DFB and SAP to Provide an Insight into the Secrets of Germany’s World Cup Triumph at the Soccerex Global Convention

Deutscher Fußball-Bund (DFB) and SAP will be lifting the lid on Germany’s 2014 FIFA World CupTM winning campaign at this year’s Soccerex Global Convention, capsule 7-9 September, taking place at the Manchester Central Convention Complex.

Stefan Ludwig, DFB-Wirtschaftsdienste GmbH Managing director, and SAP’s Senior Vice-President Application and Innovation, Head of Sports and Entertainment, Fadi Naoum, will be opening up on the co-innovation partnership established between the two organisations in the lead up to Germany’s successful 2014 FIFA World CupTM campaign.

The partnership has been highly influential in the creation of the ‘SAP Match Insights’ solution that runs on the SAP HANA platform and is intended to facilitate the analysis of training, preparation and tournaments whilst enabling coaches and scouts to process vast amounts of data aimed at improving player and team performance.

Having been described by the media as ‘Germany’s 12th man on the pitch’, SAP and the DFB will be shedding light on the work done in preparation for the tournament and their emphatic run to the final, as well as providing an exclusive insight into future applications of the technology and its ability to revolutionise the way teams prepare for matches.

Fadi Naoum commented: “We are delighted to be presenting at the Soccerex Global Convention, an event that provides the perfect platform for us to open up to the industry on what was a truly amazing World Cup for both organisations. We are also excited to outline our plans for the future as we help the German national team prepare for next year’s European Championships and defending their title in Russia in 2018.”

Soccerex CEO, Duncan Revie, said: “The role that sports performance innovation and technology play in today’s game has grown markedly over the last decade, with Germany’s winning World Cup campaign one of the highlights of last year’s football calendar and a testament to their value.  We are very pleased to welcome both the DFB and SAP to the Convention to hear about the behind-the-scenes work being done in what is a highly prolific partnership.”

The session is just part of a market leading conference programme at the Soccerex Global Convention addressing the issues affecting the business behind the beautiful game. SAP and the DFB join an impressive and diverse list of expert speakers that already includes Davor Suker, Croatia Football Federation President and UEFA Executive Committee member, Don Garber, MLS Commissioner, Ian Ritchie, Rugby Football Union CEO, Dave Kaval, San Jose Earthquakes President and Simon Timson, UK Sport Performance Director.

The Soccerex Global Convention brings together over 3000 of the football business elite over three days of business insight, alongside an international exhibition hall and extensive networking opportunities – including a programme of social events that complete the schedule for what is widely acknowledged as the world’s leading football business event.

The Convention is preceded by the Soccerex Football Festival, 5-6 September at The Old Granada Studios in Manchester. The two day free-to-attend event will combine the UK Football Freestyle Championships with a legends three v three tournament refereed by Howard Webb, a panna cage, interactive gaming, music and community initiatives to create the UK’s largest urban football festival.

For more information on Soccerex please visit http://www.soccerex.com/events/global-convention/2015, call +44 (0)20 8987 5522 or email us at enquiry@soccerex.com.

Directors’ Club Launched in Dubai

iSportconnect, the world’s largest private network of sport business executives, is delighted to announce the first ever Middle East Directors’ Club to take place on the 29th May 2014 at the Amwaj Rotana Hotel, Dubai, UAE.

The iSportconnect Directors’ Club Dubai is held in association with INTERACT, a specialist business events company in the Middle East, and under the support of the Dubai Sports Council.  The event will include an impressive panel of high-profile speakers participating in an interactive Question-Time debate, which will be followed by a networking reception.

Dr. Ahmad Al Sharif, Secretary General of the Dubai Sports Council will provide an opening speech, followed by a keynote address and a lively interactive panel debate featuring discussion from Giselle Pettyfer, Vice Chairman of Falcon and Associates and Basam Saydi Saydi, Area Marketing Director of Red Bull and more panellists to be announced soon.

The unique invitation-only Club, hosted by Rotana Hotels focuses on ‘Driving Business in the Middle East Through Sport.‘

The event allows rights holders and sponsors in the Middle East a fantastic, open discussion platform. Our high profile audience can network in a closed-door environment and discuss their challenges and the latest topical debate in the sports business here in the region.

