Shift4 Corporation, the world’s largest independent payment gateway, has renewed its sponsorship agreement with PGA TOUR professional Scott Piercy.

“It has been a pleasure to get to know Scott over the past several months,” said Shift4 CEO Dave Oder. “The world knows him as a great golfer, but as we’ve come to know him on a more personal level we’ve been able to see what a great man he is. We’re a family-owned business, and we’re proud to have him as part of the Shift4 family.”

Since signing with Shift4 in June of 2012, Piercy has recorded three top-10 finishes, including a win at the RBC Canadian Open. The RBC win was Piercy’s second victory since joining the TOUR in 2009; he also won the Reno Tahoe Open in 2011.

Management company Lagardère Unlimited represented Piercy on the sponsorship agreement and Icon Sports Management facilitated on Shift4’s behalf. According to the agreement, Shift4’s logo will continue to appear on Piercy’s right sleeve, and he will make appearances at Shift4 events throughout the year.

Shift4, whose primary business involves helping merchants to securely handle credit card transactions, has developed a strong presence in the golf world over the past few years. In addition to counting the PGA TOUR and numerous high-profile golf courses as clients, Shift4 also sponsors PGA TOUR professional and former UNLV standout Ryan Moore and is heavily involved with the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, which is held annually at TPC Summerlin, just up the road from their Las Vegas headquarters.

“I’m excited for the opportunity to continue working with Shift4 and the Oder family,” Piercy said. “They’re a wonderful group of people who have built a world-class company and their commitment to the Las Vegas community is truly impressive.”

Shift4 regularly engages in philanthropic activities both in their hometown of Las Vegas and across the nation. They also coordinate the Birdies4Shriners campaign, which raised $75,000 for the Shriners Hospitals for Children in 2012. Birdies4Shriners is Shift4’s fundraising campaign that combines giving and golf to benefit Shriners Hospitals for Children. Shift4 and other generous sponsors tracked the play of Scott Piercy and Ryan Moore and made donations to the Shriners Hospitals for Children each time they scored a birdie, eagle, or ace.

“We’re looking forward to running Birdies4Shriners again in 2013, and we have some great people lined up to help us to make it even more successful than it was last year,” said Shift4 COO Kathy Oder.

Organisers of the Worcester Marathon have secureed a main sponsor with fitness club Nuffield Health to title sponsor the event in 2013.

Over 1,200 people took part in the city’s inaugural marathon and half marathon this year but race organiser Threshold Events is targeting more than 2,500 when it returns in the spring.

Race director Rob Minton said: “Securing Nuffield Health as title sponsor is a real coup for the event. I think the success of last year really helped and just proved the kind of reach this event has. Worcester was crying out for an event of this kind and we know these races will grow year-on-year and will be of great benefit to all those involved – sponsors and charity alike.”

Emily Tuck, of Nuffield Heath, said they were delighted to be supporting the marathon and half marathon which will again raise funds for the city hospice.

“We were involved on a small scale last year and that enabled us to see just what a great event it was and we were keen to offer more support this year, so securing title sponsorship is fantastic – it’s a great synergy for us and were very much looking forward to the event,” she added.

The races will again start and finish at Worcester Warriors Rugby Club’s Sixways Stadium on Sunday, April 15.

FINIS, for sale a world leader in technical swimming products, erectile announces an official team sponsorship with the University of Alabama. 

Over the next 3 years, price the men and women’s teams will utilize FINIS technical swimming products and wear top-of-the-line racing apparel as they set their sights on the NCAA Championships.

“Not only are we excited to sign such an athletic juggernaut as the University of Alabama, but we are ecstatic to work with coaching legends Dennis Pursley and Jonty Skinner.  Being a former swimming coach myself, I cannot say enough how much I admire their coaching accomplishments,” said FINIS Vice President, Tim Elson.

Assisting Pursley is former world record holder, NCAA Champion and International Hall of Famer, Jonty Skinner.  As a swimmer, Skinner captured four US National titles in addition to his 1975 NCAA title. He also held the world record in the 100 free for five years, and was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1986.  As a coach, his swimmers have won 18 national titles and 20 Olympic medals.  Additionally, he spent 6 years as the head coach of the USA Resident National team and 8 years as USA Swimming’s Director of Performance Science and Technology.

