The 2013 European Short Course Swimming Championships will be staged in Herning, west of Aarhus in Denmark.

The Danish city won the race toy be the host of LEN’s winter showcase in a  bid battle with an Israeli candidate.

“Denmark loves swimming.“ Denmark is swimming! Today it was a tremendous pleasure to stand in front of the Bureau and say: We have built the strong foundation, we have made sure that swimming on all levels in Denmark is now well organised and therefore we are ready, and eager, to take the next step forward: hosting of the European Short Course Swimming Championships 2013,” said Pia Holmen, Director of Danish Swimming Federation.

“In Denmark we have a clear and ambitious event strategy and a huge experience in organising major international sporting events including the prestigious IOC Session & Olympic Congress in 2009 and the very successful UCI World Road Cycling Championships 2011. We now look forward to contributing to the 2013 LEN European Short Course Swimming Championships,” says Lars Lundov, CEO, Sport Event Denmark.

The swim event will be staged in the Jyske Bank Boxen, known to Dames as “The Box” national sports arena.

“It is a fantastic arena and the first of its kind in Denmark. It is designed for a wide variety of events and contains all the facilities necessary to host the European Short Course Swimming Championships and we will make sure that this event takes the championships to the next level,” said Jørgen Krogh, of the City of Herning.

Europe is to host its winter showcase every two years in uneven years after many years of staging the event each December, the decision to switch taken after FINA decided to give its World s/c championships a permanent December slot once every two years in even years.

International sports marketing agency, abortion Essentially Group has been appointed by The Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) as its exclusive commercial agency with immediate effect.

Essentially will work closely with the HKFA across all non-media commercial areas, health with a key part of its role to source new commercial partners and create sponsorship opportunities for brands.

The HKFA is responsible for the promotion, development and governance of football in Hong Kong from the National team and professional league down to grassroots community based programmes. Football is the number one participatory sport in the Territory.

Mark Sutcliffe, the new CEO of the HKFA,commented: “Consistent with the recommendations of our development blueprint “Project Phoenix”, the HKFA is committed to realising the value of its commercial inventory. The appointment of Essentially reinforces this commitment. Together with Essentially, I have full confidence that the HKFA will attract and retain key partners in key market segments to help foster further development of the game within Hong Kong”.

Brian Leung, Chairman of the HKFA added: “Everyone knows that football has the power to bring communities together, which could even go beyond sport.The role of the commercial partners is not just about increasing the revenue of HKFA, but to boost the awarenessand interest of local footballamong the citizensand achieve a win-win situation.”

Paul Slatter, Head of Sales, Asia for Essentially commented: “We are delighted and honoured to be working on behalf of the HKFA as its commercial agency. Football is a proven platform for brands and we are looking forward to helping the HKFA find new partners and developing commercial opportunities at such an exciting time for Hong Kong football”.

Headquartered in London and part of the media group Chime Communications, Essentially is a multi-service agency with an established presence in Asia. The group works with both brands and rightsholders to deliver marketing solutions through sport. Essentially has a strong track record in football internationally including representing Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur and a major presence in Brazilian football.

The Football Association (FA) has announced Villa Park will host next season’s Community Shield between Manchester City and Chelsea.

The opening game for the 2012-13 season will take place at Aston Villa’s ground the day after the Olympic football final at Wembley – which is the main reason the national stadium is not being used.

Alex Horne, FA general secretary, said: “Villa Park is one of English football’s most iconic grounds and has a wonderful tradition of hosting some of the game’s biggest matches.

“Once we knew the Olympic football schedule, we worked hard to secure a suitable alternative venue for The FA Community Shield 2012 and are delighted that Aston Villa have agreed to host the season’s traditional curtain-raiser.”

FIFA and Brazil differences are behind them after an emergency summit aimed at bringing all the parties together met for almost six hours at FIFA headquarters yesterday and finally cleared the way for badly needed better cooperation.

After months of squabbling, an emergency summit aimed at bringing all the parties together met for almost six hours at FIFA headquarters yesterday and finally cleared the way for badly needed better cooperation.

It was the first face-to-face meeting between Brazil Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo and FIFA secretary general Jérôme Valcke since the latter ignited a much-publicised feud earlier this year when he denounced Brazil for its slow pace of preparations.

From now on, a member of the Brazilian Government will be included in Brazil 2014 to make sure no important decisions are subsequently challenged by politicians.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter, said: “No more dissent, everything has been solved. This is a very important day for football, an important step for FIFA’s World Cup 2014. The World Cup is the pillar of FIFA. Without the possibilities of the Government and without guarantees it would be impossible to organise.”

Rebelo spoke of “hard work, discipline and dedication”, while José Maria Marin, the man who took over from Ricardo Teixeira as head of Brazil 2014 and of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF), claimed there was now “total integration.”