It’s an intimate and interactive gathering providing the right environment for sports companies to do business, and is exclusive to Government Entities, Federations, Clubs and Sponsors.

Attendees have the opportunity to post questions for the panel in advance as well as arrange meetings via the iSportconnect Directors’ Club networking tool, adding further value to the delegate experience.

Michael Cunnah, iSportconnect Chairman said: “We are delighted to announce the first ever Middle East Directors Club in partnership with INTERACT in Dubai.  We have had great success hosting the Directors Clubs across the world in cities including Milan, London and Paris. We are thrilled to bring it to Dubai. The high quality event will provide a great opportunity for the region’s rights holders and sponsors to network and do business. It will also be a great chance for our international members to build connections in the Middle East, whilst taking part in lively debate.”

Sally Corander, MD at INTERACT added: “As a specialist sport business events company, I am delighted to work with iSportconnect to grow the Directors Clubs in the Middle East.  I am also honoured to have the support of the Dubai Sports Council for the first Middle East edition.  With such a growing sports market in the region, the Clubs will no doubt provide a much needed forum for industry leaders to gather together to debate the real issues and growth opportunities.”

To register your interest, please contact: Matthias.moulin@isportconnect.com or sally@interact-events.com

Partnership opportunities are available for a selected number of suppliers and agencies.  If you are interested, please contact sally@interact-events.com

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IOC Announce Plans to Monitor Rio 2016 Preparations

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced they will hold a stronger presence in Rio de Janeiro to monitor the preparations for the 2016 Olympic Games.

Preparations for Rio 2016 have been hampered by delays and rising costs and International federations have criticised the government for showing a lack of communication with the organising committee.

IOC President Thomas Bach said a constructive meeting with partners from Rio had taken place in Turkey and that decisions had been made.

Bach said: “We had the meeting (on Thursday) in a very constructive atmosphere with our partners from Rio.

“We then took some decisions about… how we can accelerate one way or another the works in Rio and how we can work even closer with the organizing committee and the different levels of government.”

Amongst these is the creation of a decision making body involving the government, buy sale | IOC and organisers, capsule which will allow decisions to be taken faster.

Assessment visits will also be increased and Olympic Games Executive Director Gilbert Felli will be sent to Rio sooner than expected.

The IOC will also hire local project managers for the day to day execution of plans and will also send special task forces of experts to look into certain issues.

Governing Sport Bodies Want Stricter Doping Bans

Stricter doping bans are wanted by global sporting bodies it has emerged after discussions at a conference on Wednesday.

Athletes found to be using performance enhancing drugs will face a four year ban when the new anti-doping code is introduced in 2015, medicine which is double the current punishment, pharm and delegates welcomed the change.

Outgoing World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) President John Fahey said: “The theme that came through, time and time again, is we are working for the clean athletes of the world.

“The overwhelming majority of athletes who made submissions … made it abundantly clear that a more severe penalty was what they wanted.”

Despite Fahey’s positivity, members of the global athletics body IAAF called for harder punishments on cheats, saying that clean athletes were becoming frustrated with the current situation.

The conference is set to ratify the new code on Friday and federations will have a year to change their rules to match the new code.

MP & Silva to Market Media Rights for European Handball

The marketing arm of the European Handball Federation (EHF) has signed a deal with MP & Silva, price for the sports rights company to market the media rights for the federation.

The seven-year contract includes the sale of media rights on all platforms worldwide for the VELUX EHF Champions League, capsule Women’s EHF Champions League and Men’s EHF Cup.

Also included in the deal is the finals of the Women’s EHF Cup, prescription Women’s Cup Winners’ Cup and Men’s and Women’s Challenge Cup. The deal also includes the worldwide streaming rights for betting companies.

Managing Director of EHF Marketing GmbH, the marketing arm of the EHF, Peter Vargo, said: “I am convinced that MP & Silva is the strongest and best connected media partner for our competitions going forward.

“The rapid growth and development of the EHF’s club competitions, and the VELUX EHF Champions League in particular, has made this deal possible.

“I am looking forward to working with MP & Silva to further develop our global TV audience and break into new markets.”

Andrea Radrizzani, Group CEO, MP & Silva, added: “In the last couple of years we have developed a strong relationship with EHF Marketing GmbH and I am extremely pleased to expand our partnership to a worldwide basis until 2020.

