Nowhere is the warning ‘caveat emptor’ (or buyer beware) more apt than in the purchase of football sponsorship rights. So why is the process so fraught with uncertainty; surely it’s no more difficult than buying any other type of media exposure I hear you ask?

There are several reasons why this is not the case. These include: 

• > The arbitrary nature of valuation which is often determined more by the price a purchaser is willing to pay rather than the intrinsic media value of the rights on offer

> The measures used to define brand reach which in the case of most leading football clubs is simply the number of fans in each territory to which they lay claim

> The lip service paid by rights sellers to the level of engagement demonstrated by their global fan base. In many cases this equates only to the number of Facebook or other social media registrations

Despite these obvious pitfalls for the unwary, there are some simple steps that can ensure brands obtain value from their sports sponsorship investment. These include:-

• Setting out in advance a clear objective or purpose for using sports sponsorship as a preferred marketing channel. This may include an element of increasing brand exposure or affinity in a defined territory, but should also include a harder measure such as an increase in incremental revenue or in sales of a specific product
• Asking a few pertinent questions when presented with a slick presentation suggesting that your chosen sponsorship platform has a global fan base comprising a high proportion of the Earth’s human population. 
• 
  
• These could include:
• 
  
• > How were these figures derived and by what statistical model are they projected for each territory?
• > How many fan contact details are held and are currently available for marketing purposes in each territory?
• > How may of these fans has the club actually transacted with in the past year?

The answers to these questions alone should begin to give an indication of the gap between the proposed price of the sponsorship rights package and the incremental value a brand should be able to leverage from the deal. If in doubt, give me a call.

Steven Falk is director of Star Sports Marketing a consultancy providing insight and advice on sponsorship activation, CRM, brand and affinity marketing. You can follow him on Twitter @steven_falk or visit www.starsportsmarketing.co.uk

Steven’s

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Sport impacts the environment in many different ways, especially through sport events. At the same time, sport can also be a very powerful vehicle for encouraging environmentally friendly behavior in the general public. While there is a strong business case for environmental stewardship in sport, the sweet spot between managing risks and opportunities comprises high-impact solutions that are also cost-neutral over time.

This 12th contribution of mine for iSportconnect’s expert column on sport governance offers perspectives on the case of US Open with a focus on environmental stewardship in sport. It suggests that US Open exemplifies leadership in at least four ways: 1) minimizing direct environmental impact, 2) off-setting the environmental impact of player travel, 3) encouraging fans to adopt environmentally responsible behavior, and 4) shaping evolving good environmental practices in sport in partnership with others. The contribution also offers some critical questions about environmental stewardship for sport leaders to consider, as they start the process of modernizing their governance standards for the future.

My 13th contribution is going to be published in the middle of April. It will offer perspectives on the case of the recent 2014 South American Games with a focus on fair ticket pricing at sport events.

Environmental stewardship in sport has a strong business case

Exemplifying environmental stewardship by minimizing the environmental impact of sport is not only the right thing to do for sport governing bodies as responsible societal players. It is a way of contributing to ensuring an environment that is conducive of future generations continuing doing sport. It is also a way to reduce future operational costs and to build future trust, performance and revenue and participation growth – not least by nurturing the proudness of being associated with doing or supporting a green sport.

The sustainable sweet spot between managing risks and opportunities

Environmental stewardship can be both environmentally impactful and cost-neutral over time, inasmuch as solutions to minimize environmental impact often generate reduced future operational costs, for example reduced future energy costs stemming from becoming more energy efficient.

Knowing the environmental footprint of sport is a prerequisite for developing the most environmentally impactful solutions. The same goes for the costs of implementing possible high-impact solutions and subsequent future operational cost savings stemming from their implementation. With this knowledge at hand, it is possible to identify the sustainable sweet spot between managing risks and opportunities. The sweet spot comprises the high-impact solutions that are also cost-neutral over time.

