Badminton England has announced a new partnership with adidas for the highly anticipated London Grand Prix, which is part of the Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) Grand Prix Gold event series.

The event which is to take place at the Copper Box on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park from 1-6 October 2013, is the first major badminton partnership for adidas, one of the world’s leading sports brands.

The partnership also sees adidas confirmed as the first partner of the new SmashUp! programme that is set to be launched into secondary schools and local communities across the country in the summer as part of BADMINTON England’s drive to get the nation playing badminton.

Adrian Christy, Chief Executive of BADMINTON England said of the new partnership: “We are extremely proud that such a strong global brand as adidas has chosen BADMINTON England as one of its first strategic badminton partnerships.

“Since the World Championships in London in 2011 and the Olympic Games a year later, we have been determined to create a lasting legacy in the capital for the fans who came out in their thousands to be part of such historic events.

“I am also delighted that adidas has agreed to extend its partnership into grass roots badminton. We already enjoy more than 4m people playing badminton every year but we want to push on even further.

“We have a strong focus on exciting more secondary age young people to play and adidas is a great fit with that age group.

“These are exciting times for English badminton but we know we cannot achieve our ambitions without great partnerships and I am delighted to have secured this partnership with adidas.”

Stuart Beattie, Managing Director for adidas badminton in the UK added: “When BADMINTON England approached us with the concept of developing a new, innovative style of tournament we were delighted to enter into a partnership to deliver the London Grand Prix.

“The tournament will engage and inspire the audience with a spectacle of speed and power and in combination with our commitment to the SmashUp! programme will support adidas to become part of the wider badminton community.

“In 2013 adidas launch into badminton in the UK and globally and the London Grand Prix will showcase to the world the passion adidas has for our great sport of badminton. adidas is all in for the London Grand Prix!”

Swiss watchmaker, Tissot, will be the Official Timekeeper for the LIEBHERR 2013 Table Tennis World Championships, which will be staged in Paris from May 13 to 20.

“The International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) is delighted to have entered into a very exciting partnership with Tissot as the Official Timekeeper of the 2013 World Table Tennis Championships”, said the ITTF President Adham Sharara.

“Our results system which produces live point-by-point results for every match played during the Championships will be powered and displayed by Tissot in addition to timing all our matches. Millions around the World will be watching this event on TV screens and on the internet, giving table tennis and Tissot excellent exposure worldwide” added Mr Sharara.

By becoming the official timekeeper for the second successive World Table Tennis Championships, Tissot joins Liebherr, China Unicom, DHS, Butterfly and Gerflor as the ITTF’s official partners at the year’s premier Table Tennis event.

Founded in 1853, Tissot is famous for high quality timepieces. The company is renowned for the precision and reliability of its extensive range of products, leading the field where accurate timing for sport is needed and is celebrating this year, 160 years of experience.

“For the 2013 World Table Tennis Championships, Tissot is glad to put its skills, knowledge and expertise gained during those years at the service of the ITTF providing them with the latest technology and utmost precision to ensure the accuracy of the results”, added Francois Thiébaud. “We are very proud of this partnership and look forward to the thrill of the championship.”

National Rugby League team, ailment Cronulla Sharks have secured AVS Security as their Official Security Partner for the next three seasons.

The partnership with the Sharks will involve AVS looking after the match day security needs at Sharks Stadium games, discount while also providing the day to day security at various events and functions at Sharkies Leagues Club.

AVS will receive match day signage as wells as exclusive networking opportunities with the Sharks large corporate network.

Joe Nasr, Managing Director for AVS Corporate Australia, was pleased to be able to announce the new affiliation with the Sharks.

“AVS Security welcomes this new long term partnership with the Sharks and we are certainly looking forward to a building a successful relationship over many years with the Sharks,” Nasr said.

Similarly, Pat Woods, General Manager Commercial and Marketing at the Sharks, added: “This is a significant financial contribution from AVS that will assist in the long term future of the organisation,” Woods said. “AVS are professionals in the security field and the partnership is a positive for the Sharks not only commercially but in terms of them meeting our security needs.

“Match day attendances at Sharks home matches are up 16% in 2013 so it is imperative we had a reliable firm with big match experience such as AVS.

“Both myself in regards to game day security and the Sharkies Leagues Club with their security requirements, look forward to the high level of professional service AVS can provide,” Woods added.

Wix.com, the leading free drag-and-drop web-publishing platform, has entered into an advertising partnership with the MLB’s Arizona Diamondbacks.

Starting in May, D-backs baseball fans at Chase Field will notice a new advertising player in the lineup behind home plate, Wix.com.

The advertising partnership was based on core business deliverables for both organizations, but as importantly, on a synergy between the two organizations’ core principles and values.

“Through their ‘Circle Of Success’ and demonstrated values through community involvement, and culture of integrity and innovation, the D-backs were a natural fit for us”, said Omer Shai, VP of Marketing at Wix.com. “We could have placed advertisements anywhere but along with being in the heart of one of our largest markets and most dynamic areas of small business achievement, the D-backs’ organization reflects a brand that resonates with our own.”

The Phoenix metropolitan area is home to more than 100,000 Wix users – many of whom are small businesses, students, artists and entrepreneurs – and Arizona represents one of Wix’s most active regions nationwide per capita. Wix joins a limited amount of top brands whose names are attached in various ways to the Arizona Diamondbacks organization.

“Wix is a fast-growing company that shares our passion for giving back to the community and serves many Valley residents,” said D-backs President & CEO Derrick Hall. “We are proud to partner with Wix and showcase its services to D-backs fans.”

