Steve Davis & Ken Doherty Retain Director Positions on World Snooker Board

Steve Davis and Ken Doherty both kept their places as directors of the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association at the Annual General Meeting of snooker’s governing body in Sheffield today. 

Six-time World Champion Davis joined the WPBSA board in 2009 and was re-elected, while 1997 World Champion Doherty was co-opted earlier this year and was elected to the board for the first time. The results of the snooker players’ vote were: 

Steve Davis: 21 votes for, 1 against

Ken Doherty: 18 votes for, 4 against

Mike Dunn: 3 votes for, 19 against 

WPBSA Chairman Jason Ferguson said: “I am delighted that Steve and Ken have both kept their places on the board. They are two of the sport’s most experienced players and they bring a vast amount of experience and knowledge to the table, as well as the perspective gained by being current professional players. 

“Snooker has made huge strides forward as a global sport over the past three years and we continue to support the work being done by World Snooker in creating a  bright future for our members.”

1080 Media completes ‘A Summer Like No Other’

1080 Media Organisation has completed ‘A Summer Like No Other’ having won the hugely prestigious contract to provide multimedia services for the Mayor of London’s 2012 Festival of events which took place throughout the city from June.

With over 250 events  across 33 London boroughs, 1080 Media and their partners provided comprehensive photo and video coverage to make content rapidly available to meet press office and social media requirements, while also recording them for posterity for the Greater London Authority. Highlights included covering huge public events such as the Olympic and Paralympic Torch relays in London, BT London Live in Hyde, Victoria and Regent’s Parks, many of the Mayor’s engagements on location and at City Hall, and the Team GB Parade which showcased London at its cultural and entertaining best in this ‘Summer Like No Other’ line-up. www.molpresents.com

1080 Media worked with TVEverywhere to create a bespoke online Content Management System, and Pete Webb Photography (PWP) with a team of specialist photographers.  Together with 1080 Media’s TV crews, these were deployed throughout the capital for 63 continuous days, working in shifts to manage the demands of the project. The photos and videos were edited on site at events then uploaded to the customised ‘GLA Multimedia Content System’ so that staff at the GLA could swiftly access and distribute the resources.

Cliff Webb, CEO of 1080 Media said, ”we’re delighted to not only win this tender, having pitched against a large number of companies, but also to have delivered what has been a hugely successful project for the GLA. The level of coordination required, the tremendous cooperation with people at City Hall, combined with the technical expertise in delivering this has all been tremendously rewarding”. He continued, ”It was a key assignment spanning hundreds of different events and involved synchronisation with many different groups, from event security to individual organisers and suppliers. We had multiple teams on the road every day needing to be in the right place, and producing top class creativity while uploading to the online system remotely through the 3G network. People were literally working around the clock to make it all happen and it was a fantastic technical, yet inspiringly artistic project to be involved with, which culminated for me personally in being on board the floats with the triumphant Team GB Parade, and experiencing that incredible wave of emotion’’.

The tender was announced in May and 1080 Media passed two selection processes before being awarded the contract, just 3 weeks before the first event took place on the River Thames at Tower Bridge, with Seb Coe, Jeremy Hunt MP, and Mayor Boris Johnson. To meet the demands of the project, TVEverywhere rapidly adapted their existing ‘mStorer’ system for use by GLA. CEO Iolo Jones commented ‘’as well as making it easy to upload, version, control and distribute videos and images around the world, adopting our mStorer system meant that a record of these unique events is now preserved in the library for future generations, while being instantly accessible online. We continued to evolve the system to meet demands as the project moved along, which has helped develop this into what we believe is a world beating system that could be utilised by any company or authority requiring a secure but flexible archive.”

Pete Webb, an acclaimed and experienced adventure and events specialist set the style of coverage for the assignments, guiding the team that produced stunning images of the capital in all its glory. He commented, ‘’it was an extraordinary opportunity to capture the city through one of the most exciting and colourful moments London has ever seen. We and the video crews had access to incredible iconic and historic locations, to athletes and top class international performers, and it really was an amazing privilege to be involved’’.

Di Henry, the Programme Director of Look & Celebrations for GLA said, ‘’we chose 1080 Media because we were impressed by their approach to the criteria in the tender, and were attracted to a strong technical and creative proposal which delivered some outstanding coverage, and really helped capture the Mayor’s ‘Summer Like No Other’’.