Die Berenberg Bank Masters gehen in ihr viertes Jahr und werden vom 2. bis 4. August 2013 im Golf- und Land-Club Köln in Bergisch Gladbach stattfinden. Damit kehrt die Veranstaltung zurück an den Austragungsort von 2011. Deutschlands älteste Privatbank präsentiert das Turnier für ein weiteres Jahr als Titelsponsor.

Schon nach dem Premierenjahr 2010 im südafrikanischen Fancourt mit dem Sieger Boonchu Ruangkit aus Thailand beschloss Berenberg zusammen mit Langer Sport Marketing das Turnier zukünftig in Deutschland zu beheimaten. Seitdem hat es sich zum Aushängeschild der European Senior Tour in Kontinentaleuropa entwickelt, abortion bei dem Jahr für Jahr die Topstars der über 50-Jährigen antreten.

“Wir freuen uns, dass die Berenberg Bank Masters sowohl von den Aktiven als auch den Zuschauern begeistert angenommen werden. Auf dem traditionsreichen Platz des Golf- und Land-Club Köln werden wir den Golffans im Rheinland auch 2013 wieder ein Starterfeld mit vielen sympathischen Golfgrößen präsentieren”, verspricht Dr. Hans-Walter Peters, Sprecher der persönlich haftenden Gesellschafter des Bankhauses Berenberg.

Willkommen heißen werden die Teilnehmer einmal mehr die beiden Turnierbotschafter Bernhard Langer und Gary Player aus Südafrika. Player hat seit der Turnierpremiere in seinem Heimatland alle Austragungen in Deutschland als “Special Guest” besucht. Langer, jüngst zum vierten Mal in fünf Jahren Gewinner der Order of Merit der Senioren-Tour in Übersee, erwartet zudem weitere große Namen wie etwa Sam Torrance (Schottland), Barry Lane (England), Costantino Rocca (Italien) oder den aktuellen Titelträger der Berenberg Bank Masters, Tim Thelen aus den USA.

Auch Colin Montgomerie wird es sich nicht nehmen lassen, beim Turnier im August mit von der Partie zu sein, mit einem seiner ersten Auftritte bei den Senioren. Der Schotte feiert wenige Wochen zuvor seinen 50. Geburtstag, der zum Start bei European Senior Tour Events berechtigt. Montgomerie dominierte in den 90er-Jahren den Golfsport in Europa und wurde u.a. sieben Mal in Folge Erster der Rangliste.

Insbesondere Ian Woosnam wird an den G&LC Köln beste Erinnerungen haben, siegte er doch bei den Berenberg Bank Masters 2011 an Ort und Stelle. Der Waliser war – wie auch alle seine Kollegen – voll des Lobes über den perfekten Pflegezustand des Platzes und die guten Rahmenbedingungen. Die traditionsreiche Anlage präsentiert sich in der kommenden Saison mit einem neuen Clubhaus, was den “Wohlfühlfaktor” zusätzlich steigern dürfte.

enercity ist neuer Co-Sponsor von Hannover 96. Der Europa League-Teilnehmer hat die Partnerschaft heute im Rahmen einer Pressekonferenz vor seinem Bundesliga-Heimspiel gegen Bayer 04 Leverkusen vorgestellt.

Die Kooperation wurde zunächst für zwei Spielzeiten geschlossen. Im Fokus des Engagements stehen diverse Präsenzen im Stadioninnenraum, mind wie z.B. Werbung auf der Video-Voranpfiffbande oder einem statischen Off-Banden-Paket. Online-Werbung sowie Hospitality-Maßnahmen runden das Paket ab. Darüber hinaus wird enercity ab Januar 2013 auch offizieller Stromlieferant der AWD-Arena.

“enercity steht für Leistung und Innovation und passt deshalb hervorragend zur Marke Hannover 96”, prostate erklärt 96-Präsident Martin Kind. “Ich bin davon überzeugt, dass beide Marken von der Partnerschaft profitieren werden.”