A useful starting point for identifying the sweet spot is assessing the environmental impact of sport along the lines of the following four dimensions of sport governance:

> Internal governance: The environmental footprint caused by a large number of people traveling around the world to annual meetings, board meetings and other meetings of national and international sport governing bodies

> Athletic governance: The environmental footprint caused by a) professional athletes traveling around the world to participate in training and sport events and b) the production of professional sports wear and professional sport equipment

> Event governance: The environmental footprint caused by a) construction of new sport venues for the hosting of sport events (or renovation of existing facilities), b) construction of new public infrastructure for the hosting of sport events (or renovation of existing infrastructure) and c) a large number of fans engaging in sport tourism

> ‘Sport in society’ governance: The environmental footprint caused by a large number of people around the world buying, using and disposing sports wear and sport equipment (including the production of sports wear and sport equipment and the washing of sports wear).

Sport can also be a very powerful vehicle for encouraging environmentally friendly behavior in the general public

Beyond reducing the direct environmental impact of sport, the most significant contribution that sport can make is by encouraging environmentally friendly behavior in the general public. The unique power of sport in that regard lies in utilizing the direct attention of a large number of fans in the context of sport events and in utilizing the fact that any message from professional athletes carries a lot of clout and media attention, because they are widely seen as societal role models.

The Premier League is far from alone in its concerns about the prospective turbulence of a switch to a winter World Cup in 2022.

World federation FIFA has launched a extensive and long-running consultation into how to deal with concerns about the searing summer temperatures in Qatar in nine years’ time.

Europe’s 54 national associations have voted unanimously in favour of considering a timing switch but the federations and their own domestic leagues are not necessarily singing from the same songsheet.

That is certainly the case in England. Greg Dyke, chairman of the FA, insisted on Wednesday that the “2022 World Cup be played in the winter” but the Premier League – which features a significant number of the international game’s leading players – remains resolutely opposed.

Some other western leagues, including Germany, have proved more equivocal in their attitude to a winter switch. But any concerns they may have felt about appearing isolated are ill-founded.

Concern about a timing change have been expressed this week at the Leaders in Football conference in west London from central and South America too.

Decio de Maria, president of the Mexican league since April 2012, explained: “It’s a very tough question. We are structured with two tournaments a year plus play-offs in November and December.

“If a change is made then it will affect seriously the way we play so it’s important we have a voice through CONCACAF and with our people in FIFA.

“The soccer has always been structured is that winter is for the clubs and the summer is for the national teams and the World Cup. To change that will bring a cost and mean different things to the sport all over the world. We have to discuss this in a very detailed way before taking a decision.

“For us in Mexico it will very difficult and for every country in the world it will be a huge issue so before taking a decision FIFA has to hear everybody and understand the pluses and minuses of the whole decision.”

Mexico had been one of the original bidders for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup but withdrew during the campaign over financial concerns.

At that time the prospect of shifting the finals out of the traditional June/July slot was never contemplated.

De Maria: “Whether the World Cup was going to be in the fall or winter or spring was not in anybody’s mind so to stop the world like this creates a lot of questions.”

His opinion was echoed by Sunil Gulati, the president of the United States federation who led his own country’s 2022 bid and who is now a member of the FIFA executive committee which decided on the consultation process.

Gulati said: “This isn’t only about a few leagues in Europe. There are a whole bunch of countries around the world who would be affected because their leagues are the backbone of their national teams. Some have play-offs in November and December.

“That doesn’t mean it’s not possible but they have to be considered along with the Premier League’s problems.”

A third expression of concern for the structure of the club game across the world came from Chilean Harold Mayne-Nicholls who conducted the evaluation assessments of all the World Cup bidding nations on behalf of the executive committee.

Mayne-Nicholls, who has studied the ramifications of switching the 2022 finals to a variety of other dates, said: “It’s a worldwide problem. Not only a Premier League problem. All over the world we are playing league matches in most of the 209 FIFA countries so it’s not so easy.

“Also, we have to think about the Confederations Cup the year before the World Cup which is not so easy to alter either. If we cannot play the World Cup in June and July then we cannot play the Confederations Cup in June and July either.

“In that we must move the Confederations Cup and logically that would mean we must move all the leagues in the previous year too. It will affect clubs from all over the world with the global system of players we have now.”

Keir Radnedge has been covering football worldwide for more than 40 years, writing 33 books, from tournament guides to comprehensive encyclopedias, aimed at all ages.