For information on the London 2012 Festival  visit www.molpresents.com

*For information on 1080 Media Organisation Ltd contact:

Clifford Webb, 1080 Media Organisation Ltd

Palliser House, Palliser Road

West Kensington, London W14 9EQ

Telephone: +44 207 471 0529

Email: ino@1080media.org

Web: www.1080media.org

talkSPORT Acquires UK Radio Rights to 2014 FIFA World Cup

Radio station talkSPORT has secured the UK rights from FIFA to be a Licensed Radio Broadcaster of the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

The station will broadcast live commentary of every match from the opening game on 12 June through to the final at Rio’s iconic Maracana Stadium on 13 July. talkSPORT has broadcast commentary of the previous two FIFA World Cups and was most recently an official broadcaster of UEFA Euro 2012. The station will also bring the FIFA World Cup draw to listeners live from Brazil on 6 December.

Calum Macaulay, discount talkSPORT Managing Director said, “This FIFA World Cup in Brazil will be one of the biggest ever.  For both our existing and potential new commercial partners this agreement is great news and reflects talkSPORT’s continued investment in our product and our desire to grow bigger upmarket sports audiences across all of our platforms – on air, online, on mobile and on social media.”

Niclas Ericson, FIFA’s Director of TV, said: “FIFA looks forward to working with talkSPORT next year, so that radio listeners across the United Kingdom can experience all the excitement and drama of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil. Radio continues to play a huge part in FIFA’s commitment to bring the greatest sports event to the widest possible audience across the world.”

Allianz Stadium to Host 2013 Hyundai A-League Grand Final

Allianz Stadium in Sydney will host the Hyundai A-League 2013 Grand Final next Sunday 21 April.

The confirmation follows Western Sydney Wanderers’ thrilling 2-0 win over Brisbane Roar in the Semi Final at Parramatta Stadium tonight.

Tickets for Hyundai A-League 2013 Grand Final will go on sale from Monday morning, there 15 April 2013.

Western Sydney Wanderers and opposition members will have an exclusive window to purchase tickets on Monday, treatment 15 April from 9am-11pm.

The Football Family window will open on Tuesday morning from 9am, before General Public tickets will go on sale on Wednesday, 17 April from 9am.

Richard Low Named New CEO of Crawley Town

English League One club, Crawley Town have confirmed the appointment of Richard Low as the new chief executive.

The 44-year-old, who was born in Sussex, moves to Broadfield Stadium from Aldershot to take over from Alan Williams.

He told the club’s official website: “I’m delighted to accept this role at an important and exciting time in the development of this great football club.

“Crawley Town has made fantastic progress in the last couple of years and everyone involved during that period has played their part, on and off the field.

“We have had back-to-back promotions and gone from playing non-league football to welcoming clubs like Sheffield United in the space of two years.

“When you sit back and reflect that is a staggering achievement. Alan Williams is a hard act to follow but I am confident that I can add value to what is already a great foundation.”

Final Programme Announced for the 2012 European Golf Business Conference

ed “=”Narrow”, clinic “” mso-bidi-font-family:=”mso-bidi-font-family:”>The EGCOA has today announced the final programme for the 2012 European Golf Business Conference. The event which will be hosted in just a few weeks from the 21-23rd November at the Majestic Barriere in Cannes France has attracted a line up of leading industry speakers from around the world. The underlying theme of the conference “Recreating the golf business” will explore new and creative ways to run more profitable and efficient golf facilities and will be presented by a range of leading industry professionals.

The most recent addition to the leading line up has been Karl Morris founder and managing director of Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood golf schools. Karl no stranger to the stage has a wealth of experience within realistic commercial practices. Karl is extremely well placed to understand the role of golf within the wider market.  He understands the challenges faced by both employer and employee within current market.

Stephen Lewis the chief executive of Britain’s largest golf club operator, Crown Golf. Stephen will provide a unique insight from a course owner’s view of how commercial management and PGA Professionals can work together to create greater financial success in this challenging economic environment, combined with changing consumer trends.

