The Ticket Factory announced as national supplier for IAAF World Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018

The Ticket Factory has been announced as a national supplier for the IAAF World Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018.

More than 500 athletes from 150 countries are expected to take part in the six competition sessions of athletics that the Championships will bring to the city. Around 25,000 spectators are expected to flock to Arena Birmingham, making the Championships the most significant indoor sports event to be held in Birmingham for 15 years.

The price of tickets varies for each session, with three categories of ticket offering great choice as well as great value.

There are £5 tickets available for children aged 2 to 16, students and people over 65 and, thanks to the supplier agreement with The Ticket Factory, no fees are being charged on these tickets, keeping the cost as low as possible for purchasers.

Phil Mead, Managing Director of The Ticket Factory, said: “As a flexible and agile ticketing agent, focusing on driving sales through the customer experience and smart use of data, we’re offering sporting bodies a credible alternative to the traditional operators.

“Our blend of technology, insight, digital marketing and old fashioned operational service is really starting to hit home in the sports market.

“Over the last 12 months we have significantly strengthened our position within the sports sector, working with a number of national governing bodies and high profile sporting events. This new contract with the IAAF World Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018 takes it a step further.”

Joan Durose, Championships Director, added: “We are delighted to have The Ticket Factory on board as a national supplier and they have already helped us to sell thousands of tickets for this event.

“The Championships is fantastic value as a family of four can see the IAAF World Indoor Championships for just £50, ensuring that this event is accessible for the people of Birmingham and athletics fans across the country.

“Thanks to strong ticket sales in recent weeks we already know that we’ll have big crowds at Arena Birmingham, which is a fantastic venue for indoor athletics, as it allows spectators to get up close to the action.

“The atmosphere is always amazing at the Indoor Grand Prix, so we are expecting spectators to raise the roof in March when the world’s best athletes will be in Birmingham.”

Zoë Collins appointed new Chair of Women in Sport

Zoë Collins has today been appointed as the new Chair of Trustees for the UK’s leading women’s sport charity.

Collins is responsible for setting the creative direction and delivery of all TV and digital content for the Jamie Oliver brand.

She has worked as a communications professional in both a corporate and social change environment and is passionate about sport and healthy, active lifestyles, having built her career around the promotion of healthy eating over the last 15 years.

Collins said of her appointment: “I am delighted to become Chair of the Board of Trustees for Women in Sport. The charity has a pivotal role to play in empowering women and girls to regularly participate in sport and reap all the benefits it offers, as well as educating and supporting the sport sector itself as to the benefits of diversity.

“Building on my experience of working with Jamie on food and nutrition campaigns, I am excited to now be taking those same principles and values into other areas and to be leading such an influential and important charity.”

Ruth Holdaway, CEO of Women in Sport, added: “There is still much to be done before we can say that the gender gap in sport is finally closed, and that every woman and girl in the UK feels empowered by the benefits of an active lifestyle.

“Zoë brings a wealth of influencing and social change campaigning experience to the charity, and is extremely well placed to lead our work to drive this important agenda forward. We can’t wait to start working with her.”

The appointment follows Sally Hancock’s decision earlier in the year to stand down from the role at the end of her four-year term this month.

‘The Oscars of Sports Technology’ now open for 2018 entries

As the leading mark of excellence in sports technology internationally, The Sports Technology Awards are now widely regarded as making a tangible commercial difference to the businesses which are recognised by them.

NBA, Hawk-Eye, Draft Kings, WTA, Football Whispers, LA Dodgers and PGA have all submitted entries to the Sports Technology Awards in the past with winners and shortlistees reporting tangible business returns following their triumph.

For the past winners, success has come in the form of reduced sales cycles, quicker inbound investment, improved staffing and elevated client discussions.

The Awards believe that theirs are the most transparent and fair judging process in the sector and at £245+VAT,  offer entry fees priced to be affordable to all sizes of marketing budget.

Vivion Cox, CEO of Football Whispers, 2017 Winner Outstanding Start Up, explained the positive impact The Sports Technology Awards has had on his business: ‘I would 100% recommend the STAs to any organization…it allows you to compete and stand out from the crowd.

