Rushmans Partners with Destination Sochi for 2014 Winter Olympics

Global event management, prostate facilities and services consultancy Rushmans has formed a joint venture with Destination Sochi to create the ultimate resource for broadcasters, teams (NOCs), sponsors and others working in the Black Sea city during the 2014 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games and future events. 

Despite Russia’s growing footprint on the world sports map, it remains a commercially, legally and culturally complex environment for overseas organisations. 

The joint venture, Rushmans Destination Sochi, offers a broad range of locally resourced and delivered event and destination management services which enable organisations working in Sochi to operate confidently and effectively to maximise their involvement in events in the city. 

Services include fully serviced broadcast studios, production services, NOC Houses and entertainment / hospitality venues, accommodation, transport, food and beverage, staffing and event management. 

All services are backed by in- house legal capabilities in areas such as company formation, visa regulations and processes for foreign and domestic workforce as well as contracting with venues and accommodation.” 

Rushmans Destination Sochi has sourced a portfolio of properties including apartments, studio sites, offices and entertainment venues while its local contacts and Russian language liaison and management capabilities give clients access to the best caterers and other service providers available. 

Sochi’s reputation as a world class sports host city is growing by the year. After the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games the City will host Russia’s first F1 Grand Prix a as well as matches during the 2018 FIFA World Cup.  The legacy of world-class facilities and infrastructure created for the Olympics will ensure its future as a host of national, regional and international events across winter and non-winter sports. 

Rushmans Destination Sochi will provide a specialised 360 degree service for sports sector organisations operating in the city by drawing on an unparalleled knowledge of Sochi, its culture and the Russian legal and commercial systems coupled with more than 30 years expertise of expediting major event services throughout the world. 

Rushmans, which  supplied and managed broadcast studios facilities for some of the world’s leading broadcasters during the London 2012 Olympic Games has provided planning, management, security and media services to events including the IRB Rugby World Cup, ICC Cricket World Cup, UEFA’s Euros and the CAF Cup of Nations among others. 

Destination Sochi is the only western-owned destination management company operating in Sochi and is rooted in the city’s commercial community. 

Nigel Rushman, Founder of Rushmans, believes the joint venture unlocks the door to Sochi for organisations which might otherwise be deterred by the perceived difficulties of operating in Russia. 

“Sochi is leading Russia’s emergence as a key destination for major international sports events and the global sports family and the companies which service international sport need to be able to operate as simply and effectively there as in any other city. 

“Rushmans Destination Sochi is founded on in-depth local knowledge and expertise coupled with top-end event planning and management skills developed over many years.  In tandem these enable us to offer a service which will enable sports organisations to operate as confidently and creatively in Sochi as they would in their home cities. 

“Whether the requirement is for specialist accommodation, hospitality and entertainment, or state of the art broadcast suites, Rushmans Destination Sochi will deal with all aspects of planning, acquisition and contracts, cutting through the red tape to enable clients to focus on their primary objectives.“ 

Bruce Talley, Founder of Destination Sochi said: “Our Company is here on the ground and has long-term practical experience both in the business and in the legal spheres in Russia. We know Sochi, know service and understand how to deliver efficiently and consistently as well as how to surmount the challenges of this new economy and maximise the opportunities in this exciting new destination.”

Olympic sports could face big cuts

A UK Government spending review this Autumn could lead to at least half of Britain’s Olympic sports having their funding cut before the London 2012 Games, it is reported.

The director of performance at UK Sport, Peter Keen, has said he would be willing to divert money from 50 per cent of the country’s sporting bodies to athletes who have a more realistic chance of success at the 2012 Games.

Keen said: “Like all publicly funded organisations, we’ll soon hear our budget. You must remember that our London mission was funded by a dramatic increase in exchequer funding, not Lottery funding. But we’re dependent on exchequer funding that will be determined in the Autumn.

“With any reasonable budget we will give the backing [prospective medal-winning] athletes deserve. And so if that means we can only fund half the sports, then that’s all we can do.What we really don’t want is to dilute our commitment to excellence.”

Keen revealed the sports that could take priority were cycling, athletics, rowing, sailing and swimming.

He added: “My ultimate loyalty is to elite sport. I learned early on that if you compromise, if you don’t look the monster in the eye, you invariably fail. If you distribute money to the point where you are spreading it so thinly then you’re not recognising a key point: that to do it properly does cost.”

ELTA TV Secure Broadcast Rights to 2014 FIFA World Cup in Chinese Taipei

ELTA TV has obtained the exclusive rights to broadcast all of the 2014 FIFA World Cup matches across Chinese Taipei.

An ELTA TV executive said the network inked a deal to secure all the media rights to air the tournament taking place in Brazil in Taiwan with world soccer’s governing body, cialis FIFA, and that it will collaborate with Chunghwa Telecom to make matches available on mobile devices and computers.

