London has won the coveted titile SportBusiness Ultimate Sports City of 2012 snatching victory from former three times winner Melbourne

The highly prestigious accolade was awarded by the sports business publication SportsBusiness International at the annual global sports event SportAccord Convention in Quebec.

The win marks the first time that London has taken home the ‘Gold’ top position, having come third in the 2010 table. The capital beat off other international sporting destinations including Melbourne which came second, Sydney which was third and New York and Manchester all within the top five.

Over 25 finalist cities were ranked by the number of annual sports events hosted or secured between 2006 and 2014, plus additional criteria including transport, government support, public interest and quality of life. Other cities in the twenty-five include Sydney, Singapore, Berlin, Vancouver, Manchester Paris, Istanbul, Rio de Janeiro, New York, Glasgow, Doha, Madrid, Moscow and Budapest.

The Mayor of London Boris Johnson said: “Delivering a lasting sporting legacy from the Games is a top priority and it’s fantastic that the capital has hit the top spot in such an monumental year. Long after the Games have left town I am confident our new world class sporting venues, upgraded transport infrastructure will attract major international events to the capital, driving investment into jobs and economic growth for years to come.”

Iain Edmondson, Head of Major Events at London & Partners added: ‘We are delighted that London has achieved the top spot in such a significant year. It’s been seven years since the city won the right to stage the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Since then we’ve been working tirelessly to make sure we don’t let the opportunities presented by the Games pass us by. This award is recognition of London’s status as a global leader in sport and major events and highlights are determination that there should be a true and lasting sports legacy for the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in the future.”

Over the last decade, London has strengthened its position as a sports destination to become recognised globally as a leading city for major sporting events, having already won the bid to host major sporting events post-2012 including the 2017 IAAF World Athletics Championships, 2013 UEFA Champions League Final, the 2013 ITU World Championship Series Triathlon Grand Final, the 2015 Canoe Slalom World Championships and the even creation of a brand new world class two day festival of cycling which will take place in the summer of 2013.

As well as the Olympic related events London boasts a range of regular major sporting events such as the Wimbledon Championships, The FA Cup Final and The London Marathon which have for years captured the imagination of the world. Other global events such as the Grand Depart of the Tour De France, the regular season NFL games held at Wembley Stadium and the ATP tennis are all evidence that the largest sports, rights holders and sponsors are choosing the capital as the most exciting destination for major events.

The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has fought back after being labelled “a total shambles” in the House of Lords on Tuesday.

The chair of the All Party Tennis Group, Baroness Billingham, described the organisation’s record as “pitiful” and called for an inquiry into how the LTA uses public money.

Billingham was part of the All Party Tennis Group that levelled similar allegations two years ago when asked to investigate the governing body by the then Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe in the wake of a Davis Cup defeat to Lithuania.

Despite a heavy defeat to Belgium last month in Davis Cup Euro-Africa Zone I, some progress has been made, in particular at women’s world-class level with four Britons currently in the world’s top 150.

Billingham said: “The LTA are a total shambles, tottering from one broken pledge to another, the British press and the world’s press aghast at the huge cost and pathetic results of six years of mismanagement. It is pitiful.

“I call on Hugh Robertson, the Minister for Sport, to set up an urgent review and inquiry into British tennis. He must insist on transparency of all expenditure and salaries, especially given the LTA receives public money – taxpayers’ money.”

Following the speech, the LTA, who strongly dispute the majority of the allegations, hit back, saying: “The speech contained a number of inaccuracies that do not reflect a true picture of British tennis.”

Bwin.party, the world’s biggest listed online gaming company has been forced to takedown all advertising and sponsorship from Portuguese sports competitions after a court ruled its activities illegal.

The ruling, covering tax and regulatory issues, could set a precedent affecting sponsorship deals between other online gambling companies and sports clubs and associations. Portugal does not recognise deals with gambling companies.

Gilbraltar-based Betclic — which pays to have its name on several Portuguese soccer teams’ shirts, including Sporting Braga — and London-listed Betfair are also active in the Portuguese market.

Bwin.party, formed by the merger of UK-based Partygaming and Austria’s Bwin, has a 4 million euro ($5.09 million) sponsorship deal for the Portuguese soccer league cup, which is now in jeopardy.

