Derby County Football Club (DCFC) has agreed a partnership with Digonex, there a leader in pricing technology.

The npower Football League Championship will be utilizing its demand based pricing services via a partnership with Tickets.com to price single match tickets for the 2012/13 season. 

DCFC will utilize Digonex’s Sports and Entertainment Analytical Ticketing System (SEATS), ed a robust and proven fan-driven pricing system for event ticketing that scientifically changes prices based upon econometric and behavioral principles. 

Ticket prices can move upward or downward on a daily basis based on real-time market conditions such as team performance, drugs rivalries, day of the week and the weather among other factors. 

“We are very excited about the positive impact demand based pricing will have on our attendance and our revenue next season.” said John Vicars, VP of Operations for DCFC.

“We are confident that SEATS will help us identify the best price for our tickets allowing us to provide Derby County fans with more price options, flexibility and the best value for their money at Pride Park.

“Ensuring our match tickets are priced appropriately, we believe will entice new fans to Pride Park as well as offering more options to existing supporters whilst re-engaging with those supporters who haven’t been able to attend matches at Pride Park as much as they would have wished in the last few years. As a club we are determined to find new and improved ways to make Pride Park an affordable and friendly place to visit and see demand pricing as a positive step in this direction.”

Digonex sees DCFC as part of a wave of forward-thinking sports teams seizing on demand based pricing as a competitive and strategic opportunity to transform their franchises.

“Recognizing the current challenges of the economy worldwide, we know that demand pricing is the fairest system to create a long-term fan-base,” said Jan Eglen, Ph.D., CEO of Digonex. 

“We find that focusing on better pricing helps teams engage fans in a meaningful way. Staying in sync with an ever-changing marketplace is the best way to provide great value to fans while increasing tickets sales.” 

The SEATS integration with Tickets.com will allow DCFC to automate the acceptance of price recommendations from Digonex and eliminate the need for time-consuming manual price updates. 

Derek Palmer, Managing Director / EVP, International for Tickets.com, said: “We are happy to work alongside Digonex to provide Derby County with true fan-driven demand pricing capability.”

“We have worked with the company on similar and successful projects in the US and are pleased to be involved in what will be a landmark first in English football. The Digonex SEATS platform continues to provide us with a high quality, time-saving, technologically advanced solution for our clients.”

SnapSports, pills the world’s leading manufacturer and supplier of premium sports surfacing and outdoor courts, arthritis has signed a continued multi-year exclusive partnership with the ‘United States Futsal Federation’ as the official flooring of the USFF.

The United States FUTSAL Federation (USFF) is the national governing body for the sport of Futsal, medic in the United States.

“We are proud to once again be chosen as the only approved sport surface able to meet the high-performance demands of Futsal competition by the USFF. ” says Jorgen Moller of SnapSports.

Futsal is a five-a-side version of soccer, which is played on basketball-sized athletic courts. Futsal traces its roots to the 1930s and is today played worldwide. Futsal is currently experiencing explosive growth in the US. The US Youth Soccer Association (USYSA) and US Futsal signed an agreement in August of 1995 to promote Futsal in all National State Associations as their game of choice for indoor soccer. Many American soccer coaches use Futsal to train athletes, especially in the off-season. Futsal is the way the world plays indoor soccer; more than 12 million players play it on all the continents of the world in over 100 countries.

“Our multi-patent BounceBack playing surface is a state-of-the-art engineered safe play sport surface. The understructure performs as a high-impact shock absorber that reduces fatigue and injury to athletes during aggressive play, while at the same time providing the consistent resiliency needed in this fast-moving sport.” said Moller.

Asked why USFF switched from their previous modular surface provider of years past, Alex Para, CEO of the US Futsal Federation, said, “We wanted to work with SnapSports because of the superior quality of their designs, excellent performance and their sports flooring systems easy installation. Futsal demands a lot and SnapSports provides it, plain and simple,” said Para

The Tommy Hilfiger Group, ask which is wholly owned by PVH Corp., allergy | has announced its sponsorship of the Golf Club at Chelsea Piers.

