Yorkshire County Cricket Club have appointed AudienceView, unhealthy an e-commerce solution company, as its new technology partner.

The fully integrated solution will power sales and service via single fan accounts, through which fans can purchase match day tickets, memberships, merchandise and corporate hospitality packages. In addition, AudienceView will provide a service to the Yorkshire Cricket Board, Yorkshire Cricket Foundation and manage cricket net group bookings for the venue.

“AudienceView is an innovative, customer-centric solution to take our club into the future, allowing us to put our fans first and contribute significantly to the betterment of Yorkshire cricket,” said Mark Arthur, Chief Executive of Yorkshire County Cricket Club. “We are truly delighted to be implementing such modern, forward-thinking technology to create better relationships with our fans and provide a best-in-class shopping experience.”

Engineered with customer relationship management (CRM) at the core, AudienceView incorporates ticketing, social/mobile commerce, marketing, access control and full fan management in a single solution. This enables organizations like Yorkshire County Cricket Club to improve operational efficiencies and unlock new revenue opportunities.

“We are excited to welcome Yorkshire County Cricket Club to the AudienceView family,” said Jeff Koets, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for AudienceView. “Our integrated ticketing, CRM and membership functionality will serve Yorkshire well as it continues to exceed expectations both on and off the field.”

The World Curling Federation (WCF) has announced that the Chinese capital, impotent Beijing, will host the 2014 World Men?s Curling Championship.

The event will take place from March 29 to April 6, 2014. ?The award of the 2014 World Men?s Championship to Beijing is a major landmark in the development of curling? said World Curling Federation President Kate Caithness following a signing ceremony at the WCF secretariat in Perth, Scotland on Wednesday.

?It will be the first time that a World Men?s Curling Championship will be staged in the Pacific-Asia zone. In the last decade we have witnessed a surge in growth of curling in the region. Following on from the World Women?s Curling Championships in Japan in 2007 and Korea in 2009, China will now host the top twelve men?s teams in the world and we look forward to working with our partners and sponsors to stage a first class show for the world to enjoy.? ?

“The Chinese Curling Association would like to thank the World Curling Federation for putting their trust in us and our partners to host the 2014 World Men?s Curling Championship,”? said Ni Huizhong, President of the Chinese Curling Association.

He added: “?Curling is a sport that is growing incredibly fast not only throughout China but also throughout the rest of the Pacific-Asia region. We hope that this event, being staged just after the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia, will help continue to inspire the next generation of curlers throughout the world. We would like to invite everyone to China in 2014 and the city of Beijing to be part of this incredible experience.?”

At the same time as the 2014 World Men?s host agreement was signed, Titlis Glacier Mountain confirmed their title sponsorship of the Titlis Glacier Mountain World Women?s Curling Championship 2013, in Riga, Latvia. They have also confirmed they will be a main sponsor, along with the City of Lucerne, of the 2014 Men?s World Curling Championships in Beijing, China.

On agreeing these sponsorship deals, Norbert Patt, CEO of Titlis Cableways, Hotels and Restaurants, said: “?Our previous sponsorships of the World Women?s Curling Championship in 2009 and 2011 resulted in increasing awareness for the Titlis Glacier Mountain tourist destination. So it was a logical step to extend the partnership with the WCF, especially for the 2014 event in Beijing, China, which is very important for us.”

Titlis Glacier Mountain and the city of Lucerne are the top two destinations for Asian tourists visiting Switzerland.? The venue for the World Men?s Curling Championship will be announced at a later date, with a number of options available in Beijing for the event. 

The 2013 Ford World Men?s Curling Championship will take place from March 30 – April 7 at the Save-on-Foods Memorial Centre in Victoria BC, Canada. The 2014 Ford World Women?s Curling Championship will take place in Saint John, New Brunswick in Canada from 15-23 March. The 2013 World Women?s Curling Championship will take place from March 16-24 at the Volvo Sports Center in Riga, Latvia.

Infront Sports & Media, the leading international sports marketing company, has officially announced the inauguration of a new subsidiary as another milestone in the group’s global growth strategy.