“Handball is a very important sport for key European and Middle Eastern broadcasters and MP & Silva will play a strategic role in extending the footprint of handball in new markets with new broadcasters.”

MP & Silva and EHF Marketing GmbH have worked together for a number of years, with the company already responsible for the distribution of media rights for the VELUX EHF Champions League and the Women’s EHF Champions League in territories including the Middle East, France, USA and Canada.

2013 Rugby League World Cup Organisers Allay Old Trafford Fears

Following the news that Old Trafford will not be hosting games at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, organisers of the 2013 Rugby League World Cup have moved to reassure fans that the 76,000 capacity stadium will still host the tournament’s final.

The final will take place at Old Trafford on 30 November.

RLWC2013 General Manager, Sally Bolton said “The sport of Rugby League has a long standing relationship with Manchester United. Old Trafford is a fantastic, proven arena for our extraordinary game and from day one we had planned for the final to be there.

“We have a great relationship with the club and are working closely with them to deliver this world class event, the pinnacle of our sport.

“Over 40,000 tickets have now gone for the final and three price categories of tickets have completely sold out. The Rugby League World Cup Final is the must-see sports event of 2013 in the UK and fans are responding to that.”

 

Connected Car Manager – McLaren

Location: Woking, ed UK

Closing Date: 27th September

Overview:

To define and deliver a connected car strategy appropriate for the McLaren brand, pills by managing key technology partners and suppliers, leading the connected car team and adding value to product development, finance, marketing and manufacturing from the early design concepts through to development, production and in-service.

Principal Accountabilities

  • – Define the connected car roadmap to deliver technological innovation, bespoke and appropriate for the McLaren brand, compliant with applicable legislation and safety requirements, and providing the highest standards of data security and privacy.
  • – Responsible for the programme gateway deliverables for connected cars to ensure effective governance of all feature content, risks, timing and costs.
  • – Support for the definition of the customer experience associated with connected technologies inside and outside the vehicle, and for external stakeholders such as dealerships, service centres and 3rd parties.
  • – Leadership of the connected car team to ensure suitable skills, training, performance and career development.
  • – Develop strategic partnerships with appropriate suppliers, academic institutions, government and non-government organisations and other OEMs.
  • – Generate revenue opportunities and sustainable business models appropriate for this new technology.
  • – Promote connected car continuous improvements for business development.

Knowledge, Skills and Experience Required

  • – Connected car E/E architectures relevant to OEM services, V2V and V2I communication
  • – Global service infrastructures, suppliers and eco-system components such as app developer framework and payment models
  • – Automotive cyber security standards and best practice
  • – Team leadership within automotive, mobile, IT or similar industries
  • – Software projects management for automotive applications
  • – Supplier partnerships management
  • – Automotive market trends and business model development

Personal Attributes

  • – Self motivated, and ability to work as a team leader and confidently alone
  • – Promote cross functional team working and collaboration between departments
  • – Conscientious and attention to quality, reliability and safety
  • – Excellent verbal and written communication skills
  • – Excellent personal workload management
  • – Driving Licence

NBA agrees jersey sponsorship

The NBA will begin putting sponsorship logos on player uniforms in 2017-18, a move that could generate at least $100 million annually and a step that the NFL, Major League Baseball and NHL have yet to take.

The three-year trial was approved Friday by NBA owners and will take effect when the league’s contract with Nike begins. The patches will appear on the front left of the jersey, opposite Nike’s logo, and measure about 2½ by 2½ inches.

Logos appear on international and MLS soccer jerseys, and many athletes in individual sports wear their sponsors’ attire in competition.

Read more HERE.

SPFL and BT Sport Seal Four-Year Broadcast Deal for League Cup

The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) has agreed a four-year with BT Sport to become the exclusive live TV broadcaster of the Scottish League Cup from summer 2016. 

The SPFL has also announced a revamp of the competition with a new format to be implemented from 2016.

Full story HERE.

FA Sign Wembley Stadium Refinancing Deal

The Football Association (FA) is in line to save up to £12 million after refinancing its debt for Wembley Stadium. 

The FA’s chief financial officer, Andrew Crean, described it as a ‘landmark moment’ for Wembley Stadium and the FA.

Full story HERE.