The President of the International Waterski & Wakeboard Federation has spoken exclusively to iSportconnect about wakeboarding’s chances of being added to the Olympic 2020 programme.

Kuno Ritschard said that wakeboarding has a good chance to be selected by the IOC because of their youth-orientated approach.

Speaking exclusively to iSportconnect, cough Ritschard said: “The IOC President clearly stated, remedy and it has been repeated by many other IOC members, they want to see a change in the Olympic Programme in adding new sports and disciplines which capture the interest of young people aged between 15-20 years.

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Tim Reddish OBE, capsule Chairman of the British Paralympics Association spoke to iSportconnect about the build up to the London Paralympic games. Tim talks us through the build up to games and how they have been preparing for the exciting London event.

We also discuss sponsorship deals and the positive impact they have had on the games, cialis with Sainsburys selling over £100,000 worth in bags for life in association with the Paralympics.

The coverage from Channel 4 is also looked at, with the network leading the way in coverage for the games.

Tim also discusses the Paralympics ball, the hopes for the future and preperation required towards the Rio games in 2014.

Watch Part 1

Watch Part 2 

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I think most people would agree that there is much more bad or mediocre than exceptional customer service out there. Considering that everyone typically agrees that customer service is important, why is this the case? What factor influences the decision to lean more toward mediocre than spectacular when customer service is delivered? I’m here to tell you why customer service fails so often: it can be summed up in three letters: C.F.O.

It’s that plain and simple. CFOs are the assassins of great customer service. I know you may be scratching your head right now because in most organizational structures, the CFO is not responsible for the Customer Service Department. Although that thought is most likely true, they do have control over the P&L statement. CFOs and their team of customer happiness bandits quite often strike in extinguishing the perfect customer service experience. The problem is that exceptional consumer treatment takes time, resources, and money. To do things to the utmost and provide the “royal treatment”, money has to be spent on structure, training, staffing, retraining, and a list of things that do not appear to add up to profits in black in white on a spreadsheet.

When I was with the Patriots, we had quarterly budget meetings and I sat at a long table across from ownership, a team of accountants, and lawyers; they grilled me on how we would reach our budget goals. Because we were not selling necessary products like paper and pens in the stationery business, or pills and vials of medicine in the pharmaceutical industry, there was no real equation that could be applied to satisfy their questions. As an example: “X” number of hospitals with “Y” number of patients, each month needing “Z” amount of medication for pain calculates potential sales of their pain pharmaceutical. There is a need for the product, and the only thing in their way is the competition’s offering. Still challenging, but because there is a need, there is a buyer. With the Patriots, nothing my group sold was an absolute necessity to the customer; it was even a luxury at times.

We sold signage, media, and hospitality; although these items could be very useful to brands and for doing business, it was not a “lay up” for our group to know who wanted to engage with us. There was no concrete equation to project sales numbers, which made our accountants scratch their heads. I told them that I did not have a formula stating that three dinners, one invite to a game, and sending their kid an autographed football would equal an end zone sign and three tailgate parties. There was no equation to closing business, just a constant, relentless effort to build relationships in order to determine what our clients needed to help them separate their brand from their competitors. Invariably, our first and second quarter budget meetings were grueling because of the lack of equation for the close, but as we got closer to the season, we always surpassed our numbers to the bewilderment of most of the bean counters.

Customer Service falls into a similar bucket. Although there is definitely an equation or roadmap to provide exceptional customer service, there is nothing you can input to a spreadsheet in black and white that shows if you take the steps necessary to provide exceptional customer service that it will lead to growth in revenues. Yet, every company that provides memorable customer service typically experiences long-term growth and sustainability.

Each year, when budget time comes around and cuts have to be made, it’s easier to make the slash in areas that do not appear on paper to be revenue generating departments. In addition, because they are not viewed as revenue producers to the organization, when customer service departments are being formed, they are typically under-funded, pay less to their staff, and skimp on essentials. That thought process is not only wrong, it also kills any maximization of long-term revenue generation and sustainability. Customer Service is a revenue generating part of an organization; CFOs need to resist the urge to cut in these areas and must properly support departments that build relationships with customers. The CFOs who can understand this principle will be the CEOs of tomorrow.