ELTA TV and Chunghwa Telecom officials said that all 64 World Cup games would be available to viewers, from the June 13 kick-off to the final on July 14.

The network will air the ties on its channel, which is available on Chunghwa Telecom’s Multimedia-on-Demand (MOD) cable subscription and Video-on-Demand services.

“It will be a month-long soccer carnival in Brazil. We are happy to announce that the Taiwanese public will not miss out on this big, international sports event,” Chunghwa Telecom president Shih Mu-piao said at a press conference yesterday.

Shahid Azeem Becomes Chairman of Aldershot Town

Aldershot Town Football Club confirmed today that as part of its continued restructure and refinancing Kris Machala has decided to handover the Chairmanship of the Club and the Board to Shahid Azeem.

Kris has been Chairman since July 2010 and will remain a major shareholder and a Board Director. Kris also has external business interests which require more of his time.

In a statement Aldershot Town said: “Shahid Azeem assumes the role of Chairman with the full support of the Board following his two year involvement as a Non executive Director with the Football Club.  As new Chairman his priority will be to lead the Club through a period of financial restructure, discount including the attraction of the new investment needed to further the strategic aims of the Club.

“On behalf of all the Directors, staff and supporters  we take this opportunity to formally thank Kris for his dedication and commitment during his tenure as owner and Chairman. We formally welcome Shahid to the role of Chairman and have every faith that with everyone supporting him he will lead the club through a difficult but improving position.”

ZenithOptimedia Launch New Sponsorship Consultancy

ZenithOptimedia today announced the launch of a sponsorship consultancy that will sit under the Sponsorship Intelligence brand, adiposity ZenithOptimedia’s in-house sponsorship research division.

The new operation will be headed up by Matt Hales, ailment who has been appointed to the newly created position of Head of Consulting. Matt will report into Chris Jones, sale Managing Director for Sponsorship Intelligence.

Chris Jones comments: “We have a very strong heritage in sponsorship and have been looking to extend our services into consultancy for a while.  Combining our understanding of sponsorship’s impact with ZenithOptimedia’s understanding of brand communications is an exciting proposition for the market.”

A global leader in sponsorship research and evaluation, Sponsorship Intelligence provide analysis and insight to help major sports federations, brands and agencies maximise the value they can drive through sponsorship. With an extensive client list across a number of prominent rights owners and brand clients including FIFA, IOC, UEFA, PUMA, Electrolux, JP Morgan and Verizon, Matt’s appointment recognises the continued growth of brand investment in sponsorship.

“We are delighted to have recruited someone of Matt’s experience to lead our sponsorship consulting practice. He joins us at a very exciting time as we continue to roll out services we believe are critical to our client’s businesses” says Gerry Boyle, Chief Executive Officer of ZenithOptimedia Group. He continues: “We are renowned for being the first agency to apply a rigorous and objective approach to improving the effectiveness of marketing spend. By applying the same rigor to the world of sponsorship, we can ensure brands make more informed decisions that will ultimately drive greater value from their sponsorship investments.”

The appointment is testament to ZenithOptimedia’s commitment to recruit industry thought-leaders. Previously Vice President of Strategy at Octagon, the world’s largest sponsorship consultancy, Matt joins Sponsorship Intelligence with a formidable track record. He started his career with a very short stint in Corporate Finance before quickly moving into advertising, where he spent six years as a media planner at Y&R, MPG and OMD.  He then moved into sponsorship with Octagon where he stayed for 11 years, working on numerous award-winning campaigns.  Matt sat on Octagon’s Management Board for eight years.

Matt Hales comments: “Accessing ZenithOptimedia’s data, insights and tools is what excites me most.  Applying these will mean significant advances can be made in the way sponsorship strategies are developed, rights are negotiated, leveraged and ultimately, the impact of investment is evaluated.”

Sponsors mark two-year milestone for 2012 Olympics

The sponsors of the London 2012 Olympic Games have marked the two-years to go landmark through different marketing initiatives.

There are now 34 commercial sponsors of the Games and 36 licensees who will be manufacturing and selling over 10, shop 000 individual pieces of London 2012 merchandise.

To mark the two-year milestone, viagra VISA provided 70 of its VISA Team 2012 athletes to join in with the celebrations at the Olympic Park.

The watch company Omega provided the starting blocks for Michael Johnson to use in the Olympic Stadium as he sprinted around the new track.

Electronics company Panasonic had a giant screen in Trafalgar Square to celebrate the day with wide ranging initiatives taking place throughout the day.

Royal Mail has issued the latest set of London 2012 stamps featuring Olympic and Paralympic sports.

 

IMG to Market Wladimir Klitschko Boxing Media Rights

Sports media company IMG Media has announced today it has entered into a representation agreement with the marketing agency of of the Klitschko brothers, medic  Klitschko Management Group GmbH (KMG), store to market the live media rights for Wladimir’s world heavyweight title fights until the end of his career.