Infront France SAS is based in Paris and will embark on business operations as of today.

With the new subsidiary in place, the Infront Group is increasing its focus on the French market, approaching the domestic economy with its attractive international rights portfolio and comprehensive sports marketing expertise. Sports rights holders, organisers of sports events and sponsor brands will now have greater access to the group’s premium sales, marketing and client services as well as its full range of professional solutions.

The subsidiary is led by Managing Director Jean-François Jeanne, an experienced French sports business professional and marketing specialist with a 16-year international industry track record.

Infront represents a significant number of rights holders hosting major sports events in the country, including various FIS World Cup competitions and the annual Ironman event in Nice. In addition, Infront distributes sponsorship packages to several major international sports events appealing to a French fan base such as the EHF EURO, the IBU Biathlon World Cup and various international football properties including AC Milan, SS Lazio, Werder Bremen and Schalke 04.

Philippe Blatter, President & CEO of Infront Sports & Media, said: “The inauguration of Infront France is a logical step within Infront’s growth strategy. Our Group has already established a large network of rights holders and commercial partners in France and we will now expand on this with a dedicated subsidiary. We are looking forward to offering our broad expertise, full range of premium services and tested solutions to existing and new clients in the country. As is the case for Infront worldwide, reliability, innovation and a focus on high quality as well as the on-going development of trusted client relationships will be key objectives for the new Infront team in Paris.”

Jean-François Jeanne (picture), Managing Director of Infront France, added: “It is a real pleasure for me to become part of the highly reputed and experienced Infront team with its clear focus on excellence in execution. I am convinced by Infront’s approach and understanding of sports business, combined with the resources it is deploying around the globe to promote key sports properties. Infront France will be fully committed to implementing the Group’s long-term strategy in the French market, providing top services for major local sports and helping to increase their revenue base.”

FIFA and the Indian Football Association (AIFF) signed a protocol agreement recognising the cooperation between the two bodies regarding the development of football on the sub-continent.

It also gave world football’s governing body and the Indian FA the chance to re-evaluate how best to work together.

The protocol agreement (which is set to run until 2014) was signed on 5 September 2012 by FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke and by Praful Patel, President of the AIFF. It sets out how FIFA and the Indian FA should work together towards the development of football. “The agreement covers management strategy, technical development and the strengthening of clubs and the championship,” Valcke explained.

Patel also went on to outline the AIFF’s 10-year development plan focussing on youth football, which has been named “Lakshya” which means “aim”. One of these aims is to help the Indian team to qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™ , with the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 – which the country is a candidate to host – being a milestone along the way.

“We will present an official application and then it will be up to the FIFA Executive Committee to decide. We have a solid case and a real commitment to the development of football in our country, which should put us among the stronger candidates,” Patel said.

“The PERFORMANCE FIFA programme has already helped us streamline our organisation and complete our technical, educational, grassroots and coach-training activities, which is something that we really needed to do,” Kushal Das, Secretary General of the AIFF, told FIFA.com. “With FIFA’s help, we’re implementing a complete development structure, and if we’re chosen to host the FIFA U-17 World Cup, that will definitely be a real help as well.”

FIFA, the Indian FA and the country’s national authorities have already been working closely together for some time, with various programmes and activities having been set up and implemented. Just a few weeks ago, Minister for Sports Ajay Maken announced the opening of sporting infrastructures for the public to give young people easier access to playing sport after school. This may seem like a simple measure but it is a crucial one in terms of encouraging Indian youngsters to play football.

Valcke also highlighted other investments, saying, “The Win in India with India programme, in which some $8m USD has been invested, has already seen four artificial pitches built in Mumbai, Shillong, Imphal and Bangalore. Two others will be opened this month in Goa and Kolkata, with another two still to come”.

FIFA has also spent $2 million USD on renovating the Mumbai Cooperage Stadium, a project which should be finished in December and which includes floodlights for evening games, seating and new locker-rooms for the stadium.

