Pepsi and Virgin Atlantic Amongst Soccerex Seminar Line Up

Soccerex, ed the leading provider of business events for the global football community, has announced a new line up of multinational companies who have signed up as event supporters for the Soccerex Seminar Lagos, 27-28 September 2012.

The Seminar Lagos is the first international football business event in Nigeria and will provide Pepsi, Virgin Atlantic, Standard Chartered, Fourteen and Spier Wine with a unique opportunity to develop their brands in West Africa through football.

Virgin Atlantic is one of the most recognisable brands in the world and carried over 5.2 million passengers during 2011. As the official airline supporter they will be providing preferential flights for all of the attendees at the Soccerex Seminar Lagos.

Pepsi are the official soft drink supporters for the event and have a long and established connection with football, with some of the most famous players in the world as brand ambassadors such as Lionel Messi and David Beckham. They also have a strong connection with Nigerian football through the Pepsi Football Academy. Originally based in Lagos, the programme now has 14 centres across the country with over 3,000 students, with Chelsea Midfielder John Obi Mikel as a former student.

Standard Chartered will be the official banking supporter of the Seminar and will use the partnership to raise awareness of their brand in Nigeria. As Liverpool FC’s shirt sponsor they have an active role in the footballing industry and will be able offer Nigerian businesses a better understanding of football administration.

Commenting on their involvement at the Seminar, Nigeria’s Standard Chartered CEO, Bola Adesola said: “This is a great partnership. We are excited to be working with such a famous global brand as Soccerex. This synergy brings together two highly successful institutions with a really strong cultural and strategic fit. Many people in Nigeria love football and it is actually the most popular sport in the country.

“As the main sponsor of Liverpool Football Club, partnering with Soccerex provides us with the ideal opportunity for Nigerians to deepen their knowledge of football administration and its development strategy. This is an outstanding opportunity for Standard Chartered Bank Nigeria, our customers and all our stakeholders.”

Dating back to 1693, Spier Wine’s is one of the oldest wine farms in South Africa who have won multiple international awards for their wines. As the official wine supporter, Spier Wine will supply wine for attendees to drink during various structured networking sessions including the happy hour sessions at the end of each day.

Fourteen are a sportswear manufacturer based in Geneva, who produces a range of items that is focused towards clubs and organizations as well as individual sports. As part of the exposure as official sportswear supporter, Fourteen will be providing branded shirts for staff to wear during the seminar.

Speaking about becoming an event supporter, Fourteen CEO, Philippe Wick said: “Fourteen wants to share its commitment to excellence by reaching out to all sports lovers on all continents. With the setup of 14Fourteen Africa as part of our strategy, we want to establish a firm foothold in Nigeria to develop and service the continental market with a strong local approach yet international vision.

“Soccerex’s commitment to promote the growth of football business is the ideal platform to launch our strategy and present the team-up between Fourteen SA and Fourteen Africa.”

About the Seminar Lagos

Soccerex’s commitment to promoting the growth of football business worldwide reaches new regions in 2012 with their inaugural event in West Africa, the Soccerex Seminar Lagos, 27-28 September.

In partnership with Lagos State Football Association, the Soccerex Seminar Lagos will provide a commercial platform for 750 key global industry stakeholders to network, foster new business links and share knowledge in one of football’s most lucrative emerging markets.

About Soccerex

Established in 1995, Soccerex is the leading provider of business events for the global football community. Bringing together key industry decision makers from the world of football, Soccerex provides a unique commercial environment where delegates can benefit from exclusive business opportunities, networking and bespoke educational content.

Since its launch 17 years ago, Soccerex has hosted over 27 events across five continents. The Soccerex portfolio includes an annual Global Convention complimented by regionalised Forums.