Imbriano studied at Boston College, where he is now a Professor of Sports Marketing, before he began his career as Executive Sports Producer at WHDH in 1987. Between 1997 and 2006 he was Chief Marketing Officer of The New England Patriots. He held the position of Chief Operating Officer at MLS club, New England Revolution between 2001 and 2005.

Since 2006 Imbriano has been President and CEO of TrinityOne, a Marketing Strategy and Business Advisory Consultancy that helps businesses, particularly in the sports industry, to attain and retain customers.

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In a recent interview with German newspaper „Die Welt“, recipe Dietrich Mateschitz, owner of Red Bull and the Red Bull Racing team, analyses the past and present of Formula One as a business and marketing model.

“For us, Formula One is part of our marketing mix, nothing more, nothing less. The times in which it was possible to earn money with F1 belong to the past. Maybe they will come back, but to take this expectation as the reason for entering the business should be a bad recommendation.”

Although Red Bull Racing – similar to Williams and Sauber – is a private team whose main business is racing, funding has always been granted due to the soft drink company. So dependence on sponsor budgets is limited. “In former years, the budgets were between 800 and 900 million Euro, but have been cut drastically.” In six years, Red Bull managed to win the championship with less financial resources than e. g. Toyota. The Japanese put huge amounts of money into the project without the respective success. “Currently the budgets are likely to vary between 100 and 500 million Euro including sponsor spending and the performance related income of the Concorde Agreement. Our budget ranges in the lower mid-field.”

No wonder that Red Bull represents a different image than its competitors McLaren, Ferrari or Williams. For Red Bull Formula One is a marketing tool, that transfers emotions into the brand and increases sales. “At Red Bull, our target was to focus on sports and entertainment instead of politics, power or industry and so on. And this approach is meanwhile supported by the other teams, the FIA and Bernie Ecclestone.”

The Austrian therefore is highly pleased about the recent title. “The stronger the competitors are, the more you are happy about winning against them. However, the rivalry is limited to the races and does not include the companies or representatives. Norbert Haug and Luca di Montezemolo belonged to the first to congratulate. We would have done the same.”

It has been revealed today that Derry-Londonderry, Northern Ireland, will once again feature as a Host Port in the Clipper 2017-18 Round the World Yacht Race.

The decision that the race will visit the Northern Irish city for the fourth consecutive time, in July 2018, was confirmed today by Derry City and Strabane District Council at its Business and Culture Committee meeting. 

Welcoming the city back to the global race route, Clipper Race Chairman and Founder Sir Robin Knox-Johnston said: “We are very pleased to continue our long-term relationship with the city of Derry-Londonderry.

“Over the past six years the city has welcomed our international crew, supporters and partners with open arms and is an exceptional place to visit and do business with. The spirit of Derry-Londonderry and its people is contagious, which has consistently positioned itself as one of the most popular destinations the race has partnered with in its 20 year history. We look forward to working with Derry City and Strabane District Council and its stakeholders to create another unforgettable event.”

Since 2011 in the lead up to its title of UK City of Culture 2013, the Clipper Race has been at the centre of the Northern Irish city and its surrounding regions campaign, which has used the global nature of the race as a stage to build its legacy and attract investment to the region through tourism and business.

One of the most highly anticipated Host Ports on the Clipper Race route in the past three race editions, the ‘LegenDerry’, and award winning, Foyle Maritime Festival, held along the city’s iconic river, has provided an exciting programme of diverse events in celebration of the 40,000 nautical-mile odyssey of the race.

To build on the success of the 2016 festival, which experienced a record breaking £3.5 million boost to its local economy, Derry City and Strabane District Council aims to continue to develop the local economy and has identified that tourism, arts and culture are fundamental to promote growth and sustainability in its hospitality sector. The city’s ambition is to build on its international status and recognition as a world-class destination and boost tourism and job figures in the region significantly by 2020.  