English League Two team, asthma Shrewsbury Town have announced locally based telecoms specialist Pure Telecom has partnered with the club.

Pure Telecom, therapy | based in Shrewsbury Business Park, has agreed to sponsor the dug-outs at the Greenhous Meadow stadium for the next two years and is now the official supplier of mobile phones to the club.

Matt Sandford, managing director of Pure, said: “We are delighted with the success that the club has enjoyed this season and have followed the team’s progress with interest, attending as many games as possible with staff and clients,” he said.

Commercial development manager at Shrewsbury Town, Richard, Hill, stressed that the new partnership was set to have a range of benefits for everyone involved.

He commented: “One of my philosophies wherever I have done business in football is to forge as many close links with successful local companies as possible.

“Matt is very enthusiastic about the opportunities of promoting his company by using the club as a unique platform to get his brand out into the wider community.

“The level of professionalism and attention to detail show by Matt and his company inspired us to use them as a preferred supplier of telecommunication products for Shrewsbury Town FC.”

Pure Telecom is an award-winning independent ‘total communications’ specialist, providing mobile and fixed telecom solutions for businesses across Shropshire and surrounding counties.

Representatives of McCall Farms Inc. today announced Peanut Patch is sponsoring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Driver David Ragan, fresh off his win at Talladega Superspeedway, in the Bojangles’ Southern 500 on Saturday, May 11 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, S.C.

This will be the second consecutive year the boiled peanuts brand is backing Ragan in the Southern 500. He will drive the No. 34 “Peanut Patch” car, a Ford Fusion.

Woody Swink, regional director of sales and an owner of McCall Farms, said: “We made our debut last year at the Darlington Raceway with David Ragan, and he was an ideal fit because of his Southern roots, exuberance and strong connection to NASCAR and its fans. Therefore, it was just a matter of plain common sense to reconnect with David Ragan, an impressive talent who is respected and recognized as a formidable competitor among car racing enthusiasts.”

Ragan, a 27-year-old native of Unadilla, Ga., has thus far won four NASCAR victories – two in Sprint Cup and two in the Nationwide Series.

“It’s great to have Peanut Patch back on our car this year, especially here in Darlington for their first primary race of the season,” said Ragan, who is in his second year with Front Row Motorsports. “Not only is the Southern 500 one of the most prestigious and historical races in NASCAR, but Darlington is right up the road from McCall Farms’ headquarters. So you could say that Peanut Patch is the home team at this race.”

Prior to the race, from 10 a.m. to 10:45 a.m., on Friday, May 10, Ragan will participate in a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series autograph session that will take place in the Sprint Unlimited Experience display, which is behind the front stretch grandstands in the fan display area at Darlington Raceway. Ragan, a native of Unadilla, Ga., will don his Peanut Patch trademark racecar suit dominated by the insignia “Green Boiled Peanuts,” written in white against an emerald green background bordered by a sea of canary yellow, on Friday and Saturday.

“We’ll be proud to have the Peanut Patch colors on our No. 34 Ford Fusion,” Ragan said.

USA Diving has announced it has renewed its sponsorship with AT&T through 2016.

AT&T has served as a sponsor of USA Diving since 2007 and will continue its title sponsorship of the upcoming AT&T USA Diving Grand Prix. This prestigious international event is set for May 9-12 in Fort Lauderdale, viagra cheap Fla. and is expected to draw more than 120 divers from more than 20 countries.

“AT&T is proud to continue our sponsorship of USA Diving,” said Bill Moseley, director of marketing communications, AT&T. “We believe in these young men and women and support their efforts toward success both in and out of the pool.”

AT&T will serve as the official telecommunications sponsor for USA Diving, with exclusivity in the communications and wireless communications services. As part of this sponsorship, AT&T will have a presence at several USA Diving events through 2016, including the AT&T FINA/USA Diving Grand Prix, World Championship Trials, AT&T National Diving Championships and Winter National Championships.

“AT&T has been a tremendous sponsor of USA Diving, and we are thrilled to continue our relationship for four more years,” said USA Diving president and CEO Linda Paul. “They are committed to helping our athletes achieve their dreams, and their support is invaluable to the sport of diving.”

Energy drinks brand, Monster Energy has extended its partnership with the Isle of Man TT to continue to title sponsor the event in a multi-year deal.

The USA based company has been the title sponsor of the world’s leading road race since 2010.

The deal will see Monster Energy handed a range of high-profile benefits including the overall Presenting Sponsorship, naming rights to the two Supersport Races, presence on the official iomtt.com website, advertising around the TT control tower in the race paddock, Grandstand and Mountain Course as well as a high profile branded start gantry featuring the famous Monster ‘claw’. The TT Races will continue to carry the credit ‘fuelled by Monster Energy’.

Monster Energy will also be bringing its entertainment infrastructure to the famous promenade entertainment programme with five evenings of brand-endorsed music, stunts and appearance by Monster Energy brand ambassadors including global FMX talent such as Andre Villa, in their TT Mayhem show.

John Beasley. VP of Marketing at Monster Energy Europe commented: “The Isle of Man TT has been one of the most powerful motorsports activities for Monster Energy in Europe. The TT and its amazing fan-base never fail to inspire us through awesome levels of participation and the spectacle they manage to produce year after year. We’re really pleased to be extending the association and are looking forward to our involvement in the continued growth of the TT.”

Trevor Hussey, TT and Motorsport Development Director, Isle of Man Government commented: “Monster Energy has made a major commitment to the TT Races and has become a valuable partner for us in delivering a successful event. Our commercial programme goes from strength to strength and this is epitomised by Monster Energy’s commitment. We are pleased and proud to be working with them for an extended period of time.”