Head of member Education of the PGA David Colclough will highlight the role of PGA professionals within the club in these changing times. Golf Clubs are now becoming & being encouraged to become more business-like in how they run their facilities, David will outline how PGA pros can add more value to the golf club/ facility.

Innovation in golf & the benefits of new software’s and technologies in the golf industry will be outlined by leading entrepreneur Tom Mulder owner and founder of Agenda Online B.V. Toms presentation will identify which innovative new technologies can save your business money in the long run and which actually provide operational efficiency. In this Innovative section the fundamentals and best practices for social media will also be explored, looking into the best ways to use these key online resources to maximise exposure to both new and exiting customers.

The Guru of pace of play & founder of Pace Manager Systems Bill Yates will be joining the stage this year to share with delegates how efficient management of players pace on the course can drastically increase your revenue, customer satisfaction and experience. Bill will also be hosting a pre-conference pace of play workshop on 19th & 20th November at Golf de la Grande Bastide a short drive outside of Cannes. For more information on the workshop or to register please contact Bill Yates pacemanager@gmail.com

EGCOA Director Lodewijk Klootwijk said “Cannes as a destination is proving very popular with conference registration being received daily from around the world. We have an action packed programme for guests this year and are very much looking forward to the event.” He added “We would like to thank the French Golf Course Owners Association (GEGF) for their support in the organisation of the event and we look forward to welcoming our guests this year to the French Riviera.”

Registration for the European Golf Business Conference is still open at conference.egcoa.eu. Places are now limited so don’t miss your chance. For more information on the event visit conference.egcoa.eu or email: conference@egcoa.org

Cricket South Africa Inks SABC Broadcast Deal

Cricket South Africa (CSA) and the public service broadcaster, anesthetist the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), ambulance have concluded a broadcast rights deal that will see ball-by-ball coverage return to television screens for all Proteas matches during the upcoming season.

In summary, all the Sunfoil Test matches against India and Australia, the Momentum ODI’s against Pakistan and India and the KFC T20’s where the Proteas take on Pakistan and Australia will be shown live on free to air and fans will be able to soak up all the international action.

The deal also covers radio as 2000FM will be providing live ball-by-ball updates.

“We are obviously excited for all our fans with this wonderful news,” said CSA Chief Executive, Haroon Lorgat.

“Having a relationship with our national broadcaster is key for us and I’m delighted that we have secured this agreement. We have plenty of international cricket this summer and I am sure that our fans would love to follow the Proteas live in action.

“Free to air TV coverage and SABC radio has always been important for us to take the game to every corner of our country as we pursue our vision of making cricket a truly national sport.

“Cricket needs the SABC and I would like to thank all those involved in securing this agreement for the benefit of not only both parties, but especially for our fans” added Lorgat.

The SABC’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Lulama Mokhobo, said: “As a public service broadcaster, we have a mandate to cover and develop sports of national interest, and cricket is a major sporting code with a large following. We have committed ourselves to providing world-class coverage of these cricket tournaments.”

Cowboys Executive Alec Scheiner Named Cleveland Browns President

Dallas Cowboys executive, salve Alec Scheiner was named President of the Cleveland Browns, price the NFL team announced today. 

Scheiner joins the Browns after spending the previous eight years with the Dallas Cowboys, including the last five as Senior Vice President and General Counsel.  In his role, Scheiner will oversee all aspects of the Browns’ day-to-day business operations,including in-game stadium enhancements and local TV/radio broadcasting.  Scheiner will start with the Browns on January 7.

In addition, as Executive Vice President-Business Operations, Bryan Wiedmeier will transition into a new role in which he will now work closely with CEO Joe Banner, focusing on long-term strategic planning for the organization, including stadium projects and other capital endeavors.

“I want to thank Jerry Jones, Stephen Jones and the entire Dallas Cowboys organization for giving me my start in the National Football League and making my eight years there some of the most rewarding of my professional career,” Scheiner said.  “I am looking forward to this challenge with the Browns, which I view as a tremendous opportunity to start at the ground level with a new and exciting leadership group.  Jimmy Haslam and Joe Banner have a great vision of what they want the Cleveland Browns to become and I am grateful to be able to be a part of it.  The Browns are an iconic franchise with an outstanding fan base and tradition.  Together, we hope to do incredible things for the organization and Northeast Ohio.”