Alderman Hilary McClintock, Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council said: 
“This announcement is the result of ongoing discussions between Council and key stakeholders to build on the international profile acquired by the award-winning Foyle Maritime Festival. Council has given a commitment to host a major maritime themed festival on a bi-annual basis to build on the legacy of the Clipper Race partnership over the past six years and we are delighted to be a designated port for this global event.

“During its last three races, the Clipper Race allowed us to drive the visitor and tourism economy of the North West forward, attracting both local and global audiences to our city and region.”

Following the nine-day festival in 2016, which was built around the Clipper Race stopover last July, an independent research report revealed that 25 per cent of the 163,000 visitors who attended Derry-Londonderry’s waterfront during that time were international.

Two thirds of visitors stated that the Clipper Race was a primary reason for visiting, which resulted in July 2016 being the best performing month for hotel room sales ever recorded in the city.

Derry City and Strabane District Council has revealed it plans to work with local businesses across the region to host the race. John Kelpie, Chief Executive with the Council, said: “The global stature of the Clipper Race will enable council officers to work with key stakeholders from within the statutory and private sectors to leverage funding and sponsorship that will ensure the delivery of another successful event worthy of the international profile it will attract.”

Approximately 700 crew will take part in the Clipper 2017-18 Race, representing over 40 different nationalities. Starting in August, the race will include up to 14 different races across  six continents. The race fleet will arrive in Derry-Londonderry in July 2018 during the homecoming leg.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has been comfortably re-elected for a second term.

Despite a small turnout, Garcetti eased to victory after picking up over 80% of the first 70,000 votes counted. The closest of his nine rivals was Mitchell Jack Schwartz, who won 8%.

In the mayoral election, Garcetti faced 10 barely-known challengers. He is often mentioned as a likely candidate for higher office, and the outcome could provide a springboard for future campaigns.

Garcetti is a key player in the LA 2024 bid, who has been widely praised for his enthusiasm and efforts into supporting the campaign.

Only Los Angeles and Paris remain in a two-horse race for the Games with the vote scheduled to take place in Peru’s capital Lima on September 13.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) Evaluation Commission are set to visit the candidate cities, with Los Angeles due to be the first assessed from April 23 to 25.

The Football Association (FA) has proposed a new set of reforms, after strong criticism of the current administration.

MPS held a successful vote of no confidence in the FA in February, with FA Chairman Greg Clarke declaring he would resign if MPs failed to accept his new suggested reforms.

Only one woman, Dame Heather Rabbatts, sits on the 12-member FA board; but the new legislation proposes that the board be reduced to 10 members, three of which being women.

Other suggested reforms include adding 11 new members to the FA Council, and imposing time limits on FA Council membership.

The reforms have to be passed by the FA Council in April, before being put before shareholders in May.

The FA is effectively run by its own parliament, the FA Council, which has 122 members. Just eight are women and only four are from ethnic minorities. More than 90 of the 122 members are aged over 60.

Location: Glasgow, Scotland

Closing Date: March 3, 2017

How to apply: visit http://www.jumpinsport.com/jobs/head-of-corporate-affairs-communications-scottish-fa-947

International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach is reportedly considering the possibility of awarding hosting rights for both the 2024 and 2028 Olympic Games this September.

The decision would be a controversial one, with FIFA and OCA having taken criticism for the arguably undemocratic process when they made similar decisions on the World Cup and Asian Games respectively.

With Hungarian capital Budapest considering exiting the race to host 2024, there could be a possibility for each of the remaining two candidate cities – Los Angeles and Paris – to be awarded one Games apiece. However, there is thought to be vehement opposition to the concept from many IOC members.

The process could be seen as non-transparent, and could lead to disappoint for countries considering bidding for the 2028 Games. Deciding an Olympic host 11 years early could also lead to future complications.

The Olympic Charter would require changing for such a process to go ahead, but there is thought to be support for the motion from some key IOC Members.