The sponsorship marks a continued push into the golf market for the brand since re-launching the Tommy Hilfiger golf collection in North America in 2011. In February, Tommy Hilfiger announced Keegan Bradley, the 2011 PGA Championship winner and PGA Tour Rookie of the Year, as global ambassador for the Tommy Hilfiger Golf men’s collection and, in March, British golfer Melissa Reid was named the ambassador for the Tommy Hilfiger Golf women’s collection.

“This partnership with Chelsea Piers is an exciting new opportunity for the brand,” said Tommy Hilfiger. “The Golf Club at Chelsea Piers is an iconic spot for New York golfers and a great location to showcase the golf collection.”

The two-year Golf Club sponsorship deal includes prime advertising placement for the Spring 2012 golf campaign featuring Keegan Bradley. Eye-catching Tommy Hilfiger branding runs from the West Side Highway to the tip of the 200-yard fairway, including entrance signage, parking garage banners, tee divider patches, tower banners, point of sale graphics, and elevator door wraps. Golf Club staff, including 12 golf professionals, will be outfitted in Tommy Hilfiger Golf men’s and women’s apparel. Select merchandise from the collections will be sold in the New York Golf Center pro shop at Chelsea Piers.

“Tommy Hilfiger is an iconic, American brand that we are proud to be partnering with,” said Dana Thayer, Senior Vice President, Sponsorship, Chelsea Piers. “We look forward to seeing the Spring campaign and Tommy Hilfiger branding throughout the Golf Club.”

“I am thrilled to be representing Tommy Hilfiger Golf as part of this important new partnership,” said Keegan Bradley. “My involvement with the brand has been exciting and I look forward to continuing our partnership.”

The new campaign for the men’s golf collection features Keegan Bradley in Spring 2012 Tommy Hilfiger Golf apparel with members of the eclectic “Hilfiger” family, a cornerstone of the brand’s seasonal advertising campaigns. The classic men’s polo, timeless aviators, and women’s knits in the collections are featured against a traditionally preppy golf course setting, complete with branded Tommy Hilfiger golf cart and clubs. The imagery is inspired by the preppy and energetic spirit found at the core of the brand’s classic, American, cool aesthetic.

The Tommy Hilfiger sponsorship will be unveiled on June 12, 2012 and the brand’s partnership of the Chelsea Piers Golf Club will continue through December 2013.

UGL Services, capsule a division of UGL Limited, pills and Sun Life Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins, today announced they have signed a five-year facility services agreement that is projected to total $10 million over the life of the contract under which UGL Services will provide custodial and event support services.

UGL Services full-time staff performs daily cleaning and detailing services for the stadium and outdoor areas. In addition, the company assigns additional staff for several on-going events to ensure the facility is safe and clean at all times. The company has already introduced its UGL Services Green Cleaning procedures using non-toxic cleaning agents and has begun updating equipment with the most sustainable and environmentally advanced models.

Todd Boyan, Sun Life Stadium Senior Vice President, Operations, said: “In searching for an outsource provider, we were looking for a company with broad experience in meeting the unique and challenging nature of sports stadium events management. UGL Services offered that experience supported by strong references from well-respected sports and entertainment venue managers. The company also demonstrated proven transition experience with ‘onboarding’ of staff and offered us an outstanding management team with world-class quality assurance programs.”

“We are pleased to add Sun Life Stadium to our portfolio of sports venue clients,” added Michael Dunn, UGL Services Senior Vice President. “It is a signature property we staff every day in order to support Sun Life Stadium management as they open their doors to 75,000 patrons for Miami Dolphins games and for other events. We look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship.”

Korrio, discount developer of the leading integrated sports automation platform for youth soccer, announced today its selection by D.C. United as the club’s automation platform provider of choice for all Academy and camp programs.

This is the Seattle-based tech company’s first signing of a Major League Soccer franchise, representing a significant step in its goal to revolutionize the administration and communications of organized team sports in America.