The level of names and brands associated with the event is of an extremely high caliber so if people are looking for an award to increase credibility, this is absolutely the one to go for. The kudos we have received has resulted in tangible partnerships with people reaching out to contact us from all parts of the world.’

Enter now at www.sportstechnologyawards.com or call the sales team on +44 (0) 20 3198 2771

Real Madrid enters into social media partnership with Weibo

LaLiga football club Real Madrid has entered into a new partnership with Chinese social media platform Sina Weibo.

As part of the agreement, Weibo will become the reigning Champions League holders’ official Chinese-language social media platform, with content set to focus on team training, fan engagement and player videos.

Madrid already count Facebook and Twitter as official social media partners and the agreement with Weibo arrives after the recent news that Los Blancos will open an office in Beijing to help boost their growth in China.

Madrid’s Weibo account currently boasts almost 3 million followers while star players such as Cristiano Ronaldo also have significant fanbases on the platform.

ICM director hails ‘milestone’ partnership with Fulham FC

ICM has today been confirmed as Fulham football club’s official FX Trading Partner in a deal running until the end of the 2018-19 season.

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) regulated FX, Commodity and CFD trading firm will benefit from an extensive brand presence at Craven Cottage, various digital rights and match day hospitality at each home game.

Shoaib Abedi, Director at ICM, said: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Fulham FC. This is another milestone achieved for us at ICM, especially in the sports industry.

“We are proud to have our name associated with the Fulham FC brand and excited to work with them. We are constantly growing geographically, and football is the most loved sport which will help us assist that goal.”

Fulham FC Chief Revenue Officer, Casper Stylsvig, added: “We welcome ICM to our growing list of club partners this season.

“ICM shares our ethos of excellent customer service and will enjoy significant exposure of their brand across Fulham FC’s digital and in-stadium platforms. We are delighted to have them on-board‘.”

FC København becomes first Nordic club to partner with Dugout

FC København has today become the first Nordic football club to partner with digital football platform Dugout.

Dugout, which launched last year, provides football fans with exclusive behind-the-scenes content, free of charge, and has partnerships with a total of 67 clubs.

Dugout Executive Chairman, Elliot Richardson, said: “We’re really excited to welcome FC København to the Dugout platform. We have made significant steps over the past year, signing our first National Football Federation and League, and our first Nordic club is another example of Dugout’s progress.

“The game today is truly global and fans don’t just want to watch matches in their own country – they want to follow their favourite clubs and players across the world.

“That’s what Dugout offers – unrivalled access for fans to see behind the scenes of the clubs and into the lives of the players. Thanks to Dugout, fans can now access the best content from FC København, both on and off the pitch, for the first time.”

Jes Mortensen, Head of Press at F.C. København, added: “We are excited to join Dugout as the first Nordic Club. Dugout is platform of the highest quality and with some great content and we look forward to being part of that and sharing stories and content about F.C. København in a forum with the biggest clubs around the world.

“We hope that football fans will enjoy visiting F.C. København on Dugout and experience our club, our stadium and our fans.”

Dugout also boasts partnerships with over 100 high-profile footballers – including Pele, Gareth Bale, Patrice Evra, Javier Mascherano, Edison Cavani, Dele Alli and more.

Each club and player has a dedicated Dugout profile to upload content and interact with fans, giving users a personalised experience based on the clubs and players they follow.

Nike named presenting partner of NBA London Game 2018

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Nike have announced an expansion of their existing partnership that will make the sportswear company the presenting partner of the NBA London Game 2018.

The regular-season game is set to feature the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics, who will face off at the capital’s O2 Arena on January 11.

NBA EMEA Vice President, Global Marketing Partnerships & Emerging Markets, Marc Armstrong, said: “The NBA London Game 2018 presented by Nike is a great showcase of our game and provides Nike with an excellent opportunity to connect with NBA fans in the UK and across the region through a range of exciting in-arena, media and retail promotions.

“We look forward to expanding our partnership with Nike as we welcome the 76ers and Celtics to London.”

In addition to being the presenting partner of the NBA London Game 2018, Nike will receive prominent brand exposure, including event logo inclusion, on-court and in-arena signage, along with hosting several fan activations and promotions leading up to and during the game.

