SPORTELAmerica is only two weeks away and the organisers will be offering more networking opportunities than ever before during the event taking place in Miami from March 17-19, medic 2015.

SPORTELAmerica will feature an early networking breakfast each day before the exhibition opens, cure as well as a lunch buffet and happy hour drinks at the end of play.

The new morning networking occasion will be a first for any SPORTEL event.

“We are adding more opportunities for delegates to meet and talk,” said David Jones, SPORTEL’s Global Sales & Marketing Agent.

“We are starting the official schedule earlier with the breakfast buffet in the delegate lounge at 8:30 am. We will also be finishing the exhibition later than before, with a 7:00 pm closing after networking drinks.”

For the first time, the U.S. edition of SPORTELAmerica will take place in Miami rather than Miami Beach. “We wanted the event to be held in a real business hotel and the JW Marriott Marquis is ideal. It offers the most modern business environment as well as great comfort and recreational opportunities,” Jones said.

“The hotel has a bowling alley and even a full-sized basketball court. And the beach is just across Biscayne Bay, so it’s not hard to get there.”

SPORTELAmerica will serve an excellent conference programme. Jones is especially pleased with the session that has been put together on ‘Marketing & Monetising Second Screen in the Americas.’

“We will be hearing from experts on how business is really being done and where the hot areas are,” he said.

“South America’s interests and budgets have very much shifted towards digital and there are a lot of new opportunities. The content business has changed a lot.”

“The session” will feature Tomas Robertson (Deltatre), Bruno Rocha (Perform), Guillermo Santa Cruz, (IMG Media) and Ed Wells (WWE).

Also planned is a session on ‘The North American Sports Rights Boom’ with Daniel Cohen (MP & Silva), Scott Moore (Rogers Sportsnet) and Thomas Schmidt (Team Marketing).

‘Sport and the Evolution of the Latin American TV Market’ will be tackled by Felix Alvarez Garmon (IMG Media), Felipe Aquilino (Esporte Interativo) Pedro Freire (TyC Sports) and Francisco Pazmino (FOX Sports Latin America).

International sports media agency MP & Silva have announced a 15-year deal with the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) as its Global Advisor for all media and commercial rights for a number of FAM competitions.

MP & Silva are thought to have pledged a guaranteed sponsorship of RM1.26 billion ($350 million)

The deal begins in 2016 with the main aim to extend broadcast reach of FAM competitions and maximise the commercial potential of its properties.

Competitions include the Malaysia Super League, asthma the Malaysia Premier League, discount the FA Cup, the Malaysia Cup, and the Piala Sumbangsih Match.

As part of the deal the partnership will also see the establishment of the Football Malaysia Limited Liability Partnership (FMLLP) between MP & Silva and the FAM.

Said Andrea Radrizzani, Founding Partner of MP & Silva: “We are delighted to have secured this long-term agreement with the FAM, and this would be the biggest deal for a local league ever done in Asia and highlights the FAM’s dedication towards professionalising the league.

We are committed to share MP & Silva’s international expertise and local knowledge with our comprehensive and extensive knowledge of football rights management.” Continued Andrea Radrizzani,

“We are proud to be partners of this progressive initiative and are looking forward to work with them and advise on all TV, digital media and sponsorship rights for the M-League and are heartened by their collaborative approach to establish the FMLLP.”

FAM president Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah said: “This marks a new era for FAM and we are very excited by the prospect of this new partnership that can only benefit Malaysian Football in the long run.

“MP & Silva brings a high-level of professionalism, expertise and international experience that instantly elevates the our organization and we look forward to seeing this partnership benefit our leagues and competition.”

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Sebastian Coe, allergy Vice President of the International Association of Athletics Federations [IAAF] has today outlined his vision for Athletics and the IAAF as part of his campaign manifesto to become the next President of the IAAF.

In the campaign Manifesto entitled ‘Growing Athletics in a New Age’, anesthetist Coe unveiled four key pillars underpinned by a comprehensive series of proposals to guide his vision for Athletics and the IAAF if he is successful in his bid to become IAAF President.