Through the partnership, Korrio will manage all aspects of D.C. United’s Academy operations, streamlining and organizing the sports lives of about 1,300 young athletes, their families and coaches. The prestigious agreement represents a considerable addition to Korrio’s growing network of clubs across the country. The Korrio-D.C. United partnership represents the convergence of two ambitious powerhouse organizations, committed to excellence, efficiency, technological innovation and serving the broader soccer community.{jcomments on}

“This is a significant development in Korrio’s evolution – it’s exciting to marry our technological expertise and cutting-edge product with the country’s most prolific professional soccer club,” Korrio Founder and CEO Steve Goldman said. “Korrio and D.C. United share a progressive perspective on using social media to connect the soccer community, and we view this as a perfect opportunity to take both of our organizations to a higher level.”

Through the partnership, Korrio’s Playflow will manage internal aspects of registration, roster creation, communications, scheduling and social media for athletes in D.C. United’s Academy and Pre-Academy programs, as well as for the club’s camp program. Building a vibrant online community on Korrio’s innovative platform will help strengthen the storied D.C. United brand throughout the soccer market. D.C. United fans will also see Korrio banners and branding at the team’s Major League Soccer matches, and Korrio will offer its platform and services to the club’s regional affiliates.

“Korrio provides a great product and we’re looking forward to implementing their solution to further enhance development, efficiency and results of our Academy programming,” said United General Manager Dave Kasper.

K&N filters will continue its multi-year partnership with the XDL Championship Series through the 2012 season and return as the title sponsor of the K&N Circle Challenge.

The K&N Circle Challenge is a bracket competition that pits two riders in a head-to-head battle to determine the first rider to reach 10 circle rotations. It is one of the most fast-paced, drugs fun-to-watch and innovative competitions in XDL because it combines the ultimate skill of a street freestyle rider, with the head-to-head format of racing. It is the best of both worlds and its continued popularity with fans proves this.

The K&N Circle Challenge is also the only truly “open” format where the displacement of a motorcycle can be any type without putting a rider at a disadvantage.

As XDL expands into markets such as India, where displacements are in the 150cc to 220cc range, this format could turn out to be a core competition element because it allows for top riders from XDL to go up against top riders from India without the need to standardize motorcycle categories. The K&N/XDL relationship for 2012 will also include several marketing and social media initiatives that will seek to cross over audiences from both brands.

Randy Grube, founder of XDL: “K&N has been an XDL partner for two seasons now and we are excited to continue the relationship in 2012. K&N is one of those rare companies that puts their money where their mouth is, which is such a great help when you are building a new sport from scratch. In my position as the guy that started XDL, its all about the long term. And everyone always says that it’s important to think long term and invest accordingly, but when push comes to shove, very, very few companies do it. Nick and Johnny at K&N decided from the beginning that XDL was a long-term play and that the biggest benefits would be a few years down the road. It is this type of support that has allowed XDL to grow and we’re glad to have it for another year.”

“K&N prides itself in supporting the highest quality of racing and racers in all forms of motorsports and powersports events. Supporting and getting involved with these types of venues showcases the talents of today’s top motorsports athletes.  Events like these that drive us to continue to build and market the products we have produced for the past 40 years. K&N’s involvement in the 2012 XDL Championship Series is no different,” states Johnny Jump, Brand Manager, K&N Engineering.  “We are very excited to support the riding at this level that will drive fans to these events and hopefully continue to grow this sport into the future of motorcycling. The street freestyle events cater to a younger generation and it exceeds the limitations set by the manufacturers for how these motorcycles were designed to be ridden. It becomes an art form like no other form of motor sports.”

K&N Engineering, of Riverside, California, is the inventor and leading innovator of reusable cotton gauze filter technology for automotive applications.

The National Football League (NFL) has agreed a multi-year sponsorship deal with Duracell, a Procter & Gamble (P&G) brand, becoming the “Trusted Battery Power of the NFL”.

“With this sponsorship, we’re reaching millions of passionate and dedicated NFL fans that rely on battery power in their everyday lives,” said Volker Kuhn, general manager for Duracell North America. “As an innovator in the category, we can provide peace of mind for consumers and the NFL. Starting this fall, whether it is in a living room or an NFL stadium on Sunday afternoons, Duracell will provide the trusted battery power needed to enjoy or play the game on and off the field.”

To further strengthen the relationship, Duracell has signed powerhouse San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis. Willis will play a role in the integrated marketing program, from retail, digital and creative to social and event based initiatives.