His journalism career included The Daily Mail for 20 years as well as The Guardian and other national newspapers and magazines in the UK and around the world. He is a former editor, and remains a lead columnist, with World Soccer, generally recognised as the premier English language magazine on global football.

In addition to his writing, Keir has been a regular analyst for BBC radio and television, Sky Sports, Sky News, Aljazeera and CNN.

Keir Radnedge’s Twitter: @KeirRadnedge

Keir Radnedge’s

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LAUSANNE, Switzerland – SportAccord Convention is pleased to welcome the 17^th FINA World Championships 2017 Budapest – Balatonfüred onboard as a Gold Partner for this year’s SportAccord Convention taking place in the European Capital of Culture Aarhus, Denmark from 2 – 7 April 2017.

Commenting on the Gold Partnership, Eva Szanto, Executive Director of Bp2017 N. Ltd. said, “Last year our organization took part in SportAccord Convention and it was extremely useful in finding new partners for the World Championships. The Convention was a big push for our event and this Gold partnership will help to provide further visibility and awareness too. The new partnerships we have made as a result of being involved in the SportAccord Convention will help to deliver the best FINA Aquatics World Championships in Budapest ever.”

The 17^th FINA World Championships will take place in Budapest and Balatonfüred from 14 – 30 July 2017 and will be the largest sporting event Hungary has hosted. Almost 3,000 athletes in six different disciplines will take part, with 75 contests taking place over a period of 17 days in five iconic venues.

Nis Hatt, Managing Director of SportAccord Convention said, “We’re delighted to welcome the 17^th FINA World Championships 2017 Budapest – Balatonfüred as a Gold Partner and wish them all the very best for this exciting international event this summer. Their desire to step up and become a Gold Partner this year as a result of the successful partnerships forged during SAC2016, demonstrates why the SportAccord Convention is a valuable platform for cities, regions, sponsors and sport.”

SportAccord Convention is the world’s premier and most exclusive annual event at the service of sport. It is focused on driving positive change internationally and dedicated to engaging and connecting; international sports federations, rights holders, organising committees, cities, press and media, businesses and other organisations involved in the development of sport.

The Convention is host to annual general meetings of governing bodies, and once again, will welcome a delegation from the International Olympic Committee. The 6-day Convention includes the Plenary Conference, City Forum, LawAccord, MediaAccord, the Exhibition, as well as the Opening Ceremony and Closing Event.

Sir Philip Craven, President of the International Paralympic Committee, has declared he is unsure of whether he will be entitled to vote upon the host city for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Briton holds International Olympic Committee membership due to holding the IPC presidency, so would be expected to relinquish his voting rights once his successor is decided. However, if his replacement has not been officially inaugurated into his new role by the time votes are cast.

A nominations process for all IPC Governing Board positions for the next four years has been opened today six months before an election scheduled for the General Assembly in Abu Dhabi on September 7 and 8.

This will take place just five days before the September 13 election for the host city of the 2024 Games, a two-horse race between Los Angeles and Paris.

The IOC have not yet confirmed either way exactly when Sir Philip will cease to be a voting member.

September’s election in Abu Dhabi will mark the election of just the third IPC President in the organisation’s 28-year history.

Canadian Robert Steadward led from 1989 to 2001 before Sir Philip ruled for the last 16 years.

Location: London, UK

Closing Date: March 23, 2017

Overview:

The position is based between the Foundation’s Beckton Sports Hub and the London Stadium. The job holder needs to be flexible and may work irregular hours (e.g. evenings) given the nature of the job.

• To ensure efficient and effective communication between the Foundation and Club as well as external partners/journalists 
• To promote the Foundation and the wide range of projects operated by staff. 
• To coordinate all Foundation marketing and activity to ensure brand is communicated affectively and coherently

Key Responsibilities:

• To create and manage all content for Foundation publications including, Club match day programmes, website, social channels and Club e-newsletter
• To develop a marketing strategy, including management of marketing budgets, to increase participation numbers across commercial delivery.
• To develop social media strategy and increase presence across digital channels
• Work closely with delivery and funding partners Marcomms teams, including Premier League.
• Implement a Comms Process across all Foundation departments to ensure regular external communication of activities across the Foundation’s broad range.
• To work flexibly, including within the Club departments including the Press Office, Marketing and Digital.
• Work with club website manager to maintain and update the Foundation website to ensure we are effectively communicating the wide range of initiatives we are delivering 
• Implement and maintain correct use of the Club and Foundation’s brand. 
• Look to create engaging and innovative ways of fundraising and marketing initiatives to help support the Foundation’s programmes
• Affectively communicate Foundation case studies through new and innovative ways
• Attend Foundation events and projects in order to create press-releases and web articles
• Build key relationships with local and national press in order to raise awareness in the local area of the Foundation’s work
• To write articles on activities and events for publication in Club and external publications.
• To create in-house marketing materials and liaise with designer and printers for externally created marketing projects. 
• To create, implement and maintain the Foundation’s social networking channels. 
• To continuously look to use new and unique communication channels. 
• Maintain and update the Foundation’s web pages 
• Conduct weekly news and media scan to monitor the Foundation’s exposure with local and national media channels.
• Guarding the branding guidelines of external and internal marketing materials
• Supporting development, planning and implementing of the Foundation’s fundraising activities
• Work within the Clubs Marcomms departments 2 days per week to ensure effective club-wide promotion and awareness of Foundation’s work.

Equal Opportunities

1. To ensure that all departments are provided within an anti-discriminatory framework and take account of such issues as race, gender, sexuality, disability, religion and age.

2. To carry out work in a manner which promotes equality of opportunity for both staff and clients.

West Ham United staff enjoy generous benefits, including a contributory scheme, 25 days’ leave and life assurance. You can also take advantage of childcare vouchers, interest-free season ticket loans, a cycle to work scheme and our employee wellbeing programme.

Person Specification

The ideal candidate will have skills and experience in the following areas: –

Education/Qualifications/Training:

• Educated to Degree level in Public Relations, Marketing and Communications or alternatively the equivalent role experience 
• Safeguarding/Child Protection Training and First Aid (will be provided in post if not already done).

Specific Experience

• A minimum of 2-year experience working in Communications and Marketing.
• Experience in writing articles for numerous publications and audiences.
• Experience in the field of communications, marketing and/or public relations.
• Experience of marketing, especially digital marketing including social media. 
• Producing both in-house materials and working with external designers.

Abilities/Skills/Knowledge:

• Ability to work to deadlines and time-manage effectively.
• Good knowledge of ICT; willing to undergo training in new technologies. Photoshop/video editing skills are desirable.
• Strong photography skills are desirable.
• Good organisational and communication skills with a range of colleagues and partners.
• Sound knowledge and understanding of in working with press teams and the media.
• Able to work effectively with others, co-operate with colleagues and help the Foundation and the outreach programmes achieve its goals through marketing the programmes.

Understanding and commitment to the Club’s Equality Policy and ability to promote anti-discriminatory practice.

We are committed to the principle of equality and equal opportunities in employment and have been accredited with the being Disability Confident Committed. We will actively promote equality and equal opportunities in our business to ensure that individuals receive treatment that is fair and equitable and consistent with their relevant aptitudes, potential skills and abilities. Employees will be recruited and selected, promoted and trained on the basis of objective criteria.

West Ham United FC is committed to equality and safeguarding children and vulnerable adults. Positions that involve working with such groups are subject to safer recruitment protocols, including DBS Disclosure at enhanced level.

How to apply: To apply please email your CV with a covering letter and return e-mail address to hr@westhamunited.co.uk by 24th March 2017. Interviews are scheduled to take place on 29th March 2017 We encourage applicants to apply as early as possible as we reserve the right to close the advert earlier than advertised. Previous applicants need not apply.

The Hungarian capital city of Budapest is set to exit the bidding process for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The withdrawal would leave Los Angeles and Paris as the remaining competitors.

A Hungarian government spokesperson has confirmed that the city will end its campaign to host the Games, following talks between between Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Budapest Mayor Istvan Tarlos and the Hungarian Olympic Committee.

The Budapest bid encountered substantial opposition after over 260,000 people signed a petition to force a referendum on the issue.

The decision to drop the bid will be formally voted on by the Budapest City Assembly, but is expected to be agreed upon.

Fidesz, the governing party, said the decision was made to avoid “a loss of international prestige” as the bid was considered unlikely to succeed.