Launching his election Manifesto, Seb Coe said: “The vision and proposals that I am unveiling today are designed to increase the reach and appeal of Athletics in a world that is rapidly changing.

“I believe that it is essential that we open up a real debate and take a long hard look at the ‘product’ of Athletics if we aim to attract more young people into our sport and drive increased participation and income. We must be ready to be creative, take action and embrace change.”

The four key pillars in ‘Growing Athletics in a New Age’ are; embracing change to secure a better future,  decentralisation and empowerment, maximising commercial growth and ensuring integrity and trust in everything we do

Coe added: “To many within and outside our sport, our calendar seems disjointed, lacks a narrative and the essential glue to build excitement and a loyal and passionate following.

“Many fans don’t know when the Athletics season starts, when it ends, why it seems to bounce around from the USA to Europe to Asia and back again.

“A harmonised calendar is the key to promotion, marketing, the athletes and Member Federation development and we must address this.

“We need to be more innovative in how we project and present our sport to the world, both in venue and on screen, give serious consideration to an ‘IAAF Street Athletics’ circuit to help reach new audiences, and create a new IAAF division that has the sole purpose of focussing on youth engagement, especially via social media.

“Ensuring the integrity of Athletics and the IAAF is also crucial if we are to win and maintain the trust of fans and all our partners, and that is why I will ensure increased resources are invested into this critical area.

“It is also important that we have a more devolved and targeted system of support for Member Federations that better reflects local needs so that a greater pool and spread of world class athletes can develop across the globe. 

“Over the next decade we can, and must, grow the number of nations achieving IAAF World Championship Finalist status from 60 to 100.

“I want the discussion on these issues to flourish in the weeks and months ahead and I am convinced that by working with this vision and in true partnership with Member Federations, our sport can embark on an exciting new era of global growth.

“Our aspiration has to be to see more young people become athletes, more people watching and consuming our sport and greater revenues flowing into the Athletics family.”

Sahara Force India has announced an expansion to their driver development programme as it enters GP3 in partnership with Hilmer Motorsport.

The expanded programme will see Hilmer compete in the series with three cars under Sahara Force India colours.

An official statement said “the GP3 partnership represents a logical step towards creating a full motorsport ladder for talented drivers,” along with Sahara Force India’s Academy programme.

Dr Vijay Mallya, Team Principal and Managing Director of Sahara Force India commented: “Our partnership with Hilmer to field a GP3 team reaffirms Sahara Force India’s commitment towards developing a new generation of drivers.

“Combined with our support for grassroots karting, our presence in GP3 and GP2 lends valuable support to up-and-coming racers and will help them to realise their potential.”

Franz Hilmer, Team Principal of Hilmer Motorsport added: “We are very happy to announce the expansion of our collaboration with Sahara Force India. After the partnership with our GP2 team we are very proud that our GP3 team will also contest under the Sahara Force India banner.

“It is a big but also logical step for us in the development of ambitious talents and with teams in GP2 and GP3 we are present in the two major junior formulas. We offer an ideal platform to young drivers and our target is to prepare them as effectively as possible on their way to the pinnacle of motor racing.”

Andy Murray’s incredible triumph at Wimbledon generated the highest UK television audiences since the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Murray’s historic victory, adiposity which marked the first time in 77-years that a British man won Wimbledon, pharmacy was watched by a peak audience of 17.3 million in the UK on BBC One.

Last year’s final peaked at 16.9 million when Murray lost to Roger Federer and this year’s final also beat every event from London 2012 other than the 100 meter final which peaked at 20 million viewers.

The final on Sunday achieved an average of 12.09 million viewers with a share of 72.7%.

Before the final, symptoms Murray’s semi-final victory over Jerzy Janowicz was the most viewed television moment of 2013 in Britain, which peaked at 13.2 million viewers and scored an average of 10.4 million.