“We will bring peace of mind to all those responsible,” Marin said.

“I am absolutely convinced that the stadiums will be ready, the infrastructures will be ready.”

Nevertheless, arguably the most eye-catching aspect of a post-summit media conference was that military airports are now being discussed to cope with the influx of fans and insufficient capacity.

“The option of military airports is being considered,” Rebelo disclosed though whether they are actually used “depends on the views of the Ministry of Defence”.

Valcke was asked why it had taken so long to bring the Brazilian Government onboard and into the decision-making process.

“In life sometimes you make the wrong decision instead of taking the right decision right away,” he replied not altogether convincingly, carefully speaking in his native French.

“But better late than never. We need to make sure that in the little time we have left we can find immediate answers to the questions we have.

“That was the main thing we agreed on today. We will be working together towards that goal.”

Brazilian icon Ronaldo, recently added to Brazil 2014, used footballing parlance to stress the importance of the summit.

“The most important decision for me today was to play as a unified team,” he said. “If a team doesn’t play together it’s very difficult to win.”

The National Rugby League (NRL) announced today that club membership is at an all time high in 2012 with with the clubs combining for a total of over 180, viagra 000  members in the game, smashing the previous record set last season (174,709).

The NRL hopes this figure will sky rocket to over 200,000 members.

The Brisbane Broncos and South Sydney Rabbitohs are the first two clubs to eclipse 20,000 members, with the Newcastle Knights expected to reach the mark in the coming weeks.

Fresh from their fairy-tale run to the Grand Final last year, the Warriors are closing in on an 80% increase from last year, while the Wests Tigers have also reached a massive milestone, reaching 10,000 members for the first time in the club’s history.

by Ismail Uddin

English Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur have introduced new branding in a bid to exploit what it has identified as its core values – “flair, ambulance style and adventure”.

The North London side hopes the changes, viagra 40mg which will see the colours, fonts and the tone of voice used in all its marketing materials updated, aim to differentiate the club from rivals and boost income from sponsors and fans. 

The aim of the refresh, according to the club’s commercial director Charlie Wijeranta, is to get people to recognise the club’s communications without seeing its logo.

Speaking after the Sports Marketing 360 conference in London, Wijeranta, who has driven the changes since joining from Locog last year, says that his team have spent nine months defining the club’s brand values. 

The global reach of the Premier League, he argues, means clubs have been too quick to sell their “tangible” assets – such as pitch side advertising and hospitality – to exploit commercial partnerships but not “intangible” assets such as imagery and values. 

He adds: “The key was getting everyone in the organisation to know that they own the brand then you can establish who you are and how we behave. Only then can you turn that into enhanced value that people want to be associated with.”

Spurs has ambitions to finish in the top four, and therefore qualify for the lucrative Champions League on a consistent basis after reaching the quarter final stage last year. The global media exposure the Premier and Champions League enjoys boosted Spurs’ revenue to £146.3m ($196.8m) in season 2009/10, according to Deloitte, making it the twelfth highest earner in the world and sixth in England.

Wijeranta, who is credited with securing the bulk of sponsorship income for the London 2012 Olympics, believes that there is considerable scope to grow revenue further with several initiatives planned to tap into the Premier League’s popularity in Asia and the rest of the world.

A website relaunch later this year will see more content and interactivity for people not at games to enjoy a match day experience. The club is also looking to produce more bespoke online video content for brand partners. Training sessions could be filmed, with players discussing the technical benefits of, for example, kit partner Puma. 

A membership drive is also planned, while Twitter and Facebook could also be used to engage with fans outside the UK.

Acrobatic slam dunks, buy sale | show-stopping ball handling skills and heart-pounding competition to be the best. Ball Up: Search For The Next, the world’s first basketball reality competition series, takes the viewer above the rim and behind the scenes to discover raw, untapped talent. From the first drill to the final showdown, contestants will strive to impress the guest NBA panel of judges, Joakim Noah, James Harden, Metta World Peace, and more. This life-changing journey will see the winner fulfill their dreams and go from local hero to worldwide star as they receive a lucrative contract to tour with the Ball-Up All-Star team. 

The highly entertaining series is co-produced by leading independent studio Entertainment One Television (eOne) and ONE Media. Ball-Up: Search for the Next currently airs in the US on Fox and will be available to international broadcasters at next month’s SPORTELMonaco, from October 7-10. eOne Television will handle international distribution for the series and format rights.

“We are delighted to bring this unique, high energy, and one of its kind competition series that has been so hugely successful in the US to the rest of the world,” commented Stuart Baxter, President, eOne Television International. 

“We are bringing the ultimate Ball Up experience to all SPORTELMonaco attendees – from our live action exhibitions outside to our virtual reality experience inside at our booth located at Diaghilev J04,” says Demetrius Spencer, CEO of Ball Up and ONE Media. 