“As of Monday, the Portuguese professional football league (LPFP) is obliged to remove all advertising that refers to Bwin,” the LPFP said in a statement. It said the ruling was harmful to the national game and that it will appeal.

The court battle started in 2005 when the Portuguese Casino Association teamed up with national lottery operator Santa Casa to file a complaint about Bwin’s activities.

They alleged Bwin has an unfair advantage because it is not taxed or subject to Portuguese gambling legislation.

Bwin said the court decision goes against European law.

“The court failed to take into account EU law. One cannot aggressively advertise and expand games on the one hand and keep foreign competition out on the other hand,” said a Bwin spokesman.

A preliminary ruling last year deemed Bwin’s activities illegal as Portugal does not recognise online gambling companies.

And a court in Porto enforced the immediate removal of all Bwin advertising as of Monday.

Artur Mateus, a manager of the Portuguese Casino Association, said: “We are happy with this decision, it was a positive one. We pay for extremely expensive licences so we want the state to combat illegal operators who have unfair advantages.”

“We will suspend all sponsorship and advertising,” Bwin said in a statement.

“It is time for the state to legislate and tax online gambling instead of banning it. Regulating it is in the interest of the consumer, the economy and the state budget,” Bwin’s lawyer, Eduardo Serra Jorge, said. 

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Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Operation Podium team cautioned ticket buyers to look out for unauthorisd and illegal ticket scams as London 2012 Paralympic tickets are available for purchase.

1.5 million tickets went on sale to the public on Friday and will be available until September 26 via the online random ballot system, which is the same as the one used for the Olympics this year meaning that there is no advantage in applying early.

However, there are fears that fraudsters could attempt to sell fake 2012 Paralympic tickets to unsuspecting individuals and Detective Chief Inspector Nick Downing – who is in charge of Operation Podium – has offered advice that will help the public avoid being scammed, conned or having their personal details stolen.

“We have already seen huge demand for Olympic tickets and that gives criminals greater opportunity to run scams, sell non-existent tickets and even steal your personal and credit card details to use in other crimes,” he said. Now that Paralympic tickets are on sale, I urge people not to get caught out and to make sure the ticket you buy is real. In the UK the only official place to apply for tickets is through the London 2012 application process.

“Stay on the London 2012 official website, which is www.tickets.london2012.com, because that is the only place you can go online to get real tickets. You can also apply with a paper application form within the official ticketing guide and application form from any Lloyds TSB branch, Bank of Scotland branch in Scotland or from any public library in Northern Ireland.”

“But the key is obviously to stay away from any websites that are not official because that will put you in the biggest danger of being scammed. We are watching closely for anyone trying to con the public through ticketing scams and they will be prosecuted when caught but the public can help us by staying aware.”

Outside of the UK, London 2012 Paralympic Games tickets will be sold through the countries’ National Paralympic Committee or their authorised ticket retailer.

Ticket prices were announced earlier this year with a wide range of prices and ticket initiatives on offer. Prices start at £10 ($16/€12) for adults and £5 ($8/€6) for those who are 16 or under and 60 or over on 29 August 2012. Tickets for the Opening and Closing Ceremonies will start at £20.12 ($33.15/€23.32) with a top end price of £500 ($824/€580) for the Opening Ceremony.

A Games Travelcard, for use on the day of the event on public transport in zones 1-9 in London and for travel between London and Eton Dorney and Brands Hatch, is included within the price of a ticket.

Sebastian Coe, London 2012 chairman, said: “The Paralympic Games are coming home in 2012 and I’m confident that the whole country will get behind them. Alongside the Games come a whole range of opportunities.

“People will have the chance to see sport like never before, with world class athletes who challenge the notion of ‘disability’; it’s a huge opportunity for Paralympic sport to become part of the nation’s consciousness and finally, it will be a moment of extraordinary pride. A fitting end to what promises to be an amazing summer.”

Sir Philip Craven, International Paralympic Committee (IPC)  President added: “The foundations for what could be the most successful Paralympic Games ever have been laid in London and the demand for tickets so far has been unprecedented. These Games are an opportunity to drive societal change and create a legacy for this country that was first started in 1948 at Stoke Mandeville.”