The BBC reported that 120,000 tweets were sent regarding Wimbledon during the climax of the match, which beats the high during last summer’s Olympics, which stood at 116,000 per minute during the Spice Girls.

Brand Murray to Rake in Major Sponsorship Money

Following his win, Murray, 26, is likely to land a raft of new sponsorship deals after his win and stands to rake in up to £15million a year.

According to Nigel Currie, director of the sports marketing agency brand Rapport, Murray will likely see a number od sponsors. 

He said: “It is as a global superstar where the major earnings potential exist.

“Tennis is one of the few truly global sports. Along with golf it is played and followed in almost every country in the world.

“Even sports such as football or Formula 1 have struggled to win over the vital American market.

“Also being an individual sport rather than a team sport makes it much more lucrative.”

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Having made over 200 appearances for Chelsea and almost half a century for his native Brazil, Oscar has a quality and profile befitting of a top European league. However, the talented playmaker seems to be on way to the Chinese Super League, after Shanghai SIPG had a reported £52m offer accepted by the West London club.

Whether the move is completed or not – and Oscar stated this week that it is ‘90% completed’ – the approach is yet another example of the weighty ambition of the Chinese Super League. While other motivated non-European football leagues such as Major League Soccer and the Indian Super League also have attempted growth in recent years, the financial and systemic power of the Chinese movement has gained a different kind of traction.

While MLS and the Indian Super League have largely concentrated on acquiring former world-class players at the end of their European contracts – and thus involving no transfer fee – large Chinese Super League clubs have recently been paying exorbitant transfer fees for players at the peak of their footballing powers.

If completed, the Oscar transfer would be the fifth time the Chinese transfer record has been broken in less than a year; with all four previous record purchases hailing from South America and joining China from top European clubs. Oscar would follow the trend. The substantial financial resource of Chinese Super League clubs has enabled them to tempt top players with big wage offers; with Carlos Tevez and Alexis Sanchez (both South American) being linked with moves in recent days.

With the government having stated their ambition to make China a ‘world football superpower’ by 2050, investment in the game at both grassroots and professional level is indicative of that strong motivation. The Chinese football revolution looks set to continue.

Michael Cunnah, Chairman- iSportconnect

This is consistent with the grand Chinese strategy of being the world’s biggest sports economy by 2025, and a football superpower by 2050. They are investing in the professional game through European club acquisition and player purchases, as well as grassroots investment. Time will tell if they are successful; but in the meantime, they are having quite an impact on the industry.

Location: Singapore

Closing date: 21st December 2016

Overview:

Key Responsibilities:

• – Take overall responsibility for the day to day operations of the ASL including HR, Finance, Legal, marketing and Operations
• – Developing and implementing the strategic business principles and practices to successfully fulfil the ASL’s objectives
• – Effectively optimize resources and meet financial and commercial targets
• – Build the ASL Brand through the development and implementation of marketing and communication strategies
• – Oversee effective practical operations and logistics for the inaugural and subsequent seasons
• – Establish and implement the organisational structure for the ASL, ensuring effective recruitment and development plans
• – Provide strong leadership and direction to ASL staff
• – Understand changing trends and market forces which may impact or improve ASL’s ultimate performance
• – Lead a culture of continuous improvement
• – Deliver the necessary compliance, reporting and governance required by the ASL Board and stakeholders

Essential:

• Proven experience in senior leadership roles across Sports Leagues or Tournament activity
• Advanced operational capability; preferably from a ‘new set-up’ League or where significant change or re-launch has had to be managed.
• Experience operating in a senior leadership role in an international environment and complex, multi stakeholder organisations is essential
• Excellent project manager, with a track record of scaling a business and capable of delivering to tight deadlines
• A good communicator with ability to think through problems, achieve effective solutions, innovate and constantly seek better ways of doing things
• Commercially and financially astute – having run a substantial business or organisation and able to drive a culture of good governance and financial discipline
• An inspirational leader who will make an active and positive contribution to the senior leadership team at the ASL and help, support and guide the ASL to sustainability and success.
• A strong manager who leads from the front and has a track record of developing high performing teams
• While a football background is preferred, candidates with extensive knowledge of the requirements of other sporting competitions/tournaments will be considered.
• A strong understanding of the contemporary football landscape and a passion for the game is required
• Strong attention to detail, high standards of integrity, ability to represent ASL interests
• Strong commercial and marketing acumen with an ability to drive efficiency and quality
• Experience as a media spokesperson and comfortable presenting to senior leaders