SPORTEL attendees, buyers and media are invited to stop by the two scheduled live exhibitions “The Ball Up Takeover,” where Ball Up players will demonstrate their skills and what it takes to be a member of this prestigious team; those in attendance will have the opportunity to participate in a Trick Shot Competition. The Ball Up Takeover is scheduled for Tuesday, October 7 and Wednesday, October 8 at 13:00 on the esplanade in front of the Grimaldi Forum. 

Set to be the most anticipated experience at SPORTELMonaco and potentially the most modern display of a television property in the trade show’s 20-year history, The Ball Up Virtual Reality Experience, produced by Emmy award-winning digital agency, Secret Location, is a fully immersive, 360 three-dimensional experience into the electrifying world of street basketball. Viewers are immersed courtside through the Oculus Rift headset, and watch as the world’s most exciting basketball players dazzle the crowd at a live Ball Up game.  Visit the eOne Stand inside the Grimaldi at Diaghilev J04 for a demonstration.

The United States Equestrian Federation Board of Directors has voted unanimously to appoint Chris Welton as Chief Executive Officer effective June 1, 2014.

Welton will replace John Long who announced his decision to retire from the position a year ago.

Welton possesses a broad background in sport development and management. After practicing law in Atlanta for six years, in 1991 Welton was named Vice President for Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorship for the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games where he managed the domestic sponsorship program for the Atlanta Games.

Following those Games, Welton founded Meridian Management, and the new company became the exclusive marketing representative of the International Olympic Committee, responsible for managing all sponsorship and marketing activities for the IOC, including the IOC’s TOP Program. In 2005, after eight years as Meridian’s CEO, Welton joined the international sport marketing consultancy Helios Partners. Helios’ primary businesses included corporate sport consulting, sport property, and media consulting and representation of cities and countries bidding for the opportunity to host major sporting events. He served as Helios Partners’ CEO until early 2013.

“This is an exciting time for the Federation,” remarked USEF President Chrystine Tauber. “The stage is set perfectly for Chris’ extraordinary strategic leadership skills. He is a proven leader who has consistently demonstrated the ability to build consensus, develop and implement innovative programs, and utilize his deep connections throughout the international sports movement.”

“The balance between International and National was a key focus in the eyes of the Search Committee,” reported Murray Kessler, Chairman of the USEF CEO Search Committee. Kessler continued, “This balance is a key strength for Chris. He will serve the entire organization, including a clear desire to build the sport at the grassroots level.”

Chrystine Tauber complemented John Long for his contribution as the USEF’s first CEO and for his dynamic role in the USOC and as U.S. Secretary General in the FEI, where he also chaired the Nominating Committee and was a member of the Strategic Planning Task Force. She further acknowledged, “John has led a diligent, efficient, and fiscally responsible USEF professional staff, integration of the Sports Program support, evolution of a Customer Care Center, relocation of Drugs & Medications Testing Lab to Kentucky, and most recently inspired and implemented the new governance restructure. Our governance structure is now in place to allow us to fulfill our responsibilities to our members and other constituent groups while also allowing us to undertake new and creative initiatives.”

John Long commented, “I am pleased to have such an accomplished individual as Chris Welton step into the role I have served for the past 10 years. It has been a source of great pride to have played a role supporting the bold and innovative actions by Federation leadership as the vision for the future success of the USEF has been charted. The Federation is well positioned for the new leadership to move the organization forward.”

“The opportunity to serve as the Federation’s Chief Executive Officer is tremendously exciting for me,” noted Welton. “I ride because of the joy it gives me, and I look forward to working to grow participation in equestrian sport at the national level, the visibility of horse sport in media, as well as the success of our elite riders in international competition. Equestrian sport has been part of the human experience from our earliest days and is a foundational sport within the Olympic Movement. I look forward to applying my experience and skills toward building upon the great foundation and standard that previous leaders have set.”

Invicta Fighting Championships (Invicta FC) has partnered with the Super Fight League to develop female MMA talent in India.

“We are excited about this opportunity to work with Super Fight League and tap into a new market that has yet to really be explored by the women’s MMA world, discount ” Invicta FC President, order Shannon Knapp, ed said.

“Super Fight League has done a great job of pioneering the sport of MMA in India and has helped demonstrate that there is fight talent everywhere on the planet. Even though women’s MMA has made tremendous strides over the last few years as far as adding depth to its ranks, we have really just scratched the surface of what is out there. This relationship between Invicta FC and Super Fight League is an opportunity to expand our reach and discover exciting new talent.”

According to the official press release, the relationship is intended to support Invicta FC’s goals of identifying the best women’s fight talent around the globe and producing the best possible matchups between women’s mixed martial artists while providing Super Fight League with a means of promoting MMA to a broader demographic in its homeland. {jcomments on}