan region,” commented Tashi Ghale, General Secretary of the Nepal Golf Association. “We thank Sir Nick for his support and look forward to welcoming players from places like Bhutan, Bangladesh, Nepal and Northern India who will benefit significantly from this unique opportunity.”

Golfers aged 12 to 21 will play over two rounds in the Nepal Championship at Gokarna Forest Resort near the capital city of Kathmandu. There will also be pre-qualifying events for Nepalese golfers in Kathmandu, Pokhara and Dharan.

With the field for the Nepal Championship divided into four age-groups – two for boys and two for girls – the age-group winners will join Faldo for the seventh Faldo Series Asia Grand Final at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China next March.

Established in 1996, 38 Faldo Series tournaments now take place in 28 countries worldwide with more than 7,000 golfers participating each year. Past winners include Major Champions Rory McIlroy and Yani Tseng.

The 2012/2013 Faldo Series Asia schedule features a record 18 tournaments in 15 countries, including four in mainland China and others in The Philippines, Chinese Taipei, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Singapore, Brunei, Cambodia, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Malaysia, Japan, Indonesia and Thailand.

National Football League’s reigning most valuable player, Aaron Rodgers is set to star in two new ads for national pizza brand, Pizza Hut.

The ads may air as soon as Wednesday night when the New York Giants meet the Dallas Cowboys in the kickoff game of the NFL season. Otherwise, they will begin running on Sunday and throughout the rest of the season.

Rodgers will help kick off Pizza Hut’s new Big Dinner Box, described as an “epic-sized box” filled with two medium rectangular one-topping pan pizzas, five breadsticks and the choice of four Stuffed Pizza Rollers, one pan of Tuscani Pasta or eight wings.

“This epic box has something for everyone to enjoy and who better to represent our MVP product than the league’s top quarterback,” said Kurt Kane, Pizza Hut’s chief marketing officer.

The deal with Pizza Hut, terms of which were not disclosed, gives Rodgers another top-line firm in his endorsement portfolio. In addition to Pizza Hut, Rodgers has deals with Ford Motor Co., State Farm Insurance, Nike and Associated Bank. Locally, Rodgers appears with attorney David Gruber in ads for the Gruber Law Firm.

Rodgers also did a series of promotional ads for the Milwaukee Brewers.

The new Pizza Hut ads aim to tap into Rodgers’ dry sense of humor. His comic style was displayed most effectively last year with a series of State Farm ads, which gave the nationally known insurer a catch-phrase (“Discount Double Check”).

The Williams Formula 1 team has seen profits surge in the first half of 2011 by 37% on the previous year.

Pre-tax profit was £1.7m ($2.7m) after the cost of investing £1.1m ($1.75m) in energy firm Williams Hybrid Power and the Williams Technology Centre in Qatar.

Team Principal Sir Frank Williams said the first six months to 30 June showed “momentum” and “diversified growth”.

Williams went on the Frankfurt stock exchange in March.

As well as the F1 team, treatment Williams Grand Prix Holdings includes other firms, among them engineering and power concerns, as well as outside partnerships.

The firm has a deal with Renault to provide engines for its F1 cars, and a partnership with Jaguar Land Rover to jointly develop the C-X75 supercar.

Adam Parr, Williams chairman said: “Our core business has performed in line with expectations, with greater costs incurred in the first half. We have made several senior new appointments in engineering and aerodynamics, bolstering both our team devoted to improving track-side performance, and supporting our Jaguar Land Rover partnership.”

During the half-year period Williams extended existing sponsor deals with Randstad and Oris, and added Interbrand as a new partner.

Following the stock market launch, Sir Frank Williams has remained majority shareholder and team principal.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) has followed the path of the National Football League (NFL) before it by locking out its players at midnight on Thursday, June 30, after eleventh-hour talks over a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) ended in stalemate.

A three-hour negotiating session between the league and its Players Association (NBAPA) concluded in both sides admitting that the discrepancy was too large to resolve before the deadline at midnight Eastern Time.

According to Reuters, although the current agreement calls for 57 per cent of basketball-related income to be distributed to the players under a US$58m per team cap system, the owners had asked for the revenue split to be 50-50 under the new CBA.

The union had agreed reduced its counter proposal to 54.3 per cent, the equivalent of $100m per year of additional revenue to the owners over a five-year term. However, with NBA commissioner David Stern having warned that the league will make a $300m loss in the 2010-11 season, the two sides were still $7bn apart in their demands over a 10-year CBA.

NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver said: “The expiring collective bargaining agreement created a broken system that produced huge financial losses for our teams. We need a sustainable business model that allows all 30 teams to be able to compete for a championship, fairly compensates our players, and provides teams, if well-managed, with an opportunity to be profitable.

“We have made several proposals to the union, including a deal targeting $2bn annually as the players’ share – an average of approximately $5m per player that could increase along with league revenue growth. Elements of our proposal would also better align players’ pay with performance. We will continue to make every effort to reach a new agreement that is fair and in the best interests of our teams, our players, our fans, and our game.”

The lockout represents the NBA’s first work stoppage since the 1998-99 season, but the National Football League (NFL), North America’s richest major league, has also been in a lockout scenario since March. The Dallas Mavericks overcame Miami Heat in the finals of this year’s competition last month.

“We just haven’t been able to find that happy medium,” said union chief Billy Hunter. “We took a baby step (but) they didn’t take any at all. They started from what we considered an extreme number (initially) and trying to get to where we are or us get to get to them is mammoth.”