“Patrick is an inspiring athlete and person and we are thrilled to be working with him to bring to life this partnership,” said Kuhn. “When we think about a player that embodies Duracell’s two greatest strengths — power and reliability — there is no one better suited than Patrick.”

Willis helped Duracell launch the NFL sponsorship by sharing his personal power with the city of San Francisco. Last week, San Franciscans were able to tweet using hashtag #PatrickPower to tell how they would enlist the Pro-Bowlers’ powerful arms and legs to help complete tasks or errands that require reliability and power. Willis and Duracell took to the streets to fulfill some of those wishes for help with seemingly mundane tasks, from hauling furniture to carrying groceries.

“I am thrilled to be able to work with a brand that prides itself on trust, reliability and power. These are traits that I take pride in and that I admire in a product,” said Willis. “I also appreciate that the brand can have a little fun with it. It was exciting to help out the people of San Francisco with their personal ‘power’ needs.”

P&G signed a corporate sponsorship agreement with the NFL in 2009 that provided several of its brands including Tide, Gillette, Head & Shoulders and Vicks the rights to participate in the sponsorship. Duracell is the latest P&G brand to announce an NFL sponsorship, and beginning with the 2012 NFL season allows Duracell use of official NFL marks, including Super Bowl XLVII, Pro Bowl, NFL Draft and NFL Playoffs.

“We are proud to bring Duracell into our portfolio of leading brands that are partnering with the NFL,” said David Palmer, Head of Global Sports Marketing at P&G. “This partnership further extends our reach and integration with the NFL fans and our consumers while driving scale marketing opportunities for P&G.”

English Rugby club London Wasps has announced that Mind will become the Club’s Official Charity Partner for the next two years.

As the leading mental health charity in England and Wales, Mind provides advice and support to empower anyone experiencing a mental health problem, as well as campaigning to improve services, raise awareness and promote understanding of mental health.

London Wasps and Mind aim to work closely together over the next two years with a range of common objectives.

In a strong show of the significance of the partnership, the Mind logo will feature on all shirts worn by the London Wasps players this season.

The Club aims to help increase the awareness of Mind’s fantastic work as well as supporting its major fundraising efforts, while at the same time playing a key role in improving the understanding of mental health issues among staff, players, supporters and the wider rugby community.

Thanks to support from two of London Wasps’ current Club partners –Kukri Sports and Creative Print Group – a proportion of programme and shirt sales from four dedicated games throughout the season will be donated to the charity, who will run fundraising activities at these games.

London Wasps Chairman Mark Rigby said: “This is a hugely worthwhile partnership over the next two years. Mental health has become an important topic in sport in recent years and while we will be working hard to promote the wider work of Mind, we want to play a key role in raising awareness of the importance of the psychological wellbeing of rugby players.”

Mind Chief Executive Paul Farmer said: “I’m delighted that we will be working with London Wasps for the next two years. This partnership reflects the relevant and current issue of mental health in sport, following recent disclosures from people like Andrew Flintoff, Ricky Hatton and rugby’s own Duncan Bell about their experiences of depression. This will provide us with an incredible opportunity to raise awareness of mental health problems, and of the work that Mind does, throughout the rugby community.”

Carlsberg’s senior vice president Khalil Younes has backed UEFA bringing the Euro 2012 to Poland and the Ukraine suggesting the European soccer governing body will help bring the racial problems to light and solve them.

There has been a major debate whether Poland and the Ukraine deserved to hold the Euros amongst racial issues within the countries, with already dutch players being racially abused in a training incident and the Russian side being investiagated following problems at their opening match against Czech Rep.

But Younes offers a different perspective to the discussions, saying that major Euro 2012 sponsor Carlsberg have taken into account what is being said, but they still support UEFA on the basis that they are sending out the message that racial discrimination is not acceptable in any country.

“I’m aware of the debates that have been taking place and we fully support UEFA’s stance on it,” he told ibtimes.

“And I believe that it’s important to bring about debate over these kinds of issues. If the Euros weren’t being held here we wouldn’t be talking about it, and UEFA’s message is to stop this from happening in football around the world.

“We fully trust UEFA to deal with these issues in the appropriate way and make the tournament an enjoyable one for everyone.”