A-League team Sydney FC has agreed a new sponsorship deal with Caltex, Australia’s leading transport fuel supplier, to become the club’s Westfield W-League front of shirt sponsor for season 2013/14.

The Sky Blues have already hit record figures for sponsorship revenue this year and this new deal shows the increased interest in the Sydney FC brand.

“This another fantastic deal and success story for Sydney FC,” said Chief Executive Officer Tony Pignata.

“We already have a long and strong relationship with Caltex as the shorts sponsor for our Hyundai A-League team and this new deal will only build upon that.”

Sydney FC kick off the defence of their Westfield W-League Championship at Melbourne Victory on Sunday (kick off 3pm), where the new look shirt will be displayed for the first time, with the match being broadcast live on ABC1.

“We are delighted to be furthering our association with Sydney FC and increasing our involvement with the club,” said Michael Ridley-Smith, Caltex’s National Manager Marketing Services.

“They are already recognised as Australian football’s most prominent brand worldwide and by reinforcing our relationship we hope that both parties will to continue to reap the rewards.”

Sydney FC’s three major sponsors Webjet, Destination NSW and Caltex are already committed to the Hyundai A-League season 2013/14, while Westfield W-League major sponsors JB Metropolitan Distributors are also on board.  St George Bank have become the official Sydney FC Community Partner.  Today’s announcement also follows the recent signings of StarTrack, Nick Scali, Supa IGA / IGA, Beechwood Homes and the Australian Careers Business College as major partners.

The LPGA have announced a new tournament will join the 2014 schedule with Meijer announced as title sponsor for the event.

The new event will take place Grand Rapids, capsule Michigan for the inaugural Meijer LPGA Classic, which will be held August 7-10, 2014 at Blythefield Country Club.

The $1.5 million Meijer LPGA Classic will host a full-field of 144 players playing 72 holes of stroke play over four days of competition. The tournament will be the LPGA Tour’s first stop in Michigan since 2000 when the Oldsmobile Classic in East Lansing, Mich. ended its 9-year run. It will also mark the first annual golf event to take place in Michigan’s Lower Peninsula since 2009 when the PGA Tour last hosted the Buick Open in Grand Blanc.

“The Midwest has a great history when it comes to women’s golf and we are truly excited to partner with a company like Meijer to bring the LPGA Tour back to the state of Michigan,” LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan said. “The area has such passionate golf fans and with Meijer’s commitment to giving back to their community, this tournament could not be a better fit for the LPGA.”

With Grand Rapids, Mich.-based Meijer as title sponsor, the driving mission of the Meijer LPGA Classic is focused on feeding the hungry and improving the quality of life within the region. The tournament will coincide with the retailer’s Simply Give program, which has generated more than $6.5 million – equaling 39 million meals – for food pantries in the communities it serves.

“Hunger is a problem that impacts one out of six people in nearly every community,” Meijer President J.K. Symancyk said. “The Simply Give program gives everyone a chance to work toward ensuring no one has to go to bed hungry. We are pleased to partner with the LPGA to continue our fundamental philosophy of strengthening the communities where our customers and team members work and live.”

Although this is the first time the LPGA will play in Grand Rapids, the area has a strong history of showcasing premier golf events. The city played host to a Champions Tour event for 19 years, from 1986-2004, and the LPGA hopes to continue the long-standing relationship that professional golf has within the community.

David Hobbs Honda has been named the Official Hometown Honda Dealer of the 2014 ABC Supply Co. Inc. Wisconsin 250 at Milwaukee IndyFest for its third year.

The award-winning dealership has signed on to the Andretti Sports Marketing event held at the legendary Milwaukee Mile for three additional years beginning in 2014.

“Here at David Hobbs Honda we are so excited to have a major supporter of this historic Milwaukee event. Together Andretti and Hobbs, two giant names in motorsports in the U.S., have helped deliver Milwaukee a major sports event and we at David Hobbs Honda are so proud to be a part of that,” said Greg Hobbs, Managing Director for David Hobbs Honda. 

David Hobbs Honda will host a unique fan event this coming Wednesday, November 13. 

“We are really excited to have David Hobbs Honda join us for another year at the Milwaukee Mile,” said Kevin Healy, Managing Director for Andretti Sports Marketing. “This race is one of Milwaukee’s treasures and we are very appreciative for the Hobbs family and everybody at David Hobbs Honda for their support with helping this great event remain in place.”

The National Hockey League (NHL) have extended their multiyear partnership with Kimberly-Clark in North America.

In Canada, allergist K-C launched its Home Team Advantage retail activation program this season with participation by their portfolio of brands including Cottonelle, bronchi Huggies, doctor Kleenex, Scott and Pull-ups.

Home Team Advantage is a Canadian shopper marketing program designed to leverage the power of the NHL by targeting hockey moms. Through March 2014, shoppers will be rewarded with an NHL team-branded premium with a minimum purchase of Kimberly-Clark products at select local retailers.

“In Canada, hockey is embedded into everyday culture and lifestyle,” said Brian Goldstine, VP and country manager, Canada at Kimberly-Clark. “The National Hockey League has some of the most passionate and loyal fans in the world.  Our partnership with the NHL provides Kimberly-Clark the opportunity to offer the Home Team Advantage program to Canadian hockey moms.”

While moms are the primary consumers of Kimberly-Clark products they are also a vital segment of NHL fans in North America, a demographic that is critical to the connection of the two brands.

“Moms are the primary purchaser of our portfolio of brands and are a very important demographic for us,” said Paul Scott, Kimberly-Clark’s senior brand planning manager. “Whether she is an avid hockey fan, casual participant or family supporter, our program is targeted at hockey moms in a shopping environment. The program allows her the opportunity to get hockey related gear representing her family’s home team. It’s a great way for mom to ‘win’ at home.”

“Kimberly-Clark is a recognized corporate leader with a massive audience of loyal consumers, and we’re certainly looking forward to a renewed partnership for another two years,” said David Lehanski, the NHL’s SVP of integrated sales. “Through our activations together, we hope to establish an even closer connection between our brands and the quality products that so many people already enjoy.”

UK based business-to-business trade exchange, check Bartercard has announced a spnsorship deal with English Rugby League club Hull FC.

As part of the deal, Bartercard becomes the club’s away shirt sponsor for the 2014 season, in return for credit which can be spent with any of Bartercard’s 35,000 members. Hull joins a growing list of teams, including Huddersfield Giants and York City Knights, all of whom use Bartercard as a sponsor.

Bartercard is a trade exchange, designed to allow British companies to exchange goods and services without money changing hands. The deal allows the Black and Whites to spend the “Barter pounds” it earns from the sponsorship deal with the wide range of suppliers on the network. Last year £40m was traded on Bartercard in the UK.

Simon Barker, Bartercard UK CEO, says: “We are hugely proud to sign Hull FC to the Bartercard network. They are one of the oldest and most storied clubs in rugby league – and in British sport in general – and they are a huge name in the region.”

Tony Sutton, Chief Operating Officer at Hull FC, added: “The Bartercard link-up is a great strategic move for us. As a large and diverse operation we need to engage with a huge number of suppliers, and almost all of them can be found on the Bartercard network, allowing us to preserve our cash reserves for use elsewhere.

“We’re delighted to have entered this partnership and are confident that it’s a clever move for Hull FC.”