Ben Morel, Managing Director and Senior VP – EMEA at NBA, is part of the guest speaker lineup at iSportconnect’s Dubai Summit – click here to register your interest in the event.

Ben Nichols joins Commonwealth Games Federation as Director of Communications and Public Affairs

Ben Nichols has today been appointed as the Director of Communications and Public Affairs for the Commonwealth Games Federation.

Nichols most recently led communications for the Athletics Integrity Unit, and is the former World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Senior Manager of Communications and Media Relations.

David Grevemberg CBE, Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Games Federation, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Ben to our team at such an important time for the Commonwealth Sports Movement.

“All our efforts are focused on bringing our vision to life and transforming the reach, impact and unique brand personality of our Movement; through Commonwealth athlete, citizen and community engagement in everything we do. This exciting new role will take the stories of our Movement to new audiences in new ways across and beyond the Commonwealth.”

Nichols added: “I’m thrilled to be joining the Commonwealth Games Federation at what is a hugely significant time for the movement, with the forthcoming Gold Coast Games and the process of securing a host for 2022.

“I’ve long been a passionate advocate of the Commonwealth cause, and believe now is the ideal moment to help raise the profile of the CGF, and showcase sport as a force for good amongst the 2.4 billion citizens and athletes across the Commonwealth.”

Nichols takes up the new role on Monday 6 November.

Wahoo Fitness announces official partnership with Six Day cycling

Wahoo Fitness has today announced an official partnership with Six Day London and Six Day Berlin.

As a partner of the cycling organisation, Wahoo’s products will support both the recent Six Day London (24th – 29th October, 2017) and upcoming Six Day Berlin (25th-30th January) events.

This includes the dual-band TICKR X Heart Rate Monitor, RPM SPEED cycling sensor and the BLUE SC, a wireless solution for gathering both speed and cadence.

Used during last week’s Six Day London event, Wahoo’s TICKR X Heart Rate Monitors and RPM SPEED cycling sensors gave a unique insight to spectators by providing riders’ live speed and heart rate statistics.

Commenting on the partnership, Colin Eustace, General Manager – EMEA at Wahoo Fitness, said: “Since its return to London in 2015, the iconic Six Day Series has become one of the highlights of the track cycling calendar’. We are extremely proud to announce this partnership.

“It’s long been Wahoo Fitness’ mission to support the performance of athletes at all levels, and our product ecosystem is uniquely positioned to provide a truly comprehensive, connected training experience for discerning weekend warriors and elite track cyclists competing at the Six Day Series who demand nothing but the absolute best.”

Müller expands NBA partnership ahead of London Game 2018

Müller and The National Basketball Association (NBA) have announced an expanded partnership that will see Müller Rice launch a packaging promotion during the build-up to next year’s NBA London Game.

The NBA London Game 2018 will feature the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics, who are set to play a regular-season game in England’s capital in January 2018.

Fans will have an opportunity to win a trip to New York as part of the on-pack promotion, while codes will be able to be redeemed for an NBA-branded mini hoop and basketball set. Promotion at the O2 arena will also include signage and concourse sampling.

Marc Armstrong, NBA EMEA, vice president, global marketing partnerships & emerging markets, said: “The NBA is delighted to expand our partnership with Müller Rice ahead of our annual regular-season game in London.

“Müller Rice has been a fantastic partner in recent seasons, and we look forward to working together on this extended range of promotions with both Müller Rice and FRijj, as well as activities to engage NBA fans and grow the game of basketball in the UK and Ireland.”

Müller chief marketing officer, Michael Inpong, added: “Müller is incredibly proud to support Britain’s love of sport, and we’re delighted to be taking our partnership with the NBA to another level.

“Last year thousands of Müller Rice consumers collected their mini hoop and basketball, and we’re really excited to bring further inspiration to the category with our on-pack FRijj and Müller Rice promotions.

“Long-term partnerships with sport will help us to empower consumers to make active and healthy lifestyle choices, and it’s a pleasure to work with one of the most recognisable and exciting sports brands in the world.”