Organisers have insisted that the Korea International Circuit is nearing completion and the inaugural Korean Grand Prix will go ahead as planned in October.

The race is set to take place on 24 October at the Hermann Tilke-designed track, generic but some reports have suggested that construction of the site has been delayed by up to a month.

However, asthma president and CEO of the Korea Auto Valley Operation (KAVO), abortion Yung Cho Chung, said: “We are delighted with the progress of the project, which is both on schedule and being finished to an extremely high standard.

“We look forward to welcoming everyone to the Korea International Circuit and our fascinating circuit in October.”

 

Campaign and content agency Seven46 has announced that it is establishing a presence in Japan, doctor led by Emiri Tokunaga who will help drive the company’s local business development.

Tokyo-based Tokunaga is tasked with building on the company’s successful work in support of the winning Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games bid.

Seven46 served as the main strategic communications agency to the Tokyo 2020 Bid Committee for more than two years, pills including as lead advisers on the acclaimed final presentation to the International Olympic Committee.

Tokunaga, a Japanese national who was educated in England and the United States, will focus on developing new business opportunities in strategic communications consultancy, editorial services, executive and presentation coaching, training and education.

In particular, she will look to work with the organisers, sponsors and other stakeholders in the country’s sports sector in the run-up to the 2019 Rugby World Cup and Tokyo 2020 Games.

Seven46 Founder and CEO Nick Varley said: “We are delighted to be making this important step in the Japanese market. I am certain that Emiri will prove to be an outstanding ambassador for Seven46, and will help us to grow further in Japan at this exciting time for the country.”

Tokunaga said: “It is an honour to be working alongside Nick and the rest of the Seven46 team, which has such a strong reputation in helping people and businesses to communicate effectively on a global stage.

“I believe there is a real appetite for such skills in Japan, and look forward to helping Seven46 build a strong base here in Tokyo.”

Budweiser, an official sponsor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, has unveiled today their marketing campaign named Rise As One for the upcoming tournament.

As the official beer sponsor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil, Budweiser has designed a holistic creative platform under the Rise As One thematic, which will serve to celebrate the moments that unite and inspire fans of the beautiful game around the world.

“While football brings out regional pride and fierce rivalries, it also brings fans across the globe together once every four years through shared passion,” said Andrew Sneyd, Global Vice President, Budweiser. “With the Rise As One campaign, Budweiser celebrates the world’s favorite game and its role in inspiring fans to celebrate the moments that unite us as a global community.”

Budweiser is present in over 80 countries around the world, and Rise As One will have truly global reach as markets around the world bring it to life through a unified platform including new television and out-of-home advertising, as well as customized local market activations and initiatives to engage fans in-store, online and across social channels. Additionally, Budweiser will develop and distribute global broadcast and digital FIFA World Cup related content through strategic media partnerships, the details of which will be revealed in the coming weeks.

Budweiser’s Rise As One campaign will be unveiled to a national audience with the first of multiple new TV spots breaking online on March 5, 2014 and supported by impactful out-of-home content, which will showcase the passion of fans across the world as they come together to celebrate the tournament.

Global marketing agency GMR Marketing and Experience Worldwide have announced a formal merger in the UK under the GMR name, effective immediately.

The decision follows a longstanding and successful partnership dating back to 2009. 

The merger combines the agencies’ collective expertise in engagement marketing and sponsorship, as well as significant portfolio of international clients across sports, entertainment, music and lifestyle. GMR is managing major sponsorship activations at the Sochi 2014 Winter Games and the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

As part of the merger, James Hunt, who has been with Experience Worldwide for four years as Client Services Director, will assume the role of Managing Director out of GMR’s London office. In his new role, Hunt will lead the agency’s efforts across EMEA.

“GMR has experienced significant international growth over recent years and the London office has been vital to this expansion,” says Gary Reynolds, GMR’s CEO and Chairman. “James and his team were an enormous asset throughout the London 2012 Olympic Games and will continue do great work as an official part of the GMR family.”

GMR has 17 offices in 10 different countries worldwide.