The personal style and approach of the individual is very important, as the job holder will have dealings with a significantly diverse group of interested parties. This means the individual must have an adaptable style with strong consistent interpersonal skills and a proven ability to work collaboratively.

Key personal characteristics will include:

•    A dynamic, versatile and persuasive leader 
•    A hands-on style, with considerable personal credibility and authority
•    Maturity in terms of presentational style and behaviour
•    A leader by example, resilient, patient and diplomatic, with gravitas and presence
•    Good strategic thinker – an influencer and shaper
•    High energy, drive and determination

Please click here to apply

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Vauxhall’s Head of Sponsorship and Events, Andrew Curley.

Vauxhall’s Head of Sponsorship and Events on what the future of sponsorship holds

Adolfo Bara, Managing Director of Sales and Marketing for LaLiga, said La Liga must use Barcelona & Real Madrid to promote its own brand.

UEFA’s head of discipline and integrity, Emilio García

UEFA’s head of discipline and integrity, Emilio García, explains that tackling match-fixing is a top priority for UEFA

Jonty Whitehead, FOXSoccer

Jonty Whitehead of FOXSoccer explains why Fox are covering soccer differently to their US rivals

Peter Draper, Chief Commercial and Marketing Officer at Valencia, says the club must explore new opportunities and markets if it wants to compete with Real and Barca commercially.

Saints FC Executive Director Les Reed

 Manchester City and world leading consumer robotics company Ubtech Robotics are joining forces to launch an innovative global partnership that will enhance fan engagement and entertainment.

Manchester City and Ubtech, site the first company in China dedicated to commercialising consumer humanoid robots, buy will work together to deliver fans and consumers with unique, viagra order never before seen content and experiences built on co-innovation, entertainment and technology.

This first of its kind partnership means fans can look forward to a suite of co-branded Ubtech products that will feature in behind the scenes content across Manchester City’s digital channels, at selected home fixtures throughout the season and as part of exclusive fan competitions. Ubtech will also have a regular matchday presence on the Etihad Stadium’s LED boards and will run in-house competitions to connect their consumers with the football club they love.

Commenting on the launch of the partnership, Tom Glick, Group Chief Commercial Officer, City Football Group, said:

“Partnering with UBTECH, who are a world leader in their field and share our passion for innovation and cooperation, is a natural fit for Manchester City. Together, we can reinvent the fan experience both at the Etihad Stadium and online by using pioneering technology and putting fans at the heart of the partnership.

“At Manchester City, we have a growing repertoire of partners who enable us to connect with our global fanbase in unique and ground-breaking ways. We are delighted to welcome UBTECH to the family and to have the opportunity to introduce our fans in Manchester, China and beyond to their exciting product range and the never before seen content and experiences this partnership will deliver.”

James Zhou, chairman and founder of UBTECH Robotics, added:

“The unique partnership between UBTECH Robotics and Manchester City will bring cutting edge robotics technology and sports marketing together. As one of the top football clubs in the world, Manchester City has a positive and healthy brand image. The Club constantly seeks to innovate and is dedicated to bringing beautiful football to its fans so they enjoy unforgettable moments. Innovation is also deeply embedded in the DNA of UBTECH Robotics and as a result we are excited to become the official global robot partner of Manchester City.

“UBTECH Robotics focuses on bringing intelligent consumer robots to every home in the world and creating a more intelligent, humanized lifestyle for all. With Manchester City, we look forward to bringing the excitement of intelligent robots and “beautiful football” together for all to enjoy.”