“Hannover 96 ist ein sportliches Aushängeschild für die Landeshauptstadt Hannover und begeistert zahlreiche Menschen. Als regionaler Energieversorger sind wir eng mit Hannover verbunden. Wir freuen uns, durch unsere Zusammenarbeit einen Teil positiver Energie zum Erfolg beitragen zu können”, erläutert Michael Feist, Vorstandsvorsitzender der Stadtwerke Hannover AG, die Partnerschaft zum Fußball-Bundesligisten.

Ron Wiegand, SPORTFIVE-Teamleiter in Hannover, ergänzt: “enercity ist bereits seit einigen Jahren im Bereich Hospitality bei 96 engagiert. Die Ausweitung auf eine Co-Sponsor-Partnerschaft ermöglicht enercity nun eine umfangreiche Kommunikation bei und mit Hannover 96. Wir freuen uns auf eine erfolgreiche Partnerschaft!”

Legendary Brazilian soccer club, Santos have agreed a two-year sponsorship deal with Corr Plastik, a pipe and fittings producer.

“Corr Plastik is entering the retail market in a strong way,” said Armenio Neto, Santos’ marketing manager. “They see Santos as the ideal means to strengthen the brand, which already is a leader in the sector of sanitation and irrigation.”

The deal, which begins on January 4, will allow the company’s logo to be produced on the Campeonato Brasileiro club;s shirts and shorts. The Terra.com.br website reports the contract is a slight increase on the US$1.44 million home furnishings group Marabraz paid for the same rights this year. Corr Plastik is set to pay $3.38 million for its two-year deal.

Santos’ contract with main shirt sponsor, banking group BMG, is set to expire at the end of January. The company is yet to decide whether to renew its deal.

Mobitto, case  a mobile lifestyle app has secured investment from Real Madrid footballer, discount Cristiano Ronaldo, who has become the app’s first brand ambassador.

Mobitto aims to improve the way people interact and engage with their favourite brands through a combination of social and gamification techniques, empowering consumers to build their own loyalty club simply by shopping. In doing so, they collect points that can be converted into rewards. For heavy users, brand loyalty is rewarded with brand ambassador status, which offers additional benefits and perks. 

In addition to acting as an automated sales funnel, Mobitto says it also offers a performance-based marketing platform for any brand, retailer or merchant, that is looking for measurable actions and transactions at brick and mortar venues, including real-time messaging and detailed reporting. The platform also works with products in the online world.

“I am really excited to become part of this project,” Ronaldo said. “I absolutely believe in the potential of the mobile market, and I believe that Mobitto will have a huge impact in the interactions between brands and customers in the future. We will certainly make a difference.”

Online ticket exchange, viagogo have become the official ticketing partner of Bundesliga outfit VfB Stuttgart.

The partnership provides season ticket holders who are prevented new date at a home game, the opportunity to sell tickets. In this cooperation, the VfB Stuttgart viagogo provides a small allotment of tickets for home games in the Mercedes-Benz Arena. These tickets may be free of charge on the official resale platform on the Internet with maximum security, plus a sales fee of viagogo, are offered. VfB will receive a percentage of all ticket sales. Fans can therefore be sure that they support the club with every purchase, even if they buy their tickets directly on the VfB site or at the box office.

viagogo simultaneously acquires a sponsorship package at VfB Stuttgart. viagogo acts worldwide in 28 countries as a professional ticket platform and allows the VfB Stuttgart, to reach an international audience.

The Online Exchange provides football fans a safe platform on which they can buy and sell tickets for all Bundesliga and. viagogo provides its services through access to hard to find tickets, especially for sold-out events and the ticket price until shortly before the event, and often lower than the original. The business model is based on the principle of consumer protection: Buyers are guaranteed on time and that they paid cards – thus carries viagogo help to reduce ticket fraud and curb the black market.

Gerd E. Mäuser, President VfB Stuttgart, said: “viagogo is the world’s largest ticket exchange and an expert who has worked for many other great sports clubs. We offer our season ticket holders, and thus an interesting legal platform especially with the possibility of decay tickets can not. We want also to curb the black market to keep prices low there and protect the fans from fraud.”

Steve Roest of viagogo added: “This partnership further confirms once again that our service both the clubs and the fans of the Premier League has a number of advantages.”

VfB Stuttgart is now the 10th Club of the Bundesliga, who works with viagogo now.