“We are extremely excited about the addition of Alec to our team,” said Browns Owner Jimmy Haslam.  “For many years the Cowboys have been a leading innovator among NFL franchises, and Alec played an integral role in this success.  We are confident that his expertise will be a tremendous asset, not only for our organization but our fans as well.”

“Our objective is to build the Browns organization with the best people in their respective fields, and we believe the hiring of Alec is indicative of this goal,” said Browns CEO Joe Banner.  “Alec brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in many facets with one of the most successful franchises in the NFL.   For our fans that come to the game, we want to continually enhance their experience at the stadium. We also want to fulfill the great demand out there for locally produced Browns programming, both on television and radio.  We look forward to having Alec lead the way for us in these areas.” 

Scheiner joined the Cowboys in 2004 as General Counsel.  In that role he oversaw all legal aspects of the team and the Joneses’ outside business ventures as well as the planning, financing, construction and marketing of Cowboys Stadium.  He was promoted to Senior Vice and President and General Counsel in 2008, when he took a lead role in the business operations of the team, including business planning, budgeting, human resources and football analytics.

Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones said: “Alec is a bright and talented executive who has provided our organization with nine years of quality service. He knows his way around the NFL and has fine leadership ability.  He is a tireless taskmaster and will be a great addition to the Browns front office.  I am thrilled that he is staying in the NFL, because he is a rising star and an asset to our league. We wish him the best.”

In 2010, Scheiner was named to the Sports Business Journal’s prestigious “Forty Under 40” list.

Alec and his wife, Nadya, have a daughter, Norah (6), and two sons, Rafe (3) and Max (8 months).

iSportconnect and European Golf Course Owners Association Announce Major Event Partnership

iSportconnect, order the world’s leading sports Business platform have agreed a partnership with the European Golf Course Owners Association (EGCOA).

The deal see’s iSportconnect become the official Social Media partner and exclusive networking tool provider for the upcoming 2012 European Golf Business Conference taking place in Cannes on the 21st-23rd November.

The partnership sees the EGCOA make full use of the prestigious pre-conference networking tool, arthritis allowing delegates of the conference to see who else is attending and schedule meetings with one another.

iSportconnect CEO Sree Varma said: “We are really looking forward to working with the European Golf Course Owners Association and hope to develop our relationship even further. The European Golf Business Conference looks to be shaping up really well and I’m delighted that delegates have the platform to connect with each other, allergist before, during and after the event.”

EGCOA said “We are delighted to be working together with iSportconnect at this year’s European Golf Business Conference. Our theme “Recreating the golf business” ties in well with what the team at iSportconnect are doing. We welcome new technology to the industry and look to embrace these advances to improve golf business as a whole.”

The EGCOA is a trade association, which provides a range of services to support golf course owners.

The EGCOA supports owners through the dissemination and sharing of knowledge, and through the creation of a range of programs for growth of the game, and through cooperation with other EU stakeholders. The EGCOA represents more than 950 members in 24 European countries.

iSportconnect is an exclusive online platform that brings together thousands of sports business professionals worldwide. The site provides news, market data and analysis, columns and features, forums, listings of events and jobs and great opportunities for online networking.

Annecy 2018 bid signs new partner

PyeongChang’s bid to host the 2018 Winter Olympic Games has signed a sponsorship deal with GS Group, the seventh largest privately owned company in South Korea.

GS Sport, a subsidiary of GS Group, already owns the FC Seoul football team as well as the GS Caltex Seoul women’s volleyball team.

President and chief executive of GS Sport, Chong Soo Chung, said: “We are excited to be involved with the Pyeongchang bid as the race to host the Games gathers momentum.

“We look forward to working with the business community in Korea and fellow sponsors of Pyeongchang 2018 to provide full support for the bid in the coming months.”

Chairman and chief executive of the bid committee, Yang Ho Cho, added: “The GS Group are a global business leader and they will provide excellent support to the bid over the course of the campaign.

“This is another sign that the business community in Korea is fully committed to the 2018 bid and I am excited to work with the new sponsors to promote the campaign in the lead up to the International Olympic Committee decision in July next year.”

PyeongChang is bidding against Annecy, France, and Munich, Germany, to host the event in 2018.