The global deal, pharm which excludes Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the Ukraine, starts with his next fight.  IMG Media will also be marketing the complete archive of both Wladimir’s and his brother Vitali’s fights dating back to 2004.

In addition, IMG Media will also be actively seeking endorsement opportunities for Wladimir and looking to advise on potential sites for future fights together with hospitality packages.

Klitschko is the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO (Super), IBO and The Ring Heavyweight Champion and the longest reigning IBF, WBO & IBO Heavyweight Champion in history, with the most title defences for those organisations. Overall, he is the second longest reigning Heavyweight Champion of all time with the third most successful title defences at 15.

Wladimir Klitschko said:  “IMG is a truly professional team and they have long and successful experience in the business. I look forward to our cooperation and see it as the beginning of a mutual partnership.”

Bernd Bönte, CEO, KMG, said: “Through this cooperation with the leading sports marketing agency we will improve our global awareness and marketing opportunities. This long-term agreement enables both sides to plan ahead together – one of the keys for a successful partnership.”

Michel Masquelier, President of IMG Media, said:  “Working with Wladimir provides us with an excellent opportunity to move into boxing at the very highest level. He has an outstanding record and is an exceptional boxer and a well-respected personality. We are looking forward to a successful relationship with one of the greatest heavyweight boxers in the history of the sport. “

Naasei Appiah Elevated to Interim CEO of Cricket South Africa after Faul Departure

Cricket South Africa has bid farewell to Acting CEO Jacques Faul and introduced Naasei Appiah, mind who was the Chief Financial Officer of CSA, shop as their interim CEO.

“Jacques took over as CEO on 17 March 2012 and has not only made sure that the operational side of CSA has continued to function extremely smoothly and efficiently but has also ensured stability in the working environment, viagra 40mg ” commented CSA President Chris Nenzani.

“He took charge of restoring CSA’s badly damaged reputation and did a lot of good work behind the scenes to restore the confidence of existing sponsors and to create the environment for new ones to come on board.

“As he leaves us, all our commercial properties have been snapped up in the market place and he hands over the baton to his successor with CSA once again in a good place. He is to be congratulated on a job well done.

“I would also like to thank North West Cricket for making Jacques available during this period of almost a full year and to wish Jacques everything of the best in his future business ventures with the Northerns Cricket Union, Titans Cricket and the Eastern Titans franchise.

“I am pleased also to announce that our Chief Financial Officer, Naasei Appiah, will assume the role of Acting CEO until the selection process of the new CEO is complete. This latter process is well under way in terms of the procedure outlined by the new Board of Directors at their inaugural meeting earlier this month.

“The Board has every confidence that Mr. Appiah will build on the excellent work done by Mr. Faul during this period of transition,” Mr. Nenzani concluded.

Big Names Lined Up for SportAccord 2013 Conference Programme

SportAccord Convention announced today that Saatchi & Saatchi CEO Worldwide Kevin Roberts and Russian Olympic Committee President Aleksandr Zhukov, First Vice-Speaker of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, will be among the speakers during SportAccord Convention 2013 in Saint-Petersburg from May 26-31. 

One year ahead of the 2014 Winter Olympic Games, the conference at the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex will include Sochi 2014 CEO Dmitry Chernyshenko during two days of debate and discussion under the general theme of “The State of Our Industry – Examining the Health of Sport.” 

An interview of the day will be devoted to Stanley Cup-winning ice hockey legend Viacheslav “Slava” Alexandrovich Fetisov, formerly Minister of Sport in Russia and now President of HC CSKA Moscow and the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He was one of the six men chosen for the International Ice Hockey Federation’s Centennial All-Star Team of greatest players ever.

Bloomberg Sports President Bill Squadron will take part in the debate on Sport and the Global Economy. A panel on the controversial subject of “The Advent of the Blade Runner – Bionic Sport of the Future” will feature expert input from Professor Andy Miah of the University of the West of Scotland. More conference speakers will be announced in coming weeks.

A discounted delegate rate is in effect for those booking their places before the end of the day (CET) on Thursday 31 January via the website www.sportaccordconvention.com.

Contact alex.ross@sportaccordconvention.com to learn about promotional opportunities at SportAccord Convention 2013 or for more information, visit www.sportaccordconvention.com.

Eurosport offering London 2012 advertising spots

European sports broadcaster Eurosport has started the selling of advertising spots surrounding the London 2012 Olympic Games, as well as around broadcasts linked to the Games in the two years leading up to them.

“Road to London” is the marketing campaign offering advertising opportunities around international sporting events featuring Olympic sports.

The main events in the scheme are the major European and World Championship events that as qualifiers for the 2012 Olympic Games.

There will also be an environmental initiatives developed by the organisers of the Games, and magazine programmes focusing on the athletes and events appearing at the Games.

Nearly 75 per cent of Eurosport’s schedule is made up of Olympic sports. It has created advertising-funded programming around the theme.