Thanks to FIFA’s Goal programme, the AIFF has also launched an ambitious plan to establish regional elite talent academies as part of their focus on youth development. “The first training centre was opened in Mumbai in May,” said Das, “with two more to follow shortly in Bangalore and Kolkota.”

“FIFA is contributing $500,000 USD and the second phase of the plan will continue in January 2013 with the opening of an elite training centre for the national U-16 team as well as five other regional centres for a total of 150 players born between 1999 and 2000,” explained Thierry Regenass, FIFA’s Director of Member Associations and Development, as he spoke of a project to promote a generation of players who could well make up the core of the team for the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017.

“India is a priority for us,” concluded Valcke. “Our hope is for as many FIFA tournaments as possible to be held by countries which have needs in terms of development, and this would make the FIFA U-17 World Cup 2017 a perfect milestone for India.”

Gillette Stadium, illness home of the NFL’s New England Patriots, cough has selected Brock International to provide the shock pad and drainage layer used underneath its new synthetic turf surface in the Dana-Farber Field House.

“The management group at Gillette Stadium is who they are because they make great decisions, drugs ” said field consultant Patrick Maguire of Activitas. “They have done it again by choosing a durable and time-tested turf product and installing Brock PowerBase, which signals that the long term comfort and protection of their athletes continues to be a top priority. A solid foundation is critical to the success of any venture and the added performance and sustained resilience that Brock provides will make this a top quality field for years to come.”

The Dana-Farber Field House is the stadium’s indoor practice facility, hosting practices for the Patriots, the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer, Revolution Academy youth teams and the Patriots Cheerleaders. FieldTurf is providing the new multi-purpose synthetic turf field.

Research firm BioMechanica, LLC studied the estimated risk of head injury on synthetic turf surfaces with Brock underlayment and found the product reduces the likelihood of traumatic brain injury by up to 50% compared to typical synthetic turf over a stone base, provides the same G-Max and playability as a pristine natural grass field and mitigates field hardening over time. In evaluating Head Injury Criteria (HIC), also known as critical fall height, Sports Labs LLC found that Brock PowerBase offered significant improvement in HIC when compared to a turf field that featured a stone base.

International Rugby Board (IRB) has announced that men’s and for the first time women’s Rugby Sevens will feature at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Veracruz, Mexico in 2014.

The announcement comes after the IRB and the Central American and Caribbean Sports Organization (CACSO) signed a memorandum of understanding that will see the popular sport feature at its second Games.

The exciting decision to retain Rugby Sevens in the Games’ programme comes after a successful inaugural CACSO Rugby Sevens competition in Guyana in 2010 and detailed evaluation of all sports by the 31 National Olympic Committees affiliated to CACSO. 

The new agreement will see eight men’s teams and women’s teams compete in an event which will showcase the sport across the region.

The inclusion of a women’s competition alongside the men’s event further reflects the growth of Women’s Rugby winin the region ahead of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games where Rugby Sevens will make its debut.

IRB Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: “I would like to thank CACSO, the region’s NOCs and in particular CACSO President Héctor Cardona for their ongoing support of Rugby. We are committed to delivering an exceptional and competitive event that will further the profile of the Games, Rugby and our shared values.”

IRB Regional Manager for North America and the Caribbean, Tom Jones added: “It is excellent that Rugby Sevens will once again feature at the CACSO Games. The addition of a women’s event is a real endorsement of a sport that is taking off throughout the NACRA IRB region and South America (CONSUR) and inclusion will further the development of the Game on all fronts.”

North America and the Caribbean are strategically important to the IRB and the overall growth of the global Game. The region has witnessed significant increases in participation over the last four years with more than 500,000 men, women and children actively participating. The IRB is investing £10.7 million in the development of the Game there between 2009 and 2012.

The 2010 Games was won by Guyana, who have been regular winners of the Caribbean Sevens title in recent years and who also scooped the coveted Guyana team of the year award after winning their sixth successive NACRA Caribbean title since 2006.

NBC has sold out is allocated spots for advertisements during the Superbowl.

For the Feb. 5 game in Indianapolis, drugs NBC said it sold all of its 30-second ads, at an average of $3.5 million, by Thanksgiving. That’s up from about $3 million last year when Fox carried the game.

At a $3.5 million average, the 70 commercials that run during the game would produce $245 million in gross revenue; subtract ad agency commission, and NBC would receive just over $208 million.

Then, add in the revenue from the six commercials that will run during halftime, and still more in the six hours of pregame programming, and you can see why networks love Super Bowls.

“We should shatter all prior records for that day,” Seth Winter, the senior vice president for sales and marketing for the NBC Sports Group, said last week.

In 2009, the last time NBC carried the Super Bowl, selling advertising was not so easy, and it had to keep at it through the weekend of the game. NBC left the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing with 85 percent of its Super Bowl advertising sold. Then the economy cratered.

“We really slogged through the last 15 percent,” Winter said. Not so this time. While the economy is not robust, advertising for major sports events is. “I never underestimate luck and timing,” he added.

NBC is also selling advertising on its live streamed broadcast of the game and on Super Bowl-related programming to be shown on the NBC Sports Network.

“Every advertiser in the Super Bowl has some participation across the board of the NBC Sports Group portfolio,” Winter said.

The ability to sell advertising at enormous prices for a game that will reach over 100 million viewers is one reason NBC agreed last month to a nine-year deal that starts in 2014 with the N.F.L. and will cost the network an average of $950 million annually. The contract guarantees NBC three Super Bowl broadcasts.

Global  logistics firm FedEx is making a return to the PGA Tour as title sponsor of the 2011 St. Jude Classic in Memphis. The deal sees a multi-year sponsorship of the event scheduled in June of next year making it the FedEx St. Jude Classic.

“We continue to focus on a multi-year commitment to assure the tournament’s future success in Memphis,” PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said in a statement.

The company which is based in Memphis, previously had a long-running spell as the events title sponsor until 2006 in a deal which lasted 21 years.

A federal fraud investigation of Stanford Financial Group, which had served as the title sponsor following FedEx’s departure, saw the reference to Stanford dropped in 2009.

Smith & Nephew, a global medical technology company, stepped in this year as a presenting sponsor for the PGA Tour’s third-longest running event, dating back to 1958. However, FedEx has now revived its links with the event joining the FedExCup, which is given every year to the PGA Tour’s champion.

 

This Thursday begins the Sport Innovation Summit (SIS), therapy the first congress in Mexico and worlwide that presents tangible innovations to improve the world of sport. Through conferences with national and international speakers from 10 countries to inspire the industry leaders. 

Mexico City and the Sports Institute (INDEPORTE) will host the Sport Innovation Summit, purchase an event organized in coordination with Moveo Lab, cheap under a common motivation: Grow innovation to improve the sport in Mexico. 

The SIS will be on Thursday, October 23^th from 9 am to 6 pm and Friday, October 24^th from 9 am to 3pm, in the spectacular  Sala Telefónica at the Centro Cultural Roberto Cantoral, located at the south of the city, in the street Puente de Xoco, Gate A. It will certainly be a great opportunity to do networking with the major industry leaders in different sports. 

The biographies of the 26 great speakers are on the website sissummit.com/ and the conference program (on the appendix) of the speakers through a dynamic 20 minute presentation on 8 categories of innovation in sport, such as:

1. Athlete’s Performance
2. Fan Experience & Apps
3. Sport Articles
4. Public Sport Policies
5. Sports Modernization
6. Infrastructures & Sustainability
7. Sport & Media
8. Special Guests

“We are ready to welcome the first Sport Innovation Summit, where the people will be witness of how to contribute to the development of the Mexican sport through the inspiration of international and national cases with great impact,” Arnaud Drijard, Director of  Sport Innovation Summit .

“Doing the Sport Innovation Summit and invite great speakers in the sports industry, is key to inspiring sports leaders across the country to go one step forward and innovate in improving the sport,” Horacio de la Vega